Pocket Notes

Recorded in spaces and places on Rathlin Island including the Manor House Rathlin and the Rathlin Co-operative.We pop into Rathlin Co-operative, the shop that has everything including a range of creative objects made by Rathlin islanders and friends of the island. Aoife runs the shop and we join her as she works and chats and tells us about life on the island, younger and older creative entrepreneurs and what it's like to run a business on a small island.We speak with Oscar and his mum, university course director Jessica on what it's like living away from the mainland and working remotely, the joys of play and discoveries on the island and about childhood on Rathlin.Creatives and craftswomen Donna and Penny have both moved to this island for different reasons, travelling here from the USA and New Zealand. For Donna, she has found deep connection and meaning to the land of her ancestors and the peaceful stillness of Rathlin at night and Penny found a community on the island that looks after each other through the sunshine and the - literal - storms. Donna sews beautiful quilts and soft furnishings with finesse and Penny explores metals, stones and the natural environment to create unique jewellery pieces imbued with meaning.Created by: Karishma KusurkarWith guests: Aoife Molloy, Jessica Bates and her son Oscar, Donna and Penny Sewell.With special thanks to:Tania McFaul and Rauri Morgan who connected me with all the amazing guests on the Rathlin episodes. They have recently launched the Rathlin 360 website to celebrate the people and businesses of Rathlin.The Manor House Rathlin, where we had meals, teas and great conversations.Dr. Pamela Whitaker, MSc Art Psychotherapy Lecturer at Belfast School of Art and Design Fellow, Future Island-Island.Music I use: BensoundLicense code: XGQBNE4RMNGXEODXArtist: : Yunior Arronte

Recorded in the OURSELVES studio at home tucked away between the countryside and the sea.Sarah McCullough recently moved back to Northern Ireland after spending decades in London and now works both solo and with a remote team from her home studio. Through her own consultancy and OURSELVES studio, Sarah has amassed a wealth of experience working with global brands. Her speciality is helping them to craft their messages and engage their audiences in their products as well as to adopt more sustainable and regenerative processes.Through her work with Selfridges, Sarah has seen firsthand that if a brand as famous, large and structured can implement new sustainable strategies, that there is so much scope for the nimbler creative microbusinesses, startups and emerging businesses to experiment with better processes and ways of working without "breaking the bank."Sarah believes that we as creatives have the power to incentivize consumers to make shopping sustainable the “easy” or “fun” choice and she shares her thoughts on how “cultural scarcity” could make products more valued.Sarah is passionate about connecting with the local creative micro-economy here in NI and supporting the brilliant local emerging talent to make connections and bring their ideas to a global audience.Discover Sarah’s work on Sarah McCullough Studio’s Instagram and LinkedIn and OURSELVES studio’s work on their website and Instagram.Created by: Karishma KusurkarWith guest: Sarah McCullough (Sarah McCullough Studio + OURSELVES Studio)Music by https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videosLicense code: JZAOH4PFF4GMBQF8Artist: : Yunior Arronte

Recorded at the Field Day Ireland HQ at the end of a country road beside Monlough.Alix from Field Day Ireland has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Learning about retail business at a young age in her father’s shoe stores, she embarked on her own business over 20 years ago wanting to evoke the scents and atmosphere of “home.” In a converted mushroom warehouse, the business has gone from Alix the solo-preneur to a diversely skilled team working on candlemaking, marketing, packaging and more. Stepping into the Field Day headquarters, you can tell that there is comfort and joy throughout the team, many of whom have been with the company for a long time.Diving into regular re-branding cycles, learning how to capture scents like “Rain,” “Peat” and “Wander,” creating with purpose and starting meaningful new collaborations with organisations such as Ulster Wildlife, are just part of the story of what keeps Field Day current, vibrant and thriving.Discover the Field Day Ireland collection on their website, Facebook and Instagram as well as several stockists across Northern Ireland and beyond. Find out more about Ulster Wildlife’s work on their website.Created by: Karishma KusurkarWith guest: Alix Mulholland (Field Day Ireland)Royalty Free Music: https://www.bensound.comLicense code: QZJHBLGKQ0DUDFQZArtist: : Yunior Arronte

Recorded in Jenny Eva Design’s home studio in Bangor.In the Jenny Eva Design Studio in Bangor, creative director and graphic designer Jenny Rusk works remotely with a wide range of companies and has a particular love of projects in the food and environmental spaces.Jenny is passionate about how designers - particularly small business owners and freelancers like her - can still make a genuine sustainable impact on the world.Recently celebrating her business’ 5 year anniversary, Jenny has lots of great ideas, advice and guidance for emerging creatives, especially those wanting to make a difference for people and our planet. From facilitating pre-project conversations with clients to creating nature inspired colour palettes, to making decisions around the materials used for projects and balancing budget and sustainability, this conversation will get you thinking about what your personal path into a sustainable life and business could be.Visit Jenny’s work on the Jenny Eva Design website, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.Created by: Karishma KusurkarWith guest: Jenny Rusk (Jenny Eva Design)Royalty Free Music: Bensound.com/royalty-free-musicLicense code: H8FYFAR5RFUHHSIKArtist: : Yunior Arronte

Recorded at the Taylor Yates store on Bushmills village’s Main Street. Karen, Ellen and now - Tom - are the family business Taylor Yates. They are redefining what it means to be a modern luxury brand through creating thoughtful handbags with a beautiful purpose, as well as expanding to a wider range of lifestyle products. Taylor Yates has progressed from starting out in The Designerie’s creative shared space to having their own store and they have ambitions to grow their studio and repurpose waste leather through technology. In our conversation, Karen shares the process behind designing and creating their bags and the experiences and inspirations that have shaped how her and Ellen have developed the business.You’ll hear the buzzy and busy background of an active store, so get ready to step into the world of Taylor Yates!Visit tayloryates.com or follow them on Instagram at @tayloryates.co and read their upcoming Substack tayloryates.substack.comCreated by: Karishma KusurkarWith guest: Karen Yates (Taylor Yates)Music I Use: Bensound.com/royalty-free-musicLicense code: Q15AD6FX7EGPRIHEArtist: : Yunior Arronte

Recorded in Boom! Studios in the heart of Bangor.Boom! Studios’ Co-Founder and Studio Director Marianne has spent the past decade on projects supporting and celebrating Bangor’s creative and cultural scene. Breathing new life into empty and disused spaces whilst supporting local creatives such as Jenni Robinson Art, the Boom Stitchers and the Past The Label sketch comedy group, she has created a close-knit community and recently helped to set up the new initiative Late Night Art Bangor. Marianne is connecting Bangor with the rest of the UK, Ireland and Europe through being a part of the European Creative Hubs Network giving her further insight into creative, financial and environmentally sustainable placemaking. Visit boomstudios.org.uk, follow @boom.studios or drop in to Boom Studios in Bangor! Created by: Karishma KusurkarWith guests: Marianne Kennerley (Boom! Studios)Music by: Bensound.com/royalty-free-musicLicense code: SGZQEDCUEYHQBNYTArtist: : Yunior Arronte

Pocket Notes takes you into the studios, homes and spaces of creative micro-businesses across Northern Ireland. We explore the specific approaches each business takes to sustainability and regenerative design whilst hearing about their work, lives and projects. You may hear some traffic, music - and even birds - as we immerse ourselves in the business owners’ workdays. You’ll also hear the “real-ness”, the humour, the challenges and the joy of what it is like to run a creative micro-business.Created by: Karishma KusurkarMusic by: Bensound.com/royalty-free-musicLicense code: 48QKOXX0UY7GIITIArtist: : Yunior Arronte