Issue 19: July 2023

In the final section URSA we bring you arts and culture from the heart of Berlin!

Jill interviews Ash Smith and Amaan Hassen of Backhaus Projects, an exhibition venue, gallery and community space in Berlin Neukölln. Ash and Amaan share what inspired them to establish their own space, the exhibitions that have showcased at Backhaus, and about their future plans.

Next, we hear an enticing July event roundup curated by Alice O’Brien including:
Rave The Planet
Staats Oper Fur Alle
Botanical Night
Dyke March
CSD
Open Air Kinos

In this month’s artist spotlight we meet Daniela Torres, an Ecuadorian multi-disciplinary artist living in Berlin Moabit, who has recently garnered fame for her dick sculpting workshops. Julia chats with Daniela about her work, her inspiration, the mediums she uses and how femininity, nudity, and vulnerability came to be at the center of all she does.

Extra found footage in this piece curtesy of Dicks That I Like directed by Johanna Gustin, with permission from Johanna Gustin. Voices heard belong to Canel Ataman and Elçin Tunçkol.

Our theme music is from Lucas Carey, with audio from Epidemic Sound. Cover art by Sian Amber Fletcher.

This episode is brought to you by Bear Radio.

If you’re a producer based in Europe and have an idea for an URSA story, we’d love to hear from you! We’re always accepting new pitches.

Support for this podcast comes from our Patreon - if you like URSA and all the incredible stories that come with it - then please consider supporting us at patreon.com/ursapodcast. The price you’d spend on a coffee would go to supporting us and our contributors each month.