...with THE NIALLIST

ISLINGTON MILL And... #1 : BILL CAMPBELL on Modelling Queer Utopias

Welcome To the brand new monthly podcast series "ISLINGTON MILL And…"!

After a great run of 10 episodes in the "ISLINGTON MILL IS QUEER" series, we have decided to expand the remit of our monthly Islington Mill-based podcast to cover more diverse topics such as art, philosophy and politics, and to act as a platform for the entire Mill community to engage in. For episode one #1 of this new expanded series I spoke to Islington Mill founder and co-owner BILL CAMPBELL about his current project MODELLING QUEER UPTOPIAS. Bill says:

This set of podcasts coming over the next few months seeks to explore what the future of Islington Mill might look like as we come out of Covid and also our extended capital building process, which will complete phase 1 this summer followed by phase 2 in the Autumn. You may well know that this has been a long and arduous task of fundraising and then building works, neither of which I was experienced at and often felt like it was running counter or against our ‘grain’ as an artist led queer DIY project. So coming to the end of the build represents a significant moment of completion of the first phase of Islington Mills 20+ year history and the start of the next chapter. One without leaking roofs and pigeons hopefully.

To hear more about this project and about the future of Islington Mill just click play, and stay tuned for episode 2 coming next month, where this conversation continues with the other members of Islington Mill’s board. 

 

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ISLINGTON MILL Is Queer #10 : LGBTv

And so endeth "Islington Mill Is Queer"! Episode number 10 will be the last episode in this series, and what better guests to end with than the Mill's own LGBTv, who produce queer-themed video content for streaming and broadcast all over the UK. From humble beginnings filming on the fifth floor to not one but two fully equipped broadcast-ready studios, I sat down with Dean and Adrian from the company to find out all about the past, the present and the future of LGBTv. 

ISLINGTON MILL Is Queer #9 : RACHEL GOODYEAR

Episode #9 of Islington Mill Is Queer features an interview with the visual artist RACHEL GOODYEAR. A stalwart of Islington Mill, Rachel has been showing her art in various parts of the building since 2000, and has been based in her current studio on the fourth floor since 2010. This is a broad-reaching and fascinating conversation that covers not just Rachel’s history with the Mill but also her role as a director of the organization and her current focus on the developing the community aspects of the space and how any space defines its own “community”… 

ISLINGTON MILL Is Queer #8 : A tribute to TRISH DEE aka LOUISE WOODCOCK:

Episode number 8 in the ISLINGTON MILL IS QUEER series is one that is tinged with sadness. It wouldn't have been right to do another episode without paying tribute to LOUISE WOODCOCK aka Trish Dee, a long time supporter and close friend of the Mill who passed away in December 2021. This is in no way definitive - that will be for another time. But for now RIP Lou we will always love you xxx

ISLINGTON MILL Is Queer #7 : CHEDAR GORGEOUS & LQUORICE BLACK

For Episode #7 of the Islington Mill Is Queer podcast - a series documenting the queer history of Salford's renowned artistic & cultural institution - The Niallist is joined by two of the UK's best known and well loved drag queens: Cheddar Gorgeous and Liquorice Black. Since 2015, Cheddar and Liquorice have been involved in "The Drag Lab" within Islington Mill, a space for various drag performers to hone their craft and the original inspiration for the recent Channel 4 reality series "Drag SOS", not to mention being a huge and ongoing inspiration to the queer side of Islington Mill. Listen on to hear its history...

ISLINGTON MILL Is Queer #6 : MAURICE CARLIN

For episode #6 in the Islington Mill Is Queer podcast series, and as the follow up to our interview with Islington Mill's founder Bill Campbell, we talk to his partner the artist Maurice Carlin. This interview has been brewing for quite a while now and it is great to finally have Morry's side of the Mill's history and his take on where it can go moving forward...

ISLINGTON MILL Is Queer #5 : BILL CAMPBELL

Episode #5 of Islington Mill Is Queer is here, and it's a big one! After some feedback from listeners who have never been to Islington Mill, I thought it was important to sit down with BILL CAMPBELL who is the owner and founder of Islington Mill, to talk us through the history of how Islington Mill came to be, his vision for the future of the Mill, and to basically break down for us: what exactly IS Islington Mill? 

ISLINGTON MILL Is Queer #4 : JOE SPENCER + THE NIALLIST

For episode number 4 of Islington Mill is Queer I have turned the microphone back on to myself and my partner JOE SPENCER to discuss our own history of involvement with Islington Mill over the last 10+ years. From our parties Vogue Brawl, Zombie Pride, Tranarchy and Bummer Camp w/ Christeene to our screening events like the 24 Hour John Waters Movie Marathon and The Day Today 20 Year Anniversary and our involvement in events like Sounds From the Other City, we talk about how the Mill has influenced us and how we have queered it. Some times you just have to write your history you self!  

ISLINGTON MILL Is Queer #3 : JAYNE COMPTON

For Ep#3 of Islington Mill Is Queer we are delighted to feature a true Greater Manchester cultural life pioneer! JAYNE COMPTON is well known for her various theatre/film/event production capacities (as well as being boss of the label switchflicker.co.uk and one of the founders of the legendary venue Kraak). What is less known perhaps, is her integral involvement in the early years of Islington Mill, and how she helped shape it into the queer haven that we know and love today. We are delighted to have this pioneer on the podcast shining a light on some of Manchester & Salford's hidden queer history! 

ISLINGTON MILL Is Queer #2 :EMMA FAT OUT

EMMA THOMPSON is the brains behind FAT OUT Productions, the organisers of FAT OUT FEST. From humble beginnings in Milton Keynes to a 2 year residency at Salford’s legendary Islington Mill venue/arts space, Fat Out has become one of the most successful independent music promoters in the UK. I sat down with Emma to talk about the success of FOF 2020 and what it means for the future, where the name “Fat Out” came from, and what it’s like to be fat, female, fabulous and, let’s face it, bloody successful.