10 episodes
Life On The Edge ice&fire Theatre - human rights stories
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- Society & Culture
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5.0 • 19 Ratings
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A diagnosis. A freak accident. A breakdown. It couldn't happen to me... Could it? A Guardian Hear Here Pick of the Week, this exciting new podcast shares with you the hidden struggles of ordinary people living #LifeOnTheEdge. Brought to you by ice&fire, the UK’s leading human rights theatre company and sponsored by Trust For London, we take you right to the heart of the issues, told by the people themselves. Bob is a real life I, Daniel Blake; Stephanie‘s a single Mum trying to make ends meet; renting in London for Rebecca means never knowing where she’ll be next and Margaret find herself at the mercy of the Home Office. Series one features eight standalone episodes, twenty-two personal stories and collaboration with experts such as Gingerbread, St Mungos, Generation Rent and UK Black Pride. This is the human story of what happens when your world crumbles around you. This is life as you know it... pushed all the way to the brink.
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10. Pay Now, Grieve Later
Have you ever thought what happens if you can’t pay for a funeral? Just how much does it cost and who do you go to for help? Teresa, Rick and Thomas share their struggles with funeral poverty and the charity Down To Earth offer help and advice on where to turn.
Main presenter: Lindesay Mace
Editing and production: Helen Clapp
Music and sound design: Michael Edwards http://www.michaeledwards.tv/
Organisations mentioned in the podcast and helpful links:
Down to Earth: https://www.quakersocialaction.org.uk/we-can-help/helping-funerals/down-earth
News on the CMA interim report: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-proposes-major-funerals-probe-after-identifying-serious-concerns
Funeral directors signed up to the Fair Funerals pledge: http://fairfuneralscampaign.org.uk/map
Social fund funeral expenses payment: https://www.gov.uk/funeral-payments
Bereavement support payment: https://www.gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment
Grant search: www.turn2us.org.uk
Money Advice Service on funeral plans https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/funeral-plans
Sun Life report: https://www.sunlife.co.uk/siteassets/documents/cost-of-dying/cost-of-dying-report-2018.pdf
Royal London report referenced in podcast: https://www.royallondon.com/siteassets/site-docs/funeral-plans/royal-london-national-funeral-cost-index-2017.pdf
https://www.royallondon.com/siteassets/site-docs/media-centre/national-funeral-costs-index-2018.pdf
Funeral director comparison website (this site can give an indication of which funeral directors may be less/more expensive, but please note that prices given may not be completely accurate and it would be best to contact the funeral director for an exact quote): https://beyond.life/
Follow ice&fire on Twitter / FB / Instagram
@iceandfireuk
iceandfire.co.uk
podcast@iceandfire.co.uk
Sponsored by Trust For London: www.trustforlondon.org.uk/
Please rate us and leave a review! -
9. Still Fit For Work
Sharon and Ruth have worked all their lives but when illness and disability strike they both turn to the benefit system for help. As the government prepares to move disabled claimants onto Universal Credit, we bring you two more stories of people struggling to get the help they need.
Main presenter: Helen Clapp
Editing and production: Helen Clapp
Music and sound design: Michael Edwards http://www.michaeledwards.tv/
Organisations and Reports mentioned in the podcast:
Zacchaeus 2000 (Z2K) http://z2k.org
Statement on Visit to the United Kingdom, by Professor Philip Alston, United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Poverty/EOM_GB_16Nov2018.pdf
Welfare conditionality project http://www.welfareconditionality.ac.uk/
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues mentioned in this episode, get help and information here:
St Paul’s Money Advice Centre: http://www.sph.org/get-involved/teams/money-advice-team
Islington People’s Rights: http://www.ipradvice.org.uk/
Crosslight: https://www.crosslightadvice.org/
Zacchaeus 2000 (Z2K): http://z2k.org/
Citizens Advice: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
Cardinal Hume Centre https://www.cardinalhumecentre.org.uk/
Advice Services Alliance http://asauk.org.uk/
Follow ice&fire on Twitter / FB / Instagram
@iceandfireuk
iceandfire.co.uk
podcast@iceandfire.co.uk
Sponsored by Trust For London: www.trustforlondon.org.uk/
Please rate us and leave a review! -
8. Going It Alone
One in four families are single parent households and one in three in London. In the final episode of this series, four Mums share their stories of life as a single parent and we ask what's it really like raising a child alone?
Main presenter: Christine Bacon
Editing and production: Helen Clapp
Music and sound design: Michael Edwards http://www.michaeledwards.tv/
Organisations mentioned in the podcast:
Gingerbread https://www.gingerbread.org.uk/
ABTA Lifeline Charitable Trust http://www.abtalifeline.org.uk/
Other useful links:
Family Lives https://www.familylives.org.uk/advice/your-family/single-parents/advice-on-becoming-a-single-parent/
Single Parent Action Network http://www.singleparents.org.uk/
Follow ice&fire on Twitter / FB / Instagram
@iceandfireuk
iceandfire.co.uk
podcast@iceandfire.co.uk
Sponsored by Trust For London: www.trustforlondon.org.uk/
Please rate us and leave a review! -
7. A Hard Day’s Night
London is fast becoming a 24-hour city, in this episode we talk to some of its growing number of night workers. What's it like to work while most of us are asleep? Why do workers choose to be nocturnal? Is it a choice at all?
Main presenter: Rebecca Scroggs
Editing and production: Helen Clapp
Music and sound design: Michael Edwards
Organisations and research mentioned in the episode and useful links:
Mayor unveils first ever 24-hour vision for London
https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/mayors-24-hour-vision-for-london
National Sleep Foundation: Shift Work Disorder
https://sleepfoundation.org/shift-work/content/shift-work-disorder-–-symptoms
Rough Nights: The Growing Dangers of Working at Night - The Young Foundation
https://youngfoundation.org/publications/rough-nights-the-growing-dangers-of-working-at-night/
A Hard Days Night- TUC 2015
https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/AHardDaysNight.pdf
260,000 more people working at night in past five years, finds TUC
https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/260000-more-people-working-night-past-five-years-finds-tuc
The undercover author who discovered Amazon warehouse workers were peeing in bottles tells us the culture was like a 'prison'
http://uk.businessinsider.com/amazon-warehouse-like-prison-where-workers-used-pee-bottle-2018-4
Race report statistics | Equality and Human Rights Commission
https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/latest-projects/race-report-statistics
Night shift: the dangers of working around the clock
https://www.ft.com/content/f99b316c-5e16-11e8-ad91-e01af256df68
Follow ice&fire on Twitter / FB / Instagram
@iceandfireuk
iceandfire.co.uk
podcast@iceandfire.co.uk
Sponsored by Trust For London: www.trustforlondon.org.uk
Please rate us and leave a review! -
6: Can We Take Pride in 2018?
What does is mean to be LGBT+ in the capital? Does Pride in London speak to you? We visit Galop and the Outside Project and share stories from members of London’s LGBT+ community, exploring attitudes to Pride in London and how a seaside excursion gave rise to UK Black Pride.
Main presenter: Seb Aguirre
Editing and production: Helen Clapp
Music and sound design: Michael Edwards http://www.michaeledwards.tv/
Organisations mentioned in the episode:
The Albert Kennedy Trust: A service for homeless LGBT youth Twitter
Galop: If you’ve experienced hate crime, sexual violence abuse, we’re here for you. We also support lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer people who have had problems with the police or have questions about the criminal justice system. Twitter
Gendered Intelligence: Gendered Intelligence is a Community Interest Company whose object is to deliver arts programmers and creative workshops to trans youth from across the UK in order to increase the quality of young trans peoples life experiences. Twitter
The Outside Project: The Outside Project is a homeless/crisis shelter & community centre in response to those within the LGBTIQ+ community who feel endangered, who are homeless, ‘hidden’ homeless & feel that they are on the outside of services due to historical & present prejudice in society & in their homes. Twitter
Pride In London: The Pride in London Parade takes place on Saturday 7 July from 12pm
The Pride in London Parade provides a platform for every part of London’s LGBT+ community to raise awareness of LGBT+ issues and campaign for the freedoms that will allow us to live our lives on a genuinely equal footing. It gives us a chance to be visible and speak loudly to the rest of the world about what we have achieved, how far we have come and what is still needed. Twitter
Stonewall: Stonewall campaigns for the equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people across Britain. Twitter
Trust for London - Still Out There: Despite significant progress in LGBT rights, issues of prejudice remain. Research published today presents a worrying picture for many LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) individuals accessing both specialist and mainstream services, despite great strides in LGBT rights. Twitter
UK Black Pride: UK Black Pride promotes unity and co-operation among all Black people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Latin American descent, as well as their friends and families, who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender. Twitter
For help and information on the issues raised in this episode:
The Barking and Dagenham LGBT consortium: The aim of the group is to provide safe spaces to the LGBTIQ+ community in Barking & Dagenham through events and social groups. Facebook
Citizens Advice Bureau: We aim to provide the advice people need for the problems they face and improve the policies and practices that affect people's lives. We provide free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities. We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination. Twitter
Stonewall Housing: Stonewall Housing is the specialist lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) housing advice and support provider in England. We provide housing support for LGBT people in their own homes, supported housing for young LGBT people, as well as free, confidential housing advice for LGBT people of all ages. We also research and lobby for LGBT housing rights, so that all LGBT people can feel safe and secure in their homes. Twitter
Follow this link for an LGBTQ guide to staying safe online https://www.vpnmentor.com/blog/lgbtq-guide-online-safety/
Follow ice&fire on Twitter / FB / Instagram
@iceandfireuk
iceandfire.co.uk
podcast@iceandfire.co.uk -
5: A Class Above The Rest
Do the privileged have the monopoly on the top universities? Would you be prepared to work for free? We talk to students, teachers and actor George Costigan to bring you stories of people striving to level the playing field.
Main presenter: Waleed Akhtar
Editing and production: Helen Clapp
Music and sound design: Michael Edwards http://www.michaeledwards.tv/
Sara’s words voiced by Rebecca Scroggs
Organisations and research mentioned in the episode and useful links:
Newham Collegiate Sixth Form http://www.thencs.co.uk/
Trust For London report ‘The Inbetweeners’ https://www.trustforlondon.org.uk/publications/inbetweeners-new-role-internships-graduate-labour-market/
ONS report into graduates in the labour market https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/graduatesintheuklabourmarket/2017
‘The Party’s Over’ Paula Cocozza https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/jul/11/the-partys-over-how-tuition-fees-ruined-university-life
‘I went to Oxford. As a black female student, I found it alienating and elitist’ - Afua Hirsch https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/aug/15/oxford-black-female-student-elitist-ignorant-minority-universities
NCS article about Newham Collegiate Sixth Form https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/lawyer-headteacher-95-per-cent-pupils-top-universities-gave-up-six-figure-salary-mouhssin-ismail-a7896121.html
Diane Reay - Miseducation: Inequality, education and the working classes https://policypress.co.uk/miseducation
The Acting Class – Deirdre O’Neill, Mike Wayne https://theactingclass.info/
Follow ice&fire on Twitter / FB / Instagram
@iceandfireuk
iceandfire.co.uk
podcast@iceandfire.co.uk
Sponsored by Trust For London: www.trustforlondon.org.uk/
Please rate us and leave a review!
Customer Reviews
Stability - Called A Home
Very informative, about the dark under belly of renting in the capital.
Shocking & Inspiring
Thank you Ice & Fire for this incredible podcast. Nothing moves me more than hearing personal stories. I can now relate to a friend who has been left completely wiped out by a similar situation. The cruelty of our public UK welfare system & the way it treats ill people is disgusting. But at the same time I was inspired to hear from the groups helping & making a difference. I look forward to your next podcast!
Heartbreaking reality
If this first episode is a sign of what's to come then this is going to be a really important series. People need to know the reality of what it's like trying to get support from the state when they're ill and this episode does that powerfully. Angry and sad that this is what Nye Bevin's welfare state has become.