There Was There Was Not: The Women of Artsakh - Uncovering Roots

Maxim Saakyan (UK 2025)

32 min

Linum e, chi linum. There Was There Was Not. This is how Armenians begin their myths and stories, the same saying as "Once Upon a Time."

Filmmaker Emily Mkrtichian spent several years in Artsakh documenting four women building their lives and fighting for their place in society. In this episode we follow two of them in Artsakh. Sose, a judo champion dreaming of the Olympics. Siranush, a politician determined to prove women could lead differently.

Then September 27, 2020 arrived, and the question became: What do you do when your world suddenly disappears?

Produced by Maxim Saakyan

Follow the series

---

XMTR Festival Selects: County Lines | Episode 1 | Their World

Phoebe Mcindoe (UK 2024)

41 min

This powerful and highly personal series investigates how criminal networks systematically exploit vulnerable young people, transforming them from ordinary schoolchildren into drug dealers through manipulation, violence, and trauma. An estimated 50,000 children in Britain have been groomed into county lines drug trafficking, yet their stories remain largely hidden.

In this first episode, Phoebe McIndoe hears from those caught in the web of county lines. Between the promise of quick money and the reality of extreme violence, we reveal how Britain's drug trade is being built on the backs of traumatized children, and why the system often fails to protect them.

Presented by Phoebe McIndoe
Produced by Redzi Bernard and Phoebe McIndoe
With original music by Phoebe McIndoe
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

---

Pasolini in Beirut - Uncovering Roots

Maxim Saakyan (UK 2025)

40 min

In 1974, three revolutionary elements came together in Beirut: a city at the centre of political and cultural change, a filmmaker who challenged ideas of queerness and power, and a cultural space called Dar el Fan. By 1975, all three were gone.

This episode of Uncovering Roots follows not just a moment in history, but a personal search for meaning. For Filmmaker Raed Rafei, uncovering Pasolini’s visit to Beirut became a way to explore memory, loss, and the traces of a city that no longer exists. Through letters, archives, and conversations, the episode pieces together a story that links the past to questions we’re still asking today, about queerness, solidarity, and what it means to remember.

Produces by Maxim Saakyan
Sound Design by Maxim Saakyan
Intro Music composed by Olivia Melkonian

Follow the series

---

Two Dreams of Dolores

Patrick McNameeKing (US 2025)

13 min

On the shores of Lake Atitlan, Dolores, a Mayan healer, shares two dreams that shaped her life.

Producer - Patrick McNameeKing
Music - by Patrick McNameeKing

Follow the series

---

The Baron Hotel - Uncovering Roots

Maxim Saakyan (UK 2025)

30 min

Uncovering Roots is a podcast that investigates stories from the SWANA (South West Asia and North Africa) region. The first mini-series was released back in December 2023, about an Armenian Genocide survivor who became a Hollywood star.

Now, Uncovering Roots returns with the first episode of its new season, beginning in Aleppo, at the doors of one of the most iconic hotels in the Middle East.

The Baron Hotel once hosted kings, spies, archaeologists, and refugees. It was a grand hotel at the crossroads of empire, war, and survival. In this episode, we trace the layered history of the Baron through the voice of Mary Momdjian, whose family built and ran the hotel for generations.

From stories of Armenian refugees during the genocide to Agatha Christie writing her book, the Baron’s past is woven into the fabric of Syria’s modern history. Today, it stands abandoned. A fragile, fading symbol of memory and loss.

Produces by Maxim Saakyan
Sound Design by Maxim Saakyan
Intro Music composed by Olivia Melkonian

Follow the series

---

Jim, Human Waste Expert

Patrick McNameeKing (US 2024)

6 min

Jim, a human waste disposal expert, shares with me the ins and outs of the business.

Producer - Patrick McNameeKing
Music - by Patrick McNameeKing

Follow the series

---

Stopping To Notice: Soho Square, Part One

Miranda Keeling (UK 2023)

5 min

Pause for a moment and take the time for some reflection. The small but magical moments of everyday life can provide calmness when things get busy. Author, actor, and social media personality Miranda Keeling invites you to join her on her walks to share these experiences, and to encourage you to stop and notice the world around you. Through her keen observations, Miranda brings to life the often-overlooked details of the world around us.

A man suddenly rises up from the lawn, like steam from the lid of a kettle.

Please note before you start listening: this podcast is recorded in 3D sound! So make sure that you’re wearing headphones for the very best experience.

Produced by Fresh Air
Hosted and Recorded by Miranda Keeling

Follow the series

---

We are all Palestinian

Soveks Lo (UK 2024)

18 min,

A ceasefire protest event and vigil in Enfield, North London last December, local people get togther in peace to end ceasefire in Palestine.

Producer - Soveks Lo
Maroon Community Media

---

Listening Not Knowing

Hannah Kemp-Welch (UK 2023)

miaaw.net · Listening Not Knowing

23 min,

Part of a series about listening in participatory art practice.

Albert Potrony’s website describes him as “an artist with a participatory practice examining ideas of identity, community and language. Potrony is interested in generating social spaces through his projects, and participation from diverse groups and individuals is a key element of his work.” In this conversation with Hannah Kemp-Welsh he introduces his participatory arts practice, describing a recent project with young fathers in Gateshead and former members of an anti-sexist men’s group. Albert and Hannah talk about collaborative practice in detail, and the role of listening within this.

Produced by Hannah Kemp-Welch

Made for Miaaw.net a platform dedicated to conversations about community, creativity, cultural democracy and the commons 


Follow the series

---

Childcare Voices: Stay and Play

Eva Freeman / On The Record (UK 2023)

26 min, Episode 1 of 4

People on the frontline of the childcare crisis share their stories and investigate the historical roots of the problems they face. As they look into the past, will they find solutions to the problems of today? Eva, a single mum, artist and designer talks about stay and plays.

Stay and Plays are often volunteer-run groups, found in church halls. They are places people looking after very young babies and children can go, to play with others, have a cup of tea and a chat, and maybe even make friends. An experienced play facilitator herself, Eva first discovered the value of stay and plays when she was a new parent. They were, she says, life saving and gave her a community that has lasted. If they are so vital, why then does no one talk about them?

Produced by Eva Freeman
Sound design by Hannah Kemp Welch

Follow the series

---