Serious Leisure

FROM THE ARCHIVE: Why Leisure Matters

After a hiatus we return with Season 2 of the podcast. We start with a live episode recorded during the UWE Bristol Festival of Learning, featuring lively discussions with Dr Fiona Jordan, Associate Dean – Strategic Partnerships, and the audience about why the leisure conversation is central to our collective wellbeing. Plus we share strategies for protecting leisure time working in Higher Education. This is a great place to start if you’ve never listened to the podcast before and will recap the concept of Serious Leisure and our mission to help each other towards a healthy, sustainable work-life balance.
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Reflecting on ways to balance work and wellbeing via leisure and hobbies.
Produced at UWE Bristol.

FROM THE ARCHIVE: Bringing Things to Life

In Episode 8 ‘Bringing Things to Life’ we meet Dr Matt Wood (Lecturer in Social Psychology at UWE Bristol) who alongside his lecturing career is also a puppeteer. We delve into the wonder and magic of the art of bringing inanimate objects to life and the intense focus and skill of this rare art form. Matt also helps us understand the tensions around having a side career that crosses into leisure and how ensuing personal and professional identities can be negotiated to everyone’s benefit.
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Reflecting on ways to balance work and wellbeing via leisure and hobbies.
Produced at UWE Bristol.

Djing like Csíkszentmihályi

In this episode we hear from Justin Iriajen about the euphoria and relaxation of spending time on the decks. Whether connecting with a crowd or recharging alone, Justin explains why this unique art form is an essential part of his work/life balance. Not sure how to pronounce the title of this episode? It’s DJ -ing like ‘chick-sent-me-high’, the name of Hungarian-American psychologist who developed the concept of ‘flow’ – the blissful state of being totally absorbed in an activity where worries, stress and even the passing of time fade to the background. 
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Reflecting on ways to balance work and wellbeing via leisure and hobbies.
Produced at UWE Bristol.

FROM THE ARCHIVE: Ultra Leisure

In Episode 9 ‘Ultra Leisure’, Teesside University’s Sharon Gayter (Lecturer at Teesside University Business School), and UWE Bristol’s Jaroslaw Turif (Senior Lecturer - Learning Disabilities Nursing) introduce us to the elite world of ultra-running where races last for days and cross some of the world’s most hostile landscapes. Find out what draws people to these extreme sports, how can they be navigated alongside working life and what are the unique gains that make such a punishing leisure activity so addictive. 
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Reflecting on ways to balance work and wellbeing via leisure and hobbies.
Produced at UWE Bristol.

Jazz and Business School

How did two Marketing and Management experts end up as jazz musicians on the side? In this unusual episode we hear how Noel Dennis kept up a lifelong passion for jazz trumpet together with his academic career in marketing and management, importing improvisation skills from music into management training, whilst also running a jazz band. Tim Hughes shares how the journey into retirement has made more space for his lifelong love for blues guitar to blossom, reminding us that it’s never too late to spend more time doing what we love.
Keep listening for a jazz recital by each guest.
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Reflecting on ways to balance work and wellbeing via leisure and hobbies.
Produced at UWE Bristol.

FROM THE ARCHIVE: Do What Makes You Happy

‘Do what makes you happy – possibility or pipe dream?’ We investigate the elusive reality of combining work and leisure interests into a single meaningful approach to life through the life story of social entrepreneur, writer and lecturer Roger Griffith MBE. As a black British man Roger shares his extraordinary story from dropping out of school in Bristol, establishing a successful, traditional career before embarking on a different approach combining his passions, interests and talents into a portfolio of activity that could also be called ‘work’. We discover what it takes to try this approach and how the risks compare to the rewards! You can read more about Roger, his unusual career and inspiring writings here: www.rogergriffith.co.uk/
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Reflecting on ways to balance work and wellbeing via leisure and hobbies.
Produced at UWE Bristol.

FROM THE ARCHIVE: Creativity Takes Courage

In this episode we explore the personal journeys and professional breakthroughs of two academics who are also involved in visual arts and crafts. Dr Rob Grieve (Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy at UWE Bristol) unpacks his journey initially as a cartoonist to printmaking/painting, and finding the balance between enjoying recognition and creating art for its own sake. Dr Harriet Shortt (Associate Professor in Organisation Studies, at UWE Bristol’s Faculty of Business and Law) explains the transition of her quilting activities from a deeply personal way of processing her PhD to boldly integrating visual methods into her academic life.
You can find out more about Rob’s art on his Instagram account: www.instagram.com/robgrieveart/, and about Harriet’s art and research, on her blog: www.harrietshortt.wordpress.com/.  
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Reflecting on ways to balance work and wellbeing via leisure and hobbies.
Produced at UWE Bristol.

Accidental Poets

How does an activity you start doing alone in your home snowball into a vibrant, active group of people, generating, sharing and critiquing ideas? In this episode we hear how Dr Emmanuel Adukwu and Father Immanuel Unekwu-Ojo Ogu journeyed from writing poetry for an audience of one, to creating a dynamic and nurturing writing collective that reaches round the globe, where poets can hone their craft together, even evolving writing into a form of activism. Their story reminds us we don’t always need a clear plan to see where our leisure takes us, just a willingness to share what we have.
Keep listening for a reading of original poetry by each guest.
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Reflecting on ways to balance work and wellbeing via leisure and hobbies.
Produced at UWE Bristol.

FROM THE ARCHIVE: Going Pro

What happens if you get the chance to transform your serious leisure into a full time career change? Would you take the leap? In this episode we hear from Sara Hale, Deputy Head of Law, in her final weeks at UWE Bristol. Sara tells us about leaving her academic role to become a full time netball coach. But can we still recharge through activities if they become our full time job? Be inspired by Sara’s story in this unique episode where we take a deep dive into the liminal space where work and leisure blur. 
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Reflecting on ways to balance work and wellbeing via leisure and hobbies.
Produced at UWE Bristol.

Bees, Bugs and Growing Things

In this soothing episode Louise Mighall and Dr Arthur Turner share their stories of escaping offices and lecture theatres for gardens and neglected wild city spaces. Louise describes how her interest in bee-friendly gardens which started by time spent outside with her young family, led to new friendships with neighbours and deeper personal contentment. Arthur recounts the peaceful satisfaction of looking after a patch of unloved land and the enjoyment and connection of seeing the transformation being appreciated by others. 
Don't miss the next episode! Subscribe now!
Reflecting on ways to balance work and wellbeing via leisure and hobbies.
Produced at UWE Bristol.