Surprise, it’s a holiday special! Join us for a little queer holiday cheer as journalist America Stevens tracks down Santa’s older, gayer, drunker, sister… Sandy Claus. This piece is an adaptation of a live show written and performed by comedian, Kristen Becker. Produced by Katie Fitzgerald.

The Heart

Sandy Claus

“You don’t know what it means to be Black because you don’t know what it means to be one thing. Who is when you know you are a brother and a son, a lover and a friend. Sometimes you say you’re Ivorian. And other times you say “je suis Ivorien” which means you feel more French than British until you go to France where your French isn’t French enough. When you come back, you feel more British than Ivorian, until you’re offered tea. Or learn something about this country that puts you on the outside again.” Axel Kacoutié’s sonic meditation on Blackness and identity. The final episode of our three part feature of Axel’s work. Originally produced for BBC Radio 4, Shortcuts. Edited by Eleanor McDowell. 

Axel: How to Remember

A dreamlike exploration of depression in the underground.  Inspired in part by a bruised and beautiful looking cloud at sunset, we follow Axel Kacoutié on a subway ride home. In response to Emily Dickinson's poem 'Hope is the thing with feathers', this work was originally produced for BBC’s Between the Ears, from Falling Tree Productions. Edited by the great Eleanor McDowall.

Axel: Paradise

Axel Kacoutié brings you into his mind and his heart through rich sonic universe building. In this audio journey, he conjures sensations: warmth, light, and the feeling of waking up after having a disturbing dream. This is the first of a three part series featuring this audio artist and poet’s inner world. Originally produced on the Constellations podcast.

Axel: A Sound Poem

In Toronto’s downtown eastside, Moss Park’s encampment is home to a lot of people with deep ties to the neighbourhood. The site of the city’s first overdose prevention facility—a hard-won resource that started in an unsanctioned trailer—Moss Park’s residents are used to claiming space and fighting for what they need. Relationships are important in every encampment. And in Moss Park, people go way back, but while blood may be thicker than water...you can’t drink blood. And the city isn’t delivering water. On two days of a July heatwave, residents walk us through life in the park and share strategies for living in a pandemic without access to life’s most vital resource. A feature from the podcast We Are Not the Virus. Produced by Aliya Pabani with support from Allie Graham.

Water

This story by Mitra Kaboli tells of a little bit of love found in an unlikely place: a natural disaster. As we cozy down and prepare to say goodbye to 2020, The Heart is here to wish you all some pandemic love for 2021.

Hurricane Boyfriend

From audio artist James T Green ft. C’ne Rohlsen. “With this piece, I was trying to get down to the bottom of why I felt anxious in a world where it felt like I was losing control, either literally or conceptually.” Featuring music from James’ new album Molten <3. Donate to the Heart here.

From audio artist James T Green ft. C’ne Rohlsen. “With this piece, I was trying to get down to the bottom of why I felt anxious in a world where it felt like I was losing control, either literally or conceptually.” Featuring music from James’ new album Molten 

EMDR

start searching for transformative pleasure. In conversations with trans viewers and makers of porn, Mara investigates porn as a healing portal for trans people seeking embodiment. This episode was written, sound designed & produced by Mara Lazer, edited by Nicole Kelly & Phoebe Unter and hosted by Kaitlin Prest. Part 2 of e4e, a mini mini series where two artists seek experiences where their minds and bodies are connected.

e4e: stop living on video

Ari's fumbles with homemade dildos as a teen dyke riot grrrl leave a lasting impression that doesn’t evolve until years later, with an experience of embodied sex she’s never forgotten. This episode was written, sound designed & produced by Ari(el) Mejia, edited by Nicole Kelly & Phoebe Unter and hosted by Kaitlin Prest. Part 1 of e4e, a mini mini series where two artists seek experiences where their minds and bodies are connected. Hit Ari up!

e4e: chasing purple

Tarot cards, The Musician vs The Scientist and a crossroads at 39. Alone: A Love Story is an award-winning memoir podcast by Michelle Parise. Listen to the whole series, from CBC Radio. This episode was produced by Michelle Parise and Veronica Simmonds. One is a mini series about the lessons inside loneliness. This episode was hosted by Kaitlin Prest.

One: not if, how

In the years after coming out, Vinh-Paul Ha searches for good sex, real love, and an elusive feeling of belonging as a queer Asian man on a series of solo travels. This episode was produced by Nicole Kelly and hosted by Kaitlin Prest. One is a mini series about the lessons inside loneliness.  Vinh-Paul Ha is a death doula, writer, artist, tarot reader, empath, and a dad to his young queer friends. Sign up for his newsletter here. 

One: do travel romances ever really work out?

Kamala wants to fill the empty spaces of her loneliness. This episode was written by Kamala Puligandla, produced by Phoebe Unter, edited by Nicole Kelly and hosted by Kaitlin Prest. Kamala is the Editor-In-Chief at Autostraddle.com and her first novel, Zigzags, is coming out on October 19th, 2020. Order her book here. Part 1 of One, a mini series about loneliness.

One: sometimes it's lonelier in relationships

Melanie, her family (the voices in her head), and her ill-fated lover discuss potentially having a baby, and her first pregnancy 9 years ago. Appearances is an audio mindtrip by Sharon Mashihi and Mermaid Palace. Subscribe to the series where you listen to podcasts, or on MermaidPalace.org/Appearances. 

Voices

Welcome to… Appearances, an audio mind trip into the fantasies and nightmares of Melanie Barzadeh and her quest for family connection, love and inner strength. It’s a new series written and directed by Sharon Mashihi. In this episode, host Kaitlin Prest talks to Sharon about how Appearances evolved from her 2017 audio documentary, Man Choubam (I Am Good.)

Appearances

An episode from Spark, a show about daring attempts to create masterpieces and the mysterious process of transforming trauma into art. Chiquita Paschal returns to the beginning — and end — of her dream to become an artist to find out why the spark of inspiration isn’t always enough... and how the added pressures of having marginalized identities can make it even harder to find your voice. Written, produced & hosted by Chiquita Paschal.

Rite of Passage

The Heart is an audio art project and podcast about intimacy and humanity.

hubhopper

The Heart

hubhopper