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HistoryFFS

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by Sarah Dowd

5.0(2 reviews)
25 episodes
Updated Daily
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Podcast Overview

Did you ever wonder how we got here, and how sometimes tiny pieces of history make up, and have shaped our lives? Or realised how every day, all of us are making history? Join me, Sarah Dowd, in exploring what has happened in the everyday lives of people for the better, or at least the experiences that have just make us laugh and say… This is… History. For F***’s Sake, the podcast that explores untold stories that make a difference. When the world seemingly shut down for almost two years, what were we doing? We were creating art, making history and crying out of human contact. We were craving our culture. I’m your host, Sarah Dowd, and I have worked on over 200 history, heritage and arts projects in the last 20 years across the world, everywhere from the Imperial War Museum in London to exploring how we put a fleet of ships in the sky, or bringing wrecks back from Honolulu. I was recently diagnosed with ADHD which has brought a whole new layer of thinking about creativity and how we get people - ALL PEOPLE - really engaged with our shared history and culture. Stories. Art. Film. Books. Ships. Music. Museums. People. Joy. Experiences. Humour. Humanity. Because it’s all History, For F***’s Sake. Find out more at historyffs.com

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Publishing Since

9/30/2025

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Recent Episodes

Episode thumbnail for S2 Episode 10: Audience to Action: The Rise of Immersive Theatre

June 30, 2026

S2 Episode 10: Audience to Action: The Rise of Immersive Theatre

<p>How did theatre evolve from exclusive, elite entertainment into a truly public, participatory art form? Why do modern audiences crave experiences that go beyond observation to full immersion and what does that say about society, technology, and the future of storytelling?</p><p>To mark the 50th anniversary of London’s National Theatre, Sarah Dowd sits down with Fiona Porritt, Senior Creative Producer at Les Enfants Terribles, the innovative company behind spectacular immersive productions like Alice’s Adventures Underground and United Queendom. Together, they trace the arc from 18th-century riotous audiences, political spectacle, and morally contested playhouses to contemporary immersive theatre where the audience becomes part of the action.</p><p></p><p><strong>Highlights:</strong></p><p>00:00 From Garrick and Sheridan to mass spectacle: theatre’s transformation</p><p>01:44 Audiences as agitators: riots, protest, and who culture belongs to</p><p>03:10 The rise of immersive and participatory performance</p><p>05:28 Inspired by school panto and the opening ceremony of the Olympics</p><p>09:23 Discovering and and working with Les Enfants Terribles</p><p>13:30 Why audiences crave participation</p><p>15:46 What actually makes theatre “immersive”?</p><p>20:04 Breaking the social contract in theatre</p><p>21:30 “Tricking” new audiences into theatre and making it more accessible</p><p>24:00 Olivier Awards and fitting immersive shows into old frameworks</p><p>26:17 How Edinburgh Fringe, music halls, and found spaces paved the way</p><p>28:58 Romeo in a bombed-out library</p><p>29:22 Can immersive theatre make history feel real and accessible?</p><p>36:35 Why “serious” history isn’t always serious</p><p>46:58 Inside Pussy Riot: immersive and political storytelling </p><p>52:42 Can immersive theatre be “fun” and hard-hitting at the same time?</p><p>57:47 The paradox of spoilers in a digital age of oversharing</p><p>60:23 We’re all performers now:</p><p>62:05 Why the way we connect onstage and off, matters more than ever.</p><p></p><p><strong>About Fiona Porritt:</strong></p><p>Fiona is a creator of imaginative and immersive worlds. As Senior Creative Producer at Les Enfants Terribles known for its striking visual aesthetic and innovative use of props, puppetry and live music she has spent over twelve years pushing the boundaries of storytelling and audience experience. Her credits span theatre and brand experiences alike, including The House with Chicken Legs, The Trench, Inside Pussy Riot and bespoke commissions for PlayStation, Ikea and Kraken Rum.</p><p></p><p>Fiona is currently producing Die Hunnenkönigin for the Nibelungen Festival in Germany and the remount of Olivier Award-nominated Alice's Adventures Underground.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>About Sarah Dowd: </strong></p><p>I’m Sarah Dowd - writer, speaker, heritage and arts consultant, producer, and all-around nerd - here to share the stories of our past that make us laugh, gasp, and mutter: It’s History… For F***k’s Sake.</p><p>For 25+ years I’ve created immersive, inclusive experiences that bring history alive, from rallying Second World War convoys through London to staging performances between Pearly Kings and Gen Z creatives. My work spans museums, cathedral crypts, pop-up theatres, global brands, and community projects across the UK and beyond.</p><p>As a Canadian living between the UK and France (with a late ADHD diagnosis that fuels my curiosity and creativity), I zigzag through culture, history, and big ideas, but never boring ones.</p><p>Every week on HistoryFFS, we explore how history echoes through today, make sure you are following the show so you don’t miss an episode.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Connect with Sarah:</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>Website:</strong> <u><a href="http://www.historyffs.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.historyffs.com</a></u></p><p><strong>LinkedIn:</strong> <u><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdowd/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdowd/</a></u></p><p><u><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/historyffs-pod/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/company/historyffs-pod/</a></u> </p><p><strong>Substack: <u><a href="https://historyffs.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@historyffs</a></u></strong></p><p><strong>YouTube: </strong><u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@historyffspod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@HistoryFFSPod </a></u></p><p><strong>Instagram</strong>: <u><a href="https://www.instagram.com/historyffspod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@historyFFSPod</a></u></p><p><strong>TikTok: </strong><u><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@historyffspod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@historyffspod</a></u></p><p><strong>X: </strong><u><a href="http://x.com/historyffspod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@HistoryFFSPod </a></u></p><p><strong>Bluesky: </strong><u><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/historyffs.bsky.social" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@historyffs.bsky.social</a></u></p><p></p><p></p>

Episode thumbnail for S2 Episode 09: Non-Conformity: Changing Britain’s Past and Heritage’s Future Part 2

June 23, 2026

S2 Episode 09: Non-Conformity: Changing Britain’s Past and Heritage’s Future Part 2

<p>What happens when a community has the courage to challenge, the faith to persist, and the nerve to imagine a different future? And what is lost when the buildings that held that community together begin to disappear?</p><p>In part two, Sarah Dowd reunites with Chris Smith, Chair of the Historic Chapels Trust, and Steve Pilcher, longtime campaigner for England's chapels, to take the story further, from nonconformist conscience as a force for reform and public morality, to the harder questions of what comes next.</p><p>They also discuss Sunday schools as engines of social mobility, the hard road of repurposing sacred space, fundraising in a pandemic, and a rare positive tale of winding a charity down.</p><p></p><p><strong>Highlights: </strong></p><p>00:00 Why the “nonconformist conscience” changed Britain</p><p>01:44 Bethesda Chapel: the power and perils of an iconic building </p><p>04:10 Why nonconformist architecture is designed for the voice</p><p>08:10 Sunday schools, education, and the struggle for opportunity </p><p>16:54 Courage &amp; mutual aid: what builds and sustains a chapel community </p><p>18:13 When faith fades, what happens to the buildings? </p><p>21:22 The painful art of letting go and the future uses of chapels </p><p>28:56 Meeting the modern challenge: inventing new reasons for old places </p><p>30:41 The tough decision to wind down the Historic Chapels Trust </p><p>41:05 Why buildings are only as strong as the people powering them </p><p>54:42 Nonconformity in action: charity, courage, and regulatory reform </p><p>57:10 Working with new generations and new energy </p><p>61:07 The surprising success of community asset transfers </p><p>63:31 Having faith in people, in change, and in impossible things </p><p></p><p><strong>About Chris Smith:</strong></p><p>Chris Smith is Chair of Historic Chapels Trust and a lifelong heritage professional with extensive experience in conservation, planning and historic environment management. Formerly a Director at Historic England, he became Chair in 2019 and has since focused on securing sustainable futures for chapels through community ownership and adaptive reuse. Chris is passionate about heritage as a tool for shaping the future, not simply preserving the past.</p><p></p><p><strong>About Steve Pilcher:</strong></p><p>Steve Pilcher is a heritage specialist and former Deputy Director of Historic Chapels Trust, where he worked from 2003 to 2016. Before that, he spent two decades with English Heritage across industrial archaeology, conservation and policy. A building conservation specialist, Steve continues to support heritage projects and volunteer-led initiatives today.</p><p></p><p><strong>About Sarah Dowd: </strong></p><p>I’m Sarah Dowd - writer, speaker, heritage and arts consultant, producer, and all-around nerd - here to share the stories of our past that make us laugh, gasp, and mutter: It’s History… For F***k’s Sake.</p><p>For 25+ years I’ve created immersive, inclusive experiences that bring history alive, from rallying Second World War convoys through London to staging performances between Pearly Kings and Gen Z creatives. My work spans museums, cathedral crypts, pop-up theatres, global brands, and community projects across the UK and beyond.</p><p>As a Canadian living between the UK and France (with a late ADHD diagnosis that fuels my curiosity and creativity), I zigzag through culture, history, and big ideas, but never boring ones.</p><p>Every week on HistoryFFS, we explore how history echoes through today, make sure you are following the show so you don’t miss an episode.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Connect with Sarah:</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>Website:</strong> <u><a href="http://www.historyffs.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.historyffs.com</a></u></p><p><strong>LinkedIn:</strong> <u><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdowd/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdowd/</a></u></p><p><u><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/historyffs-pod/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/company/historyffs-pod/</a></u> </p><p><strong>Substack: <u><a href="https://historyffs.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@historyffs</a></u></strong></p><p><strong>YouTube: </strong><u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@historyffspod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@HistoryFFSPod </a></u></p><p><strong>Instagram</strong>: <u><a href="https://www.instagram.com/historyffspod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@historyFFSPod</a></u></p><p><strong>TikTok: </strong><u><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@historyffspod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@historyffspod</a></u></p><p><strong>X: </strong><u><a href="http://x.com/historyffspod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@HistoryFFSPod </a></u></p><p><strong>Bluesky: </strong><u><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/historyffs.bsky.social" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@historyffs.bsky.social</a></u></p><p></p><p></p>

Episode thumbnail for S2 Episode 08: Non-Conformity: Changing Britain’s Past and Heritage’s Future

June 16, 2026

S2 Episode 08: Non-Conformity: Changing Britain’s Past and Heritage’s Future

<p>The burning of Birmingham in July 1791 wasn't just a riot, it was the moment dissent and nonconformity became forces that would shape Britain forever.</p><p>Sarah Dowd is joined by Chris Smith, Chair of the Historic Chapels Trust, and Steve Pilcher, longtime champion of historic chapels across England. Together they unravel what nonconformity really meant: centuries of struggle for religious freedom, communities building chapels for themselves, and the surprising legacy these "dangerous outsiders" handed to modern British society. Expect radical architecture, Quaker leases stretching five millennia, and a case for why these now-empty chapels matter more than ever.</p><p>Dedicated to Sarah Dowd's Aunt Sandra, in honour of 60 years of Songs of Praise.</p><p><strong>Highlights:</strong></p><p>00:00 Birmingham burns &amp; the birth of dissent: Joseph Priestley’s story </p><p>00:45 Chapels as spaces for democracy, debate, &amp; imagining new worlds </p><p>01:40 Songs of Praise and the journey of nonconformity </p><p>02:20 The hard question: what becomes of empty chapels? </p><p>03:15 Chris Smith, the Historic Chapels Trust and the battle for funding </p><p>06:10 Steve Pilcher on life in conservation and a 13-year “secondment” </p><p>09:16 What is nonconformity, historically and now? </p><p>10:28 Building Preservation and the line between activism and conformity </p><p>13:30 Steve Pilcher’s Quaker upbringing</p><p>17:00 1791, why dissent threatened power and why it kept going </p><p>25:39 The stories of St. George’s German Lutheran Church</p><p>26:11 Chapels as sites of anti-Nazi resistance </p><p>29:10 The wild diversity of chapels</p><p>35:37 Can a building hold memory, spirit, and community? </p><p>42:04 What’s next for chapels, and why being nonconformist still matters </p><p>Tune in next week for Part 2, chapels that challenged society, why regulation matters, and how to be nonconformist in heritage today.</p><p><strong>About Chris Smith:</strong></p><p>Chris Smith is Chair of Historic Chapels Trust and a lifelong heritage professional with extensive experience in conservation, planning and historic environment management. Formerly a Director at Historic England, he became Chair in 2019 and has since focused on securing sustainable futures for chapels through community ownership and adaptive reuse. Chris is passionate about heritage as a tool for shaping the future, not simply preserving the past.</p><p><strong>About Steve Pilcher:</strong></p><p>Steve Pilcher is a heritage specialist and former Deputy Director of Historic Chapels Trust, where he worked from 2003 to 2016. Before that, he spent two decades with English Heritage across industrial archaeology, conservation and policy. A building conservation specialist, Steve continues to support heritage projects and volunteer-led initiatives today.</p><p></p><p><strong>About Sarah Dowd: </strong></p><p>I’m Sarah Dowd - writer, speaker, heritage and arts consultant, producer, and all-around nerd - here to share the stories of our past that make us laugh, gasp, and mutter: It’s History… For F***k’s Sake.</p><p>For 25+ years I’ve created immersive, inclusive experiences that bring history alive, from rallying Second World War convoys through London to staging performances between Pearly Kings and Gen Z creatives. My work spans museums, cathedral crypts, pop-up theatres, global brands, and community projects across the UK and beyond.</p><p>As a Canadian living between the UK and France (with a late ADHD diagnosis that fuels my curiosity and creativity), I zigzag through culture, history, and big ideas, but never boring ones.</p><p>Every week on HistoryFFS, we explore how history echoes through today, make sure you are following the show so you don’t miss an episode.</p><p></p><p><strong>Connect with Sarah:</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>Website:</strong> <u><a href="http://www.historyffs.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.historyffs.com</a></u></p><p><strong>LinkedIn:</strong> <u><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdowd/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdowd/</a></u></p><p><u><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/historyffs-pod/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/company/historyffs-pod/</a></u> </p><p><strong>Substack: <u><a href="https://historyffs.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@historyffs</a></u></strong></p><p><strong>YouTube: </strong><u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@historyffspod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@HistoryFFSPod </a></u></p><p><strong>Instagram</strong>: <u><a href="https://www.instagram.com/historyffspod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@historyFFSPod</a></u></p><p><strong>TikTok: </strong><u><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@historyffspod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@historyffspod</a></u></p><p><strong>X: </strong><u><a href="http://x.com/historyffspod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@HistoryFFSPod </a></u></p><p><strong>Bluesky: </strong><u><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/historyffs.bsky.social" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@historyffs.bsky.social</a></u></p><p></p><p></p>

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What is HistoryFFS?

Did you ever wonder how we got here, and how sometimes tiny pieces of history make up, and have shaped our lives?

Or realised how every day, all of us are making history?

Join me, Sarah Dowd, in exploring what has happened in the everyday lives of people for the better, or at least the experiences that have just make us laugh and say…

This is… History. For F***’s Sake, the podcast that explores untold stories that make a difference.

When the world seemingly shut down for almost two years, what were we doing? We were creating art, making history and crying out of human contact. We were craving our culture. I’m your host, Sarah Dowd, and I have worked on over 200 history, heritage and arts projects in the last 20 years across the world, everywhere from the Imperial War Museum in London to exploring how we put a fleet of ships in the sky, or bringing wrecks back from Honolulu.

I was recently diagnosed with ADHD which has brought a whole new layer of thinking about creativity and how we get people - ALL PEOPLE - really engaged with our shared history and culture.

Stories. Art. Film. Books. Ships. Music. Museums. People. Joy. Experiences. Humour. Humanity. Because it’s all History, For F***’s Sake.

Find out more at historyffs.com

How often does this podcast release new episodes?

This podcast updates daily.

Where can I listen to this podcast?

This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.

Does this podcast accept guests?

Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.

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