Dream Space

In this special episode of Dream Space, renowned artist and activist Ai Weiwei dreams of a world built on fairness and justice. Guided by guest host and Factory International Chief Executive John McGrath, Ai Weiwei talks about freedom of speech, the responsibility of artists to speak up and how China has changed since his youth. Flipping the Dream Space script, Ai describes revisiting his nightmare space in Sewing a Button – a 24-hour live re-enactment of his secret detention in China. Ai reflects on the relationship between dreams and reality, recalling his lively, brightly-coloured dreams during detention. Ai Weiwei is known around the world for his uncompromising artistic vision and political activism. From a childhood in exile to surviving secret detention in China, his remarkable life and career have led him to global prominence. In Button Up! , a major new exhibition at Aviva Studios, Ai turns his critical gaze to the last 200 years of history, power and empire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the final episode of Dream Space season three, we leave nature behind for a chaotic, futuristic city from the mind of comedian Nish Kumar . Guided by host Gemma Cairney , Nish reflects on the energies of the world’s great cities from his home of London to Mumbai to Melbourne. Enter a Dream Space where Manhattan skyscrapers meet Parisian boulevards in a series of contrasting neighbourhoods. Communities live alongside one another in cheap, floating housing with 100% renewable energy and flying wind turbines. Covering everything from the importance of grassroots venues to the dangers of AI, Nish asks us to imagine a more optimistic version of our present cities. Nish Kumar is a comedian, broadcaster and podcast host known for his social and political commentary. He hosts Pod Save the UK with journalist Coco Khan and has toured his stand-up show Nish Don’t Kill My Vibe around the world including at Aviva Studios. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Angelique Kidjo ’s Dream Space isn’t a space that you enter as such, but a mindset that you carry with you day to day. The five-times Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and activist delivers a beautiful metaphor to live by in this joyous exchange with host Gemma Cairney . Riffing on the oral traditions of Benin where she was born, for her Dream Space Angelique invites listeners to envision themselves as a tree – the roots our value systems, the trunk our self and the branches our choices. Reflecting on how nature works in cycles – how a tree loses its leaves annually in order to renew – Angelique contrasts this with our modern world where we’re so accustomed to getting everything we want immediately and running ourselves off our feet year-round. The lifelong campaigner for women’s rights, healthcare and climate change imparts a wealth of wisdom throughout the conversation – from nature’s nurturing powers and not holding grudges to remembering humour and humility when times are tough (something she notes her friend and mentor Nelson Mandela did). With seventeen albums under her belt that exude elation, it’s no surprise that in Angelique’s Dream Space she invites us to live in the spirit of joy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From running away to London at eighteen and living on a bus with a band, to forcing the door open to a career in the music industry, Mary Anne Hobbs ’ path hasn’t always been the conventional one. The DJ, curator, music journalist and radio presenter reflects on her experiences of growing up in a small Northern town, cutting her teeth in pirate radio, and how her punk, do-it-yourself spirit has shaped her life, career and point of view. Drawing on these life experiences, in Mary Anne Hobbs’ Dream Space , young artists are given the financial support, time and care to develop their ideas, learn from the older generation and flourish. Inspired by the DIY attitude of pirate radio, her Dream Space invites young people from across the UK to hack and takeover all social media, TV and radio channels and broadcast ‘The Culture Forecast’ every night – forcing the rest of the country to pay attention to the amazing art they’re making. Guided expertly by host Gemma Cairney who also touches on her non-linear path into broadcasting and the arts, this Dream Space is all about giving the next generation a foot in the door and a shot to shape the culture. Mary Anne Hobbs is a DJ, curator, music journalist and broadcaster. In 2025, she premiered WHAT DO YOU WANT? at Manchester International Festival – an electrifying fusion of live DJing, sound design, violins, viola and live electronics, created in collaboration with Anna Phoebe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Dream Space, Terence Lewis – India’s leading contemporary dance choreographer – asks us to be still for a moment. Guided by host Gemma Cairney , Terence imagines a dark space where sound is the only guide. He talks about connecting with our bodies through movement, thinking, listening and stillness – taking us on a journey from dance techniques to Indian philosophy. Terence Lewis is a multi-award-winning Indian dance, singer and choreographer – best known for judging the reality dance show Dance India Dance. He is the Artistic Director and Choreographer of Terence Lewis Dance Company in Mumbai – one of two dance companies behind Keith Khan’s The Accountants , which premiered at Aviva Studios in May 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Artist and filmmaker Juliet Ellis takes us on a journey through her meditative practice as a multidisciplinary artist in this absorbing episode of Dream Space . Juliet’s Dream Space reflects on serendipity – how she happened upon meditation by chance – and encourages creativity in all forms. Grounded in the power of meditation, everyone is welcome into this Dream Space . Tranquil, deep and contemplative, Juliet even guides host Gemma Cairney and listeners through an exercise to quiet the mind. Juliet Ellis is an award-winning interdisciplinary artist, theatre maker and filmmaker. She released her first feature film in 2021, Ruby , which won Best Drama at Berlin Independent Film Festival and the Fellini Award at Austin Arthouse Film Festival. In 2025, Juliet premiered the film and installation work A Symphony of Flesh and Bones at Manchester International Festival to critical acclaim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Dream Space podcast, jazz saxophonist, composer and musician Nubya Garcia brings the principles of improvisation to her dreams. Guided by host Gemma Cairney, Nubya imagines a playful, freeing space where music is a universal language. Reflecting on learning to improvise as a teenager, she asks us to let go and respond to the creative energies of the space. Try pottery making, painting, singing or just moving! Nubya Garcia is a multi-award-winning jazz musician based in London. In 2021, her debut album Source was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize. Last year, she released her second solo album Odyssey to rave reviews. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can a lack of control be freeing? In this episode of Dream Space, British-Iraqi writer, drag performer and filmmaker Amrou Al-Kadhi takes us on a journey through the cosmos where we become part of the universe. Guided by host Gemma Cairney , Amrou imagines a euphoric rave inside a blanket of cosmic dust. There is no sense of time or urgency. Reflecting on queerness in his work, Amrou describes a space where everyone just is – people scream, cry and laugh like children without being judged. Amrou Al-Kadhi's work focuses on queer identity, politics and storytelling. Their debut book Life as a Unicorn: A Journey from Shame to Pride and Everything In Between won the Polari First Book Prize and the Somerset Maugham Award. Their debut feature film Layla – a coming-of-age story set in London, about an Arab drag queen’s first love – premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Raised in an East London home alive with creativity – a fashion designer mum and a furniture maker dad – Arsenal defender and Lioness Lotte Wubben-Moy has always felt the power of imagination. Yet as a professional footballer, the questions she’s asked are often focus on her routine: “What do you eat?” and “How do you train?” In Dream Space, Lotte takes up the invitation to wander, dream and imagine something beyond the rigidity of sport. The result is a place without hierarchy, where the collective matters more than the individual. Rooted in her passion for grassroots football, her dream is to lift others up, creating a game – and a world – where freedom and community sit at the centre. Guided by host Gemma Cairney , Lotte reflects on creativity, belonging and possibility. Her dream space isn’t just for footballers (though Ian Wright and her Arsenal teammates are invited – alongside the artist Olafur Eliasson) it’s for everyone who believes in the joy of building something bigger, together. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Forest bathing. Climbing trees. Falling in love. Step inside writer Max Porter ’s dream space where you find a deep connection to the living world and an incredible sense of peace. Guided by host Gemma Cairney , Max Porter imagines a psychedelic forest where visitors gain a superpower that reveals the complex life cycle of each living thing – from the trees to fellow human beings. Reflecting on the importance of freedom and activism in his work, Max Porter talks animism, empathy and pacifism as well as the radical potential of widening our roles as caregivers in our divided times. Max Porter is an award-winning writer, who works across fiction, film and theatre. He rose to prominence for his outstanding debut Grief is a Thing with Feathers (2015). For MIF21, Max Porter worked with director Aoife McArdle on the film All of This Unreal Time , starring Cillian Murphy with music from Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner (of The National) and Jon Hopkins. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first episode of season three, visionary performance artist Marina Abramović joins host Gemma Cairney to talk about the importance of dreaming throughout her 50-year career – from the recurring dreams of her childhood to interpreting her dreams to her creative process. Reflecting on key works in career, including The Artist Is Present at MoMA and her seven-minute, silent intervention on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival, Marina expands on her relationship with art, spirituality, old age and dreaming – imagining a space without ego or categories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dream Space is back for a third season of dreams, visions and imaginary worlds – straight from the minds of our leading creative thinkers. Join host Gemma Cairney in the dream space with guests including Marina Abramović , Max Porter , Nubya Garcia and Lotte Wubben-Moy , who are all fascinated by our capacity to dream. Dream Space takes listeners on a journey through an imaginary, limitless space. Infinite resources. A blank canvas. The challenge? Create your dream artistic utopia. What sights, sounds, tastes and conversations shape your experience? Which musicians, artists, film director or theatre practitioners feature in your dream? In each episode we get to know our guest, find out what makes them tick, what brings them joy and inspiration. Together we create a new vision, pushing the boundaries of what is possible, and ask what kind of art the world needs today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final episode of Dream Space series 2, Gemma Cairney leaves us in the capable hands (and mind) of Factory International’s Creative Director and natural dreamer Kee Hong Low. Join Kee Hong as he reflects on what it means to let go and embrace our dreams. Enter a vast space of calm, which transcends the limits of the everyday, and be guided by the unexpected – like the ability to smell through your skin! Plus, Gemma Cairney reflects on our series highlights and all the wonderful dream spaces we visited along the way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

British-born Ghanaian/Russian/German artist Afrodeutsche, aka Henrietta Smith-Rolla, invites us aboard her Love Plane in this week’s episode of Dream Space. No tickets are needed, and everyone is welcome to relax on this mystical long-haul flight where all the crew can rest. Known for her eclectic productions spanning techno, house, and classical orchestral music, Afrodeutsche is also the host of BBC Radio 6 Music’s People’s Party every Friday evening. Dream Space is a Reduced Listening production for Factory International, hosted by Gemma Cairney. This episode was produced by Silvia Malnati, with sound design by Femi Oriogun-Williams, and theme music by Andrew PM Hunt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Award-winning Palestinian playwright and director Amir Nizar Zuabi invites us on a journey in this week’s episode of Dream Space. We travel along ancient routes, filled with the scent of spices and the taste of fresh dates, toward infinite possibilities and knowledge in 12th-century Baghdad and the Library of Alexandria. Zuabi, the founding Artistic Director of ShiberHur Theater Company in Palestine, is also an Associate Director at the Young Vic Theatre and a member of United Theaters Europe for artistic achievement. His latest project, The Herds , follows life-size puppet animals as they journey from West Africa to Norway, escaping climate disaster. Dream Space is a Reduced Listening production for Factory International, hosted by Gemma Cairney. This episode was produced by Tess Davidson, with sound design by Femi Oriogun-Williams, and theme music by Andrew PM Hunt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Award-winning artist Ryan Gander lets us into his mind in this episode of Dream Space, imagining a world where time slows down, and mindfulness reigns. Inspired by Japanese philosophy, Gander’s dream space is a minimalist, meditative world reminiscent of Zelda: Breath of the Wild , where you can swap senses and choose solitude or company with the flip of a switch. In this world, the passing of time is savoured, and wandering without a goal becomes a form of meditation. Ryan Gander, based in Suffolk, is known for his expansive body of work spanning sculpture, writing, architecture, and performance. Describing himself as a “neo-conceptual no-style-style amateur philosopher,” Gander’s art explores themes of language, time, and knowledge. His accolades include an OBE in 2017, the Hodder Fellowship at Princeton University in 2019, and becoming a Royal Academician in 2022. For MIF23, Gander created The Find , hiding thousands of collectable coins across Manchester. Hosted by Gemma Cairney, Dream Space is a Reduced Listening production for Factory International. This episode was produced by Silvia Malnati, with sound design by Femi Oriogun-Williams, and theme music by Andrew PM Hunt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A pioneer of hip hop theatre turned award-winning photographer and educator, Benji Reid takes us into a space of healing in his dreams. Life can feel overwhelming at times. Everything moves so fast, and there are never enough hours in the day. But in Benji's Dream Space, this will never be a problem. Instead, he imagines a world that exists when you’re ready to move at a pace that works for you. A space where time doesn’t exist – and there is a library of souls to be inspired by, lined with red trees and soft clouds to wade through. Benji Reid first trained as a dancer before forming his hip hop theatre company Breaking Cycles which he has toured globally. Through his work, he explores the themes of the Black British experience, Black masculinity, and mental health. Benji's show at the 2023 edition of Manchester International Festival, Find Your Eyes , invited audiences to watch him craft his photography in real time – blending theatre and dance with photography. Dream Space is a Reduced Listening production for Factory International, hosted by Gemma Cairney. This episode was produced by Tess Davidson, with sound design by Femi Oriogun-Williams, and theme music by Andrew PM Hunt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mancunian cabaret star, actor and visual artist David Hoyle takes on a trip to a new utopia in our latest episode of Dream Space. If you’re feeling oppressed, lonely and unmotivated in a capitalist world that is causing rising social inequalities and political polarisation then you are not the only one. And, great news, there’s an alternative waiting for you: Planet Infinity, the community-led, revolutionary Dream Space conjured up by David. David is a bit of a Manchester icon. From performing as his infamous alter-ego ‘The Divine David’ on the stages of underground clubs to presenting his own show on Channel 4 in the '90s, over the past four decades David has never stopped developing his artistic practice, exploring the themes of gender, mental health, capitalism, revolution and more… To celebrate over 40 years of his work, in Spring 2024, Factory International hosted Please Feel Free to Ignore My Work at the Aviva Studios, where David opened the door to his outrageous and moving world. Dream Space is a Reduced Listening production for Factory International, hosted by Gemma Cairney. This episode was produced by Silvia Malnati, with sound design by Femi Oriogun-Williams, and theme music by Andrew PM Hunt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Actor, writer, and director Zawe Ashton invites us into her dream world in this episode —a sensory landscape where nostalgia comes to life. Imagine the smell of Play-Doh and Ugandan food transporting you to a place where everyone speaks different languages but can understand one another. In Zawe's vast, sandy dreamscape, steam trains from various eras wind through pine trees and ancient pyramids, revealing cosmic potential and universal connections. Zawe Ashton, known for her roles in Marvel Studios' The Marvels, Channel 4’s Fresh Meat and her acclaimed performances in Harold Pinter’s Betrayal , shares her unique vision of a world where memories and imagination intertwine. Hosted by Gemma Cairney, Dream Space is produced by Reduced Listening for Factory International. This episode was produced by Tess Davidson, with sound design by Femi Oriogun-Williams, and theme music by Andrew PM Hunt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Enter the dreams of electronic music composer, producer, and artist Gazelle Twin as she imagines an endless summer’s evening where the scent of pine fills the air and insects are in charge of the soundtrack. An opportunity for escape and self-exploration, Gazelle Twin’s dream space offers a place of safety allowing us to process and heal. Gazelle Twin, aka Elizabeth Bernholz, is an artist whose work is radical, sometimes political, and almost always personal. 2023 saw her confront the ghosts of her past through her fourth solo studio album Black Dog , as well as write an original soundtrack for the Sky Max thriller series Then You Run featuring Vivian Oparah. For Factory International, Gazelle Twin worked alongside Maxine Peake, Sarah Frankcom, Imogen Knight and Daisy Johnson on Robin/Red/Breast, a live performance that blurred the boundaries between theatre, art and music, and tackled complex issues around fertility, violence and power. Dream Space is produced by Reduced Listening for Factory International, hosted by Gemma Cairney. This episode was produced by Nada Smiljanic, with sound design by Femi Oriogun-Williams, and theme music by Andrew PM Hunt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.