"We don't need fortresses; we need ports."

In this episode, Josephine Burton sits down with one of the world's most brilliant minds on myth and belonging, Dame Marina Warner. From the haunting songs of our childhood to the timeless epic of Gilgamesh, Marina explores the radical idea that storytelling isn't just entertainment but survival.

Recorded in Marina’s beautiful, art-filled home, this conversation opens with her mother’s courageous post-war journey to England. Discover the extraordinary story behind Stories in Transit, Marina’s work with young refugees using the power of ancient epics to reclaim their identities, break through language barriers, and turn the tide on "us vs. them" narratives.

Whether you're curious about how ancient myths are playing out in today's political landscape or looking for a reason to keep believing in the power of art, this episode is a masterclass in empathy, resistance, and the stories that bind us together.

In this episode we mention:

• Books: Sanctuary by Marina Warner; No Friend But the Mountains by Behrouz Boochani.
• Projects: Stories in Transit; Giocarenda (Fula for solidarity/play).
• Theatrical & Film Works: Hadestown (Anaïs Mitchell) and Pasolini’s Oedipus Rex.

In this episode we hear from:

Josephine Burton - Artistic Director of Dash Arts

Dame Marina Warner - writer and historian

Songs of Solidarity, is a Dash Arts and PROJEKT UTOPIA co-production. We’re currently in the research and development stage co-produced with the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, in partnership with the Archive of Performances of Greek and Roman Drama, Arts Council England, School of Advanced Studies, Roundhouse London, Asylum Welcome and Unbound Philanthropy.

Our gratitude goes to all the wonderful international artists, academics and participants who enriched our project.

Find out more at:

www.dasharts.org.uk

www.projektutopia.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it take to reclaim your voice when your country wants to silence it - and then take it on stage?

This is the second in our Songs of Solidarity series - conversations with artists, academics, writers and thinkers whose lives and work illuminate the themes at the heart of our new production: migration, displacement, survival, and the stories we tell to make sense of all three.

In this episode, Josephine Burton is joined by Elaha Soroor: singer, composer, and one of the most compelling artists to have emerged from the Afghan diaspora. Elaha began her career as a celebrated musician in Afghanistan. She was forced to leave. In London, she found her way back to music and used it to speak about the lives of Afghan women.

This is a raw and honest conversation: about survival, about what it costs to make art under threat, and about the particular power of music to say what other forms cannot. Elaha talks about the inspiration behind her latest album Our Freedoms Must Be Won, her ongoing collaboration with Kefaya - whose singular sound blends Afghan folk with synth-rock, post-punk and jazz psychedelia - and what resistance actually looks and feels like when it is lived rather than theorised.

Elaha's music: youtube.com/@elahasoroormusic

In this episode:

Josephine Burton - Artistic Director, Dash Arts

Elaha Soroor - Singer and Composer

Songs of Solidarity is a Projekt Utopia and Dash Arts co-production, currently in research and development, co-produced with the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, in partnership with the Archive of Performances of Greek and Roman Drama, the School of Advanced Study, Roundhouse London, Asylum Welcome and Unbound Philanthropy.

Find out more at:

www.projektutopia.org

www.dasharts.org.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you create an epic for the modern world?

This is the start of our Songs of Solidarity mini-series; Josephine Burton and Maria Aberg take us behind the scenes as they discuss the journey of the last 18 months—from researching ancient epic traditions with academics to interviewing those with lived experiences of migration. Join us for a conversation about the art of "future-making," resisting traditional singular narratives, and the exciting, messy process of creating something new.

Songs of Solidarity, is a PROJEKT UTOPIA and Dash Arts co-production. We’re currently in the research and development stage co-produced with the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, in partnership with the Archive of Performances of Greek and Roman Drama, School of Advanced Studies, Roundhouse London, Asylum Welcome and Unbound Philanthropy. We are particularly grateful to Fiona Macintosh for her support and encouragement throughout.

Our gratitude goes to all the wonderful international artists, academics and participants who enriched our project.

In this episode we hear from:

Josephine Burton - Artistic Director of Dash Arts

Maria Aberg - Artistic Director of PROJEKT UTOPIA

And voices from our R&D in Oxford in December 2025: Leo Boix, Sabrina Mahfouz, Saili Katebe and Anna Sulan Masing.

Our gratitude goes to all the wonderful international artists, academics and participants who enriched our project.

Find out more at:

www.projektutopia.org

www.dasharts.org.uk

We have run several phases of R&D over 2024-2026, co-produced with the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, in partnership with the Archive of Performances of Greek and Roman Drama, the Finnish Institute in the UK and Ireland, School of Advanced Studies, Roundhouse London, Asylum Welcome and Unbound Philanthropy. We are particularly grateful to Fiona Macintosh for her support and encouragement throughout.

Our gratitude goes to all the wonderful international artists, academics and participants who enriched our project.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.