For the last ISLINGTON MILL AND... podcast of 2025 I am joined by returning guest miqx of the Radical Faeries to discuss charity and community, and because the conversation went on for so long (and is so good!) I have decided to split it into two parts.

Here is part 2, where we talk about charity and how it should work, both ideally and practically, including the Islington Mill Charity Board and its place within the larger Islington Mill community.

For the last ISLINGTON MILL AND... podcast of 2025 I am joined by returning guest miqx of the Radical Faeries to discuss charity and community, and because the conversation went on for so long (and is so good!) I have decided to split it into two parts. Here is part 1, where we discuss creating and maintaining community, at Islington Mill and further afield, as well as miqx's long history of radical queer activism.

You can find out more about miqx's story on our previous podcast interview here: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-isxg3-12b155b and part 2 of our recent conversation (focussing on charity) will be coming out tomorrow. Enjoy!

For the October 2025 edition of the Islington Mill podcast, I am joined by the queer author Sam Jenks to talk about his just-published novel "Homoland" and his queer writing/publishing project dif that is best summed up by its slogan "misfit gay lit and other queer shit"

You can visit the dif website at: bedif.org

Other authors mentioned on this episode are:

Jon Ransom

Nuril Basri

Andrea Lawlor

Thomas Moore

and you can find out more about Sam's novel "Homoland" here.

After brewing at the Mill for many years, the peer-led learning community I.M.A.A. (ISLINGTON MILL ART ACADEMY) is now in full swing! For this month's edition of the podcast I am joined by I.M.A.A.'s Sam, Sophie and Russell to talk about what exactly this project entails, where/when it happens and how you, yes YOU dear listener, can get involved. This podcast is filled with lots of valuable information but if you'd like to know more, you can visit the I.M.A.A. Instagram page or go straight to the I.M.A.A. Linktree to see the handbook and the calendar and meet some of those involved.

Thanks to Manchester Pride, August has been a very busy month, and so after a slight delay here is the August edition of Islington Mill And...!

The guests for this month's pod are the drag performers/musicians/Berlin club promoters THE DAMES and BLEACH. THE DAMES are a trans cabaret musical act made up of Nancy and Eve and BLEACH is Nancy's partner, a promoter, performer and a force of punk nature. The Dames were recently in residency at the Mill developing a show that was premiered at Feel Good Club over Pride, so I grabbed the opportunity to interview them all while they were in town.

However due to technical difficulties what you hear here is the third attempt at an interview, after two previous failed attempts. So I will admit that this interview is a bit more chaotic and less linear than my usual style, but you know what, that's actually pretty fitting for this lot! We still got to talk about queerness, music, politics, clubbing, life in Berlin and a whole lot more.

To find out more, and keep up with THE DAMES & BLEACH, visit the website https://bmerch.live/

For this month's episode The Niallist visits Studio 304 to speak to Art With Heart's RACHEL MOORHOUSE about the Salford-based multimedia arts company and their strong social engagement ethos, their various project in and around Salford and how to become a "producer" in the arts sector.

You can find out more about Art With Heart by visiting their website: artwithheart.org.uk

For the June edition of "ISLINGTON MILL And..." Niall is joined by photographer and multi-media artist SIMON BUCKLEY to discuss his Not Quite Light project, an ongoing photography series documenting Manchester's changing city scape over the last 10 years. This fascinating conversation also touches on history, geography, energy and how Simon has survived for almost four decades as a freelance artist, making it essential listening for anyone who works at Islington Mill (and even beyond!)

You can view Simon's work at: https://notquitelight.com/salford/ and on the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NotQuiteLight

After a prolonged hiatus, we are back! As we find ourselves in a period of transition and reallignment (both globally and locally) I have invited onto the podcast long time meditator, qigong teacher and coach OSKAR MARCHOCK to talk about his upcoming six week course on "Grounding & Centering". At this time of heightened anxiety and insecurity all over the world, I believe a centering and grounding practice could be of benefit to many in the Islington Mill community and also many beyond! You can find out more about Oskar's practice at www.wanderingtaichi.co.uk and if you are interested in signing up to his course you can do so at: https://forms.gle/pP71gRkzzqsGXJ1W8