Irish Times Off Topic Podcast
1) The Secret Lives of Writers: The Ticket @ Electric Picnic
Last week, we got out of the Off Topic studio and went on the road to the Electric Picnic. The Irish Times tent in the Mindfield section played host a series of talks on TV, film, sports and media. T...Show More
2) The Business End of the Irish Music Industry
On this week's Off Topic podcast, we look at the business end of the Irish music industry. How difficult is it for new artists to become visible? How can they make money? and is talent alone enough to...Show More
3) A Census of the Heart
Do Irish people feel cherished? Is honesty of expression always encouraged in this country? Founder of Trailblazery Kathy Scott endeavored to answer these questions by conducting a 'Census of the Hear...Show More
4) The Egoless Art Form of Comedy Improvisation
Don't try to be funny!!! This week's Off Topic riffs on the theme of improvisation in comedy. To discuss its lineage and place in comedy writing for stage and screen, Laurence Mackin is joined by acto...Show More
5) The North On Screen: Bobby Sands: 66 Days, Born and Reared
New documentary "Bobby Sands: 66 Days" goes on general release today, and its maker Brendan J Byrne is in studio with Hugh Linehan and Fintan O'Toole to talk about how his film challenges the easy nar...Show More
6) Stranger Things / Is Pokemon Go nostalgic? / Marina Joyce
On this instalment of Off Topic, host Laurence Mackin welcomes writers Sarah Maria Griffin, Caomhan Keane and Rosie Gogan-Keogh into the podcast studio to discuss the pristine 'Spielbergian' tropes of...Show More
7) What is fun, and how do we have more of it?
What is fun? Are you having much fun? Does the thought of having fun fill you with disgust? Michael Foley, author of a new book on the subject Isn't This Fun?Investigating the Serious Business of Enjo...Show More
8) The rise of the LA sound / Waiting for Godot / Galway named European Capital of Culture 2020
West Coast music is in rude health according to Dean Van Nguyen. Artists like Kamasi Washington, Flying Lotus and Kendrick Lamar are releasing fresh and vital albums packed with musical experimentatio...Show More
9) The three ages of Bey: Destiny’s Child / Solo / Lemonade and the future
Beyoncé Knowles is fast approaching twenty years in the business. First coming to attention as part of the hugely successful and consistent girl group phenomenon Destiny's Child, her transition to mul...Show More
10) What Brexit means for the Irish culture industries / Rupert Murdoch's Wireless Group takeover
The Brexit effect seems to have cast a shadow of confusion and foreboding over most industries in this country and the culture sector is no different. To discuss the implications for Irish music and f...Show More