In this episode of Deep Down, I speak with dancer and facilitator Bryony Pennington about freedom - not as an ideal, but as a lived experience. Bryony finds it in movement, in adventure, in not needing to ask permission. I tend to find mine in stillness, in structure and in the quiet safety of home.

We come from different places, but what unfolds between us is a kind of creative alignment: two artists with deep mutual respect, exploring how opposite ways of living can still lead to something shared. We talk about our art, care, touring, home, and the unexpected intimacy that comes from difference - not just despite it, but because of it.

This is a conversation about joy, risk, grounding, and how we each make space to be free in our own way.

In this episode of Deep Down, I sit down with my lifelong friend and collaborator, Masumi Saito, an extraordinary movement artist whose work resists easy categorisation. Over nearly two decades, we’ve made art together across stages, galleries, and films, and this conversation captures a beautiful moment where we pause to talk about the deeper threads behind it all.

We speak about what it means to communicate through movement rather than words, and how her Japanese heritage, which is something she once tried to shed, has become a powerful anchor in her life and practice. Masumi opens up about the loss of her mother, and how grief deepened her connection to ritual, culture, and beauty. We explore her resistance to titles like “choreographer” or “dancer,” and why “movement artist” finally feels like the truest reflection of how she navigates the world.

This is a conversation about joy, identity, silence, naming, and what it means to live seriously, and playfully, at the same time.

In this solo episode, I reflect on the strange, galvanizing force of being commissioned to create. In the early days of my career, commissions carried me forward, one after another, an unbroken wave of invitation and encouragement. I thought it would always be that way. But after a long, unexpected lull, I had to learn a different rhythm: how to keep working without waiting to be asked.

From early support by the London Sinfonietta and the BBC Philharmonic to more recent collaborations with O/Modernt and ENBYouthCo, I explore the role of commissions - how they can offer not just deadlines, but meaning, focus, and momentum. And how, in their absence, we find other ways to give ourselves permission, and accountability to keep making art.

It’s about career, but also about life: how any genuine external pull can be a quiet, necessary force.

In this episode, I catch up with my longtime friend and collaborator, novelist (and occasional movie star) Lauren J. Joseph. From our early days making DIY operas and performance art to Lauren’s recent book deal with Bloomsbury, we trace the curious ways that art and life blur over time.

We talk about what it means to be taken seriously, how writing can reshape reality, and the strange magic of turning experience into art (even when the details get… embellished). It’s a conversation about voice, visibility, and the evolving forms creative expression can take.

Along the way, Lauren shares a line from Henry Nouwen: “The point is to be fruitful, not productive”, which quietly becomes the heart of the episode.

Playful, thoughtful, and full of layered history, this one’s a joy.

What happens when we stop fighting to keep everything afloat? In this solo episode, I reflect on the quiet power of letting go; of dreams that might never happen, of identities that no longer serve us, and of surface-level effort that drains more than it gives. Inspired by a painted phrase I stumbled upon: "If you're tired of keeping the ship afloat... let the ship sink", this episode explores how surrendering can sometimes be the bravest, most freeing thing we can do.

I talk openly about the fear of walking away from long-held goals, my struggles with overwhelm as a multi-hyphenate artist, and the tension between creative ambition and emotional sustainability. From music school friends who left their instruments behind to the opera I never finished, this episode is a slow dive beneath the noise; an invitation to go deeper, simplify, and maybe even discover a lighter, more focused way forward. If you’re craving space to reassess what you’ve been holding onto, this one’s for you.

In this episode, I sit down with my longtime collaborator and dear friend, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Olivia Chaney. Filmed in her now-hometown of York, we reflect on our shared musical journey; how she helped me shape my voice, and how we’ve both fought against the labels imposed on us, whether in genre or industry.

In this episode, I dive deep into the nature of creativity. Is our work finite, or does it stretch on infinitely? Inspired by legends like Sibelius, who famously put a full stop on his composing career, I ponder if an artist’s journey is ever truly complete or simply an endless evolution.I also share a personal story about finding refuge in the garden, where mindfulness helped me cope with burnout and reconnect with reality. And along the way, I reveal a mentor’s secret: the art of pausing mid-idea to keep the creative flow alive. Join me on this reflective ride as we explore the challenges and beauty of staying in motion.

What if things go well? Dancer, choreographer, and artistic director Monique Jonas believes in unlocking potential; emotional, creative, and human. We talk about the power of positivity, versatility, and transparency, and why dancers are people first, artists second. With Jona Dance, Monique is building a space where the next generation can grow with care, not fear.