The Royal College of Art Podcast

00:00 – Intro from professor Christoph Lindner
02:00 – Meet the guests: Zey Suka-Bill & Damien Roach
03:04 – The truth about non-linear careers
08:01 – Why being a "multi-hyphenate" can help you succeed
09:38 – How to keep your creative curiosity alive
13:34 – Redefining the "entrepreneurial mindset" for artists
15:17 – Why talent is overrated (and resilience is everything)
16:41 – Stop waiting for permission: Start making things happen
21:16 – Future-proofing your career in the age of AI
25:17 – The value of your peers as your network
29:08 – Why you need to master the art of failure
33:43 – Taking creative risks
37:05 – The hidden danger of "playing it safe"
40:51 – Crucial advice for new graduates43:16 – The secret to success: Learning to be yourself

In the creative industries, talent is often seen as the starting point - the thing that gets people excited about you, the passion that fuels your career.
But in a landscape defined by shifting markets, new tech, and the rising cost of living, we really need to consider the skills needed beyond the craft.
In this episode of the RCA Podcast, we explore the shifting landscape of the creative industries and advice for early career creatives in a time when the world needs artists more than ever.
In this episode of the RCA Podcast, RCA President and Vice-Chancellor Christoph Lindner is joined by Zey Suka-Bill and Damien Roach to discuss what it actually takes to build a life in the creative industries today.
Professor Zey Suka-Bill, the RCA’s Pro Vice Chancellor for Education and Student Success. Zey is an expert in inclusive pedagogy with over 25 years of leadership experience, and she is currently redesigning the institutional systems that bridge the gap between creative education and professional equity.
Damien Roach, an artist, researcher, and PhD candidate at the RCA. Damien’s work spans the experimental and the commercial - from sharing his work at the Tate Modern and SXSW Festival, to design commissions for global brands like Disney and Caribou.
Get more information:
⁠⁠Learn more about the ⁠RCA's programmes.⁠⁠
⁠⁠Learn more about ⁠applying and studying at the RCA⁠.⁠⁠
⁠⁠Discover more from the ⁠RCA podcast.⁠

00:00:00 Introduction: Can creativity transform the future of healthcare?
00:01:35 From "nice-to-have" to vital: Defining creative health today
00:06:12 Making the invisible visible: Immersive tech and body image
00:11:45 Reclaiming the narrative: Finding the beauty in illness
00:17:30 Positive distraction: VR as a tool for empathy and healing
00:22:15 The systemic challenge: Funding, social prescribing, and sustainability
00:27:50 Addressing compassion fatigue: Supporting our healthcare staff
00:32:10 The second journey: Navigating the transition back to community
00:37:45 Speculative visions: The hospital of the future as a community hub
00:43:20 The power of play: Why healthcare needs more curiosity

The role of art and creativity in wellbeing is no longer a fringe idea. We explore how creative health helps patients process their experiences, reclaim their personal narratives, and reimagines the future of care.

In this episode of the RCA Podcast, RCA President and Vice-Chancellor Christoph Lindner is joined by two practitioners who have dedicated their practice to the impact of creative expression on wellbeing:
Camille Baker, Professor of Interactive and Immersive Art in the School of Communication, whose immersive VR projects like Mammary Mountain and Into/Her explore the hidden, internal experiences of disease, trauma, and body image.
Lottie Barnes, Creative Health Professional, former Churchill Fellow, and the artist behind Finding the Beauty in Illness, a photography project documenting her personal journey through cancer treatment.
Get more information:
⁠Learn more about the ⁠RCA's programmes.⁠
⁠Learn more about ⁠applying and studying at the RCA⁠.⁠
⁠Discover more from the ⁠RCA podcast.⁠

00:00:00 Introduction: Will AI Nurture or Erode Our Relationship with Nature?
00:00:50 Will AI Nurture or Erode Our Relationship with Nature?
00:05:59 The Non-Human Lens: Is Our Humanness the Block to AI & Nature?
00:09:39 Data as an Art Material: A Taxonomy for Artists and Creatives
00:14:37 Project: Models of Care – Low-Resource AI & the Melting Glacier
00:17:58 Project: RAT Systems – Data Privacy and Naked Mole Rats
00:22:37 Will AI End Human Creativity? The Flourishing of a Creative Age
00:26:16 AI Ethics: What is the Social Contract with Other Intelligences?
00:35:35 The Great Contradiction: AI's Carbon Footprint vs. Saving the Planet
00:42:53 The Cost of a Search: Should We Have an AI Carbon Calculator?

Artificial intelligence is impacting every aspect of our lives, but what does its exponential rise mean for the natural world?
In this episode of the RCA Podcast, RCA President and Vice-Chancellor Christoph Lindner is joined by two leading voices working at the intersection of art and design, living systems and future technology.
Guests
Dr Danielle Barrios O’Neill: Danielle is Associate Dean (Academic Planning & Development), Schools of Communication and Design. Her research explores complex living systems, technology, and the use of advanced play and speculative design to help humans engage with and reshape ‘wicked problems’, like climate change.
Dr Julie Freeman: Julie is Founder of art and design studios Translating Nature and ShapedSound. Her work has seen her turn raw data from living systems, like fish or mole rats, into physical and sonic artworks. Julie's most recent work, Models of Care, uses data from Arctic glaciers to explore environmental responsibility and the relationship between artificial intelligence, climate change, and human agency.
Get more information:
Learn more about the ⁠RCA's programmes.
Learn more about ⁠applying and studying at the RCA⁠.
Discover more from the ⁠RCA podcast.

In this episode of the RCA Podcast, RCA President Christoph Lindner speaks with artist and educator Sarah Staton and architect Liza Fior about the power of public art and architecture in shaping belonging, community, and inclusion.
They explore its power to invite connection, the challenges of gentrification, and the ways art can redefine the spaces we share.
Guests:
Sarah Staton: Sculptor, educator, and Senior Tutor of the RCA’s MA Sculpture programme, whose permanent commissions explore how public works can foster connection across generations.

Liza Fior: Founding partner of Muf architecture/art and Professor of Architecture and Spatial Practice at Central Saint Martins, known for award-winning projects that put community at the centre of urban design.

Get more information:
Learn more about the RCA's programmes.
Lear more about applying and studying at the RCA.
Discover more from the RCA podcast.

In 2024, representatives from the Royal College of Art (RCA) joined the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) on an expedition from Greenland to Iceland onboard Royal Research Ship James Cook, but what exactly was an art school doing in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean? 

In this collaborative episode, Into the Blue Podcast and the Royal College of Art Podcast join together to explore the critical role of collaboration in tackling the challenges facing our oceans.

Professor Ashley Hall, Professor of Design and Innovation in the School of Design and Lead Researcher on NEMO (New Economic Model for the Ocean) at the RCA, is joined by Marine Biogeochemist and Biological Oceanographer Dr Filipa Carvalho.

The pair discuss the unique partnership, how their projects are helping us to better understand climate tipping points, and the role of co-design processes that connect life on land with ocean systems to incorporate local knowledge and perspectives.

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Find out more about NOC's time in Greenland and Iceland.

Learn more the partnership between the RCA and NOC

Learn more about NEMO (New Economic Models for the Ocean) at the RCA

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