Can games be art? We're back from a long hiatus with our first Hack Circus podcast interview about videogames! Introducing Jonas Antonsson, founder of Sweden-based games publisher Raw Fury. Raw Fury turns out games that make you feel, and Jonas

What does it mean to be motivated?

Mar 2nd, 2020 24m 23s

What does it mean for creative people to be motivated? Is there a secret to getting more motivation, or is the drive too mysterious to neatly unravel? What are the three reasons people aren't motivated, and what happens to highly driven people

Where does creativity come from?

Oct 10th, 2019 23m 47s

What is creativity? How does it relate to things like problem-solving, risk-taking, impulsiveness and excitement? I talk to some highly creative individuals in this special episode, part of a series of three 'Mastering' documentaries. This litt

What is Creativity?

Oct 10th, 2019 23m 47s

What's the point of empathy?

Sep 26th, 2019 19m 1s

Is empathy important in business? Is it possible to have too much empathy to be successful? What's the connection between empathy and power? This little documentary, part of the Mastering Empathy strand of the HC Masterclass series, introduces

Alex McLean – creating communities and interference patterns

Aug 29th, 2019 52m 39s

Alex McLean is a well-known artist, musician, researcher, and coder based in Sheffield. He is the creator of Tidal Cycles, free software for writing music, and is one of founders of live coding and the algorave phenomenon. Alex actively builds

Creativity Clinic: Four ways to keep motivated in an age of freelancing, procrastination and the gig economy

Aug 26th, 2019 15m 3s

The world has changed since I last talked about motivation. More than ever, we're addicted to devices, addicted to YouTube, addicted to interrupting and derailing our thoughts – addicted scuppering our plans in favour of a quick hit! For those

Creativity Clinic: One creative branding tip, and how I'm rebranding this podcast!

Aug 22nd, 2019 17m 1s

I used to think that branding was about coming up with the story we'd like to tell, but now I think it's more about uncovering the story that's already there. In this special extra-long Creativity Clinic, I talk about a practical technique that

Nathan Geering – accessibility innovation through beatboxing and b-boy dancing

Aug 15th, 2019 44m 4s

Nathan Geering is a dancer, teacher and innovator known for his work with visually impaired people. He has created dance that's accessible for visually impaired people to both watch and participate in, and has begun to develop a beatbox shortha

Creativity Clinic 19: The value of paying attention in an attention scarce world!

Aug 8th, 2019 10m 23s

The world is a rough place at the moment. One easy way we can improve it for ourselves and those around us is by upping the quality of our interactions with people. If we really listen, if we really read emails, if we really look for the meanin

Creativity Clinic 18: The waiting game – gambling on the big gigs

Aug 4th, 2019 11m 26s

It's the summer... no one's replying to email, everyone's busier – or more on-holiday – than I am. In this episode, I talk about my current situation, which right now is all about waiting. If you've had some success in the past, it's not becau

Maggie Nolan – 'Applied Improv' for consultancy and corporate workshops

Aug 1st, 2019 46m 16s

Maggie Nolan is a consultant and trainer, bringing techniques from improvisation practice into businesses. She launched her agency Start With A Yes over a year ago, combining years of experience of teaching and performing and applying them in a

Creativity Clinic – Prioritising Ideas

Jul 29th, 2019 12m 1s

This week I take on a listener's question about prioritising ideas: how do we decide what's most important? Is it better to do dig into one big thing or skim lots of little ones? In this short episode, I suggest it might be all about values, ex

Sara Green – choreographing science

Jul 25th, 2019 40m 39s

Sara Green is a dancer, choreographer, movement director and film-maker. She's collaborated with artists and other performers across theatre, film, fashion and dance. Her recent work includes Richard Ayoade’s vignette for Radiohead, short film

Creativity Clinic 16: Time and Art

Jul 21st, 2019 10m 53s

This week's question was about how artists deal with time: do we let the available time decide how 'big' a project is; is that a valid constraint? How do we understand the value we place on time, outside of the monetary value our society attach

Ben Moor – clever and funny storytelling in one-man shows

Jul 18th, 2019 43m 52s

Ben Moor is a seasoned and innovative storyteller with multiple Edinburgh shows under his belt – mostly one-man shows. Ben's work is sensitive and often surreal, as he challenges the audience to follow him on journeys through worlds peppered wi

Creativity Clinic: Wellbeing and Making

Jul 15th, 2019 12m 6s

Making and wellbeing are linked. While it's known that making things improves your mood, I argue here (entirely unscientifically) that you can't make yourself make stuff until you feel like you have some energy to spend. So: getting creative ca

Sophie Rochester – digital storytelling and the welldoing movement

Jul 11th, 2019 38m 54s

Sophie Rochester is a creative entrepreneur of significant standing, appearing on numerous lists of top business people in her industry. She is known for always being one step ahead of industry trends, and taking her ideas in bold and ambitious

Katie Day – Making innovative theatre

Jul 3rd, 2019 44m 9s

Katie Day is the Director of Birmingham-based theatre company, The Other Way Works. She creates exciting and innovative experiences for small, highly-engaged audiences, and often deploys technology in interesting ways. Her work often uses the r

Creativity Clinic – What are the most inspiring books?

Jul 1st, 2019 11m 21s

What kinds of books give us ideas? Do we even get much emotional inspiration from books at all? This first Creativity Clinic of the new series is a personal reflection on some of the things I've read that I've have influenced my work, and which

Adam Tandy – making TV: the Detectorists; Inside Number 9; the League of Gentlemen

Jun 27th, 2019 36m 55s

Adam Tandy is a TV producer, director, writer and much more, working on some of the best shows and with some of the top stars of our era. We discuss some of the joys and challenges of making the hugely successful Reece Sheersmith/Steve Pemberto

Luke Jennings – Killing Eve author and dance writer

Jun 20th, 2019 51m 12s

Luke Jennings is the creator of the hit TV series Killing Eve, about the mutual obsession between an MI6 agent and a female assassin. He was also, until recently, the dance critic for The Observer newspaper, and worked as a professional dancer

Hazel Findlay – elite rock climber and coach

Jun 13th, 2019 54m 51s

Hazel Findlay is a top professional climber, constantly touring the world in search of new adventures and breaking records. In recent years she has been working as a coach, helping climbers of all abilities to overcome their fears and progress

Tom Tobia – consulting creatively

Jun 8th, 2019 58m 26s

The Hack Circus podcast is back with a bang after an enormous break of two years! The star guest this episode is Tom Tobia – a creative entrepreneur based in Sheffield. We cover the origins of an organisation he helped to found, Makerversity, h

Creativity Clinic 13 – How to make things frequently

Jan 30th, 2017 8m 20s

If you want to get stuff made regularly, get your duty on and work out who you're doing it for. In this episode, Leila addresses the common misconception that creative work always has to follow on from an urge, or desire. She explains why you c