Black Artistry: Inspiration Recrafted

About Black Artistry: Inspiration Recrafted

Join me, Dr Florence Marfo, for the podcast series where Black creatives chat to me about a piece of art that has inspired them, before talking about their own work. List of previous interviewees: singer Acantha Lang, photographer Mr Geez, poet Desree, soul food scholar Adrian Miller, playwright Kelundra Smith,  non-fiction writers Dorothy Lennnon and Charles J. Jones, authentic jazz dancers Jazz Dance Elite, Alivin Ailey dancer Jacquelin Harris, Frank Isaac of Acosta Danza, Freddie Opoku-Addaie artistic director of Dance Umbrella and Elijah Peterkin of Ballet Black. To be on the mailing list,  contact florence@blackartistrypodcaster.co.site (mailto:florence@blackartistrypodcaster.co.site).  Visit the website: blackartistrypodcaster.co.site. List of interviewees on Morley Radio: theatre director Tinuke Craig, literary agent Nelle Andrew, academic Dr Emily Zobel Marshall, creative writer Billy Kahora, novelist Louise Hare, historian Malik Al Nasir, creative writer Kate Cheka, novelist Abi Daré, writers Two Fingas and James T. Kirk, fiction writer Deesha Philyaw, journalist Gary Younge, poet Raymond Maxwell,  novelist Nike Campbell, actor Adjoa Andoh, food historian Adrian Miller, playwright Kelundra Smith, descendant of Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington Kenneth B. Morris Jr, writer Kim McIntosh, academic Dr Janine Bradbury, hiphop choreographer Rennie Harris, short story writer Sherroine Elliot-Lewis, jazz musician Walter Beasley, writer Jaqi Loye-Brown, descendant of Cudjo Lewis Altevese Rosario Jones and Olympian and food scholar Dr Fred Douglass Opie.

Publisher

Florence2

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Jan 2026

Latest episode

12 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

16 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   12 Oct 2026

   Elijah Peterkin of Ballet Black Talks about the Ballet Institution and his Inspirations

   My latest interviewee for the podcast series Black Artistry: Inspiration Recrafted is Elijah Peterkin, one of Britain's few professional black male ballet dancers. I learn about the traditional ballet aesthetic in which the black body is typically deemed lacking. I also learn about the mission of Ballet Black and Peterkin to overcome this rejection at organisational and individual levels. Thanks to Elijah’s openness, I gain an understanding of the inspiration that is Carlos Acosta to aspiring black ballet dancers. Elijah’s dedication and his physical prowess truly evoke the Jamaican saying ‘likkle but tallawah’. My thanks to Sadler’s Wells for coordinating this podcast interview.

2. 

   8 Oct 2026

   Freddie Opoku-Addaie, Artistic Director of Dance Umbrella, on his Mission and Influences

   London’s International Dance Festival Dance Umbrella 2026 is now underway. I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to artistic director Freddie Opoku-Addaie about the event and his mission. Taking work to spaces that don't normally present dance, extending the choreographic conversation and blurring the lines between dancer and audience are just some of the areas that we discuss. In a conversation that spans far and wide, I discover some shared cultural interests. Freddie’s passion for his craft comes across in his jam-packed responses to the questions that I ask him. Listen here to an abridged version of the interview: https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-m9y3n-1b7c80d

3. 

   5 Oct 2026

   Dancer Frank Isaac on the Afro-Cuban Flavours of Acosta Danza Ballet

   If you’re not sure that Acosta Danza is for you, you must listen to this podcast. I speak to Frank Isaac, one of the dancers pictured and learn what’s special about Acosta Danza, an Afro-Cuban inspired ballet troupe headed by Carlos Acosta and performing at Sadler’s Wells this month (Acosta Danza - Cuban Baroque - Sadler's Wells Theatre). Listening to this podcast, you’ll have an idea of how baroque might play out on stage. You’ll also gain an insight into the impact of Frank’s religious culture on his craft. In many ways this was a typical pitstop interview with a busy performer, who’s in full tour season, but Frank’s curiosity and delight in his roots meant that after the podcast was over, we chatted a bit more: about my motivations for doing these podcasts (that’s a first) and the history of Santeria. I hope you like it!

4. 

   20 Sept 2026

   Kevin McGruder: Commemorating the Harlem Renaissance

   I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Harvard alumnus Kevin McGruder for my podcast, Black Artistry: Inspiration Recrafted, the series where I chat with Black artists and academics about a piece of art that has inspired them, before exploring their own work and interests.Kevin has a degree from Harvard in economics, and he has a deep passion for the Harlem Renaissance. In the early 2000s, he turned that passion into a reality by creating Harlem-themed shops filled with books and artefacts. In our conversation, we delve into an often-overlooked Renaissance novel: Rudolph Fisher’s The Conjure-Man Dies, a murder mystery set in Harlem. But there’s much more to the conversation. We talk about the tensions between the traditionalists and avant-garde artists of the Harlem Renaissance, the short-lived but influential publication Fire!!, and a forthcoming stage production relating to that publication and commemorating the Renaissance.

5. 

   1 Sept 2026

   Jacquelin Harris: Carrying the Legacy of Alvin Ailey

   What does it mean to inherit a legacy—and still create something that is uniquely your own? In this pitstop podcast interview, I speak with Jacquelin Harris of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater ahead of the company’s return to Sadler’s Wells, London, from 15 to19 September 2026. We talk about Alvin Ailey’s enduring legacy, improvisation in Black dance, storytelling, cultural memory, and the relationship between inheritance and artistic individuality.

6. 

   15 Aug 2026

   Jazz Dance Elite Series 2 Episode 2

   In recent years, jazz has been seen as something removed from Black cultures.  When people think of jazz dance, they often think of the performances they see in musical theatre.  Eager to find out about the relationship between jazz dance and other dances to have come out of Black communities, I invite three members of Jazz Dance Elite to Resonance FM to educate me! This is a first for me, as I'm interviewing three people. I also ask them to demonstrate some dance steps... for an audio podcast!  I hope you like it! You can see some of their demonstrations, here: The shim sham: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZYIdx-I7Ut/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Improvisation and call & response: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcEqP34oBxV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== The cake walk and the Lambeth walk: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZmLX_ZI_rx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

7. 

   27 Jun 2026

   Non-Fiction Writer Charles J Jones talks about Visual Artist Nsofor

   This is part 2 of a podcast with non-fiction writer (Charles) Jermaine Jones.  Here we talk about one of his artistic inspirations: Runners by the Nigerian artist Nsofor. In this podcast, he talks us through his process of reading abstract art and the relationship between that and his work, stating 'the writer in me makes me gravitate towards visual art'. image courtesy of Anthony Chukudinma Nsofor

8. 

   25 May 2026

   (Charles) Jermaine Jones on the Ghetto

   I discuss From Poverty to Prosperity: A Ghetto Exit Strategy as a Rite of Passage, with the author (Charles) Jermaine Jones.  Jermaine flew over from his home in DC to London for the event, which was in front of a live studio audience at New Beacon Books (North London) as part of its 60th anniversary celebrations. The event was a success: it was informative, there was laughter, but also tears as Jermaine shared with us some life-changing decisions taken by people close to him. As I wanted to leave enough time for Q& As, we only discussed the topics that came out of From Poverty to Prosperity. In a second episode, we will discuss one of Jermaine's artistic inspirations.

9. 

   14 Apr 2026

   Malik Al Nasir on Black Artistry: Inspiration Recrafted Episode 8

   In this podcast I chat to Malik Al Nasir, who kindly sent me an advance copy of his second memoir: Searching for My Slave Roots : From Guyana’s Sugar Plantations to Cambridge.  Malik has had a remarkable life, not least because he was mentored by the late Gil Scott-Heron (listen here to my previous podcast with him ⁠https://www.mixcloud.com/MorleyRadio/morley-prize-podcast-series-2-episode-4/⁠).  Searching for My Slave Roots and this latest interview are really insightful. Malik discusses his own family background, but because some members were British establishment figures (or connected to them), we learn a lot about how the profits of Atlantic chattel slavery established modern UK institutions.  A must-listen for those interested in British and Caribbean history.

10. 

    8 Apr 2026

    Acantha Lang on Black Artistry: Inspiration Recrafted Episode 7

    In this episode, I speak to New Orleans-born London-based soul singer Acantha Lang.  Joining me in the recording studio, Acantha chats about one of her inspirations: the legendary Mavis Staples, as well as her own journey into the music industry. This episode was recorded at the end of 2025. Since then, Acantha has released another beautiful single: Til I Get It Right (see podcast cover photo). When I caught up with her recently, she mentioned a few upcoming performances with her 7-piece band - must-sees if you're in London or Luton: Saturday 30 May at Red Rooster Festival (Euston London), stage time 5:30 pm, Sunday 31 May at Bear Club Luton,  stage time 3:30 pm and Sunday 21 June at Ronnie Scott’s (Upstairs), stage time 8 pm.  Look out for Acantha's collab Grocery Store, to be released at the end of May.  I can't wait for her second album Ain’t That The Truth, coming out at the end of this year.  Sign up to her mailing list to be the first to know about new music and upcoming shows: acanthalang.com. Happy listening!

11. 

    26 Mar 2026

    Dorothy Lennon on Black Artistry: Inspiration Recrafted Episode 6

    In this episode, I chat to non-fiction short story writer Dorothy Lennon. We talk about Kiese Laymon's powerful memoir Heavy: An American Memoir and how its honesty liberated Dorothy as a non-fiction writer.  Related to Kiese's work and one of the interesting elements of our conversation for me as a linguist are Dorothy's insights on African American vernacular expression.  Dorothy shares some of her own writing, including the hilarious non-fiction short story 'Momma Sounds Like a White Girl'. I can't wait for her forthcoming short story 'The Closets of Others' to come out.

12. 

    11 Mar 2026

    Performance Poet Desree on Black Artistry: Inspiration Recrafted Episode 5

    In this podcast, I chat to spoken word artist and self-defined diva Desree. She talks about the influence of Dizzee Rascal's Sittin Here from his debut album Boy in da Corner, which seemed to define the mood of his generation and signalled a revolution in music production.  We discuss Desree's launch into performance poetry as well as the ethics that motivate and guide her work.

13. 

    23 Feb 2026

    Adrian Miller on Black Artistry: Inspiration Recrafted Episode 4

    In this podcast, I talk again to soul food scholar, barbecue judge, James Beard award winner and former politico Adrian Miller, whom I first interviewed to talk about his book Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine one Plate at a Time.     In this equally informative and humorous podcast, he discusses the role of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man in his life, a book which he makes a point of reading every decade.  He also talks about his latest book Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue, which documents the lives of some legendary Black pit masters. He educates me on the role of vinegar (particularly apple cider vinegar) as a pork marinade, which I’ve recently applied to my cooking. In this continuous chain of learning about Black creatives, I’m looking forward to interviewing Eudell Watts IV (a descendant of Arthur Watts, who was a very successful pitmaster in his day). Adrian is hoping to bring the story of street food to the UK later this year. I can't wait!

14. 

    13 Feb 2026

    Mr Geez on Black Artistry: Inspiration Recrafted Episode 3

    Street photographer Mr Geez is this month's interviewee. We met on the London Underground about a year ago, when he asked to take my photo for a collection that he was working on.  I had the pleasure of interviewing him at the end of  summer 2025.  We talked about one of his inspirations, the legendary polymath Gordon Parks, and his own journey as a street photographer.

15. 

    19 Jan 2026

    Kelundra Smith on Black Artistry: Inspiration Recrafted Episode 2

    Playwright, arts journalist and editor Kelundra Smith is this month’s interviewee on Black Artistry: Inspiration Recrafted. I first interviewed her to talk about her debut play The Wash, which received a Rolling World Premiere from the National New Play Network: Listen here: Morley Prize - S4Ep3 - Morley Radio In this podcast, we chat about Monarchs and inspirational short story writer J California Cooper and her ‘Color Me Real’ from the collection A Piece of Mine. I can’t wait for Kelundra to bring these two plays to London!

16. 

    1 Jan 2026

    Soul Rebel on Black Artistry: Inspiration Recrafted - Episode 1

    In this interview is speak to artiste Soul Rebel, who’s got reggae music in the blood. She talks about one of her inspirations, a reggae legend, as well as her own journey into reggae music.  What I love about Soul Rebel is her vibe and positive energy.  And of course, her beautiful voice, which she shares with us in this podcast.

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.