Latest Press Release
The Art of Direct Action — Pussy Riot and Led By Donkeys to appear together for the first time at Altered State in Bristol on December 1st - TICKETS SOLD OUT
"Democracy is not handed down to people forever by God, but was fought for by people who lived before you. If you don't respect it and continue fighting, it can easily collapse."
Maria 'Masha' Alyokhina, Pussy Riot.
Two of the world's most prominent activist groups will share the stage together for the first time at the Altered State talk THE ART OF DIRECT ACTION. Pussy Riot have been jailed for punk performance protest in Moscow and beaten up by Cossacks. Facing a chain of arrests and detentions, Masha Alyokhina fled Russia in 2022.
Led By Donkeys have beamed a film about Donald Trump and Jeffery Epstein's close ties onto Windsor Castle and will be tried in the new year for hanging a banner of a bombed street in Gaza opposite the Labour Party HQ.
Masha Alyokhina and Olga Borisova of Pussy Riot are joined by Ben Stewart, James Sadri and Oliver Knowles of Led By Donkeys. The discussion will be chaired by author and journalist Oliver Bullough.
“It’s such a honour to be on the same stage as Pussy Riot. Their activism has been an inspiration to us for many years and we can’t wait to hear their stories of art and resistance. We don’t face anything like the kind of risks and punishment they’ve endured, but it will be interesting to compare their experiences as activists in Russia to ours in the UK.”
Led By Donkeys.
The timing is stark; Masha and Olga were recently sentenced in absentia to 13 and 8 years respectively in a penal colony for spreading ‘false information’ about the Russian army in their music video Mama Don’t Watch TV, and for their anti-war performances. Led By Donkeys are now repeatedly arrested for their bold and satirical interventions.
Al Farquhar of Altered State says:
“Our very first talk was called The Price of Protest, when we got into the increasingly authoritarian response to peaceful protest in the UK. So we are thrilled to have modern activist heroes Pussy Riot and Led By Donkeys speak to us.”
Following the talk, the audience will have the chance to take part in an exclusive Q&A and Masha Alyokhina will be signing copies of her much anticipated and newly released book POLITICAL GIRL. Led By Donkeys will also be signing copies of their latest book.
Media Contact: Emily Eccles at Altered State / emily@alteredstate.org.uk
Previous Releases
Award winning author and TV personality comes to Bristol with Altered State
Altered State, the Bedminster live talk event, announce their sixth talk of 2025 with Beneath the Skin – an intimate look at our bodies at 7.30pm on Thursday 30th October at the Hen & Chicken, 210 North St, BS3 1JF.
At the talk we will be taking a fresh look at how bodies are seen in medicine. From the influence of tradition and male bias to the blind spots of race and gender. We’ll explore how priorities in surgery are arrived at and what we can do to compensate.
We have brilliant speakers to take us on a provocative journey around the body.
Gabriel Weston is an award-winning writer, broadcaster and surgeon. Gabriel studied English Literature before retraining as a doctor as part of a drive to get humanities students into science.
She is obsessed with understanding how our bodies work and says:
“The truth of the body is as much about storytelling as it is about anatomy.”
​​​Gene Feder is Professor of Primary Care at the University of Bristol. Gene initially trained as a GP and worked as a lead at a London practice for 20 years. He has led World Health Organization and NHS guidelines on intimate partner violence.
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He explores how gender, trauma and inequality shape our health and he has received an OBE for his services to healthcare and victims of domestic abuse.
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Gene says:
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“Bodies – in health and sickness and every point between – are endlessly fascinating, shape-shifting across history, culture and medical systems.”
Tickets including discounts for students, are available here
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Thrilled to explore underwater sound, she says: “This evening is an immersive experience: exploring the remarkable sounds of the oceans; how they affect their inhabitants and tell us about the health of our seas - an opportunity to dive in and connect to the hidden underwater world in a truly memorable way.”
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The talk is a collaboration with Futures - A Festival of Discovery and the University of Bristol. Futures is a UKRI-funded programme of events that celebrates research across the South West.
Entry is free of charge and places can be reserved here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/discovery-talk-sound-waves-changing-the-soundtrack-of-the-ocean-tickets-1498681369319
Patrick from Altered State adds: “We know this will be a fascinating and uplifting evening. Steve and Miranda can show us that all the bad news data is just a moment in time, that that can be reversed and positive change can come about.”
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SOUND WAVES - CHANGING THE SOUNDTRACK TO THE OCEAN
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Altered State, the Bedminster live talk event, announce their fifth talk of 2025 with SOUND WAVES - CHANGING THE SOUNDTRACK TO THE OCEAN at 7.30pm on Thursday 11th September at the Hen & Chicken, 210 North St, BS3 1JF.
Steve Simpson, Professor of Marine Biology and Global Change at the University of Bristol takes us on an adventure into the world of underwater acoustics. Steve has found that by listening to the ocean, he can discover amazing habitats and behaviour, but also gain worrying insights into changing health from overfishing, climate change and pollution. But all is not lost, through sound he can also measure recovery, accelerate restoration, and engage with art, film and music to write the stories of a better future.
Steve, a contributor to David Attenborough’s ‘Blue Planet 2’ series and recently featured on the Today programme for his work in this area, says: “Listening to the ocean connects us to marine life, highlights the severity of human impacts, and gives us tools and stories to underpin active hope and build a better future.”
Steve will then be joined by TV presenter, diver, author and musician Miranda Krestovnikoff for a wider discussion on ocean health. Miranda has presented Coast, Costing The Day and Living World for the BBC and she’s a Patron of Whale and Dolphin Conservation. A talented flautist, she’s also presented The Proms for the BBC.
TRUMP AND VANCE - WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE, WHO NEEDS ENEMIES?
Altered State, the Bedminster live talk event, announce their fourth talk of 2025 with TRUMP AND VANCE - WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE, WHO NEEDS ENEMIES? at 7.30pm on Tuesday June 24th at the Hen & Chicken, 210 North St, BS3 1JF.
The talk is the same day as the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague. Will there still be an effective deterrent and alliance at the end of it?
Our panelist General Sir Tim Radford warns of ‘Geopolitical uncertainty, new spheres of influence, emerging alliances and a very real need for the UK and all European allies to own the problem’.
It wasn’t just the bullying of Zelenskyy in the Oval Office fiasco, we’ve all been gobsmacked by Donald Trump’s open admiration for Putin and seemingly siding with Russia on occasion in the Ukraine war. Putin’s ambition may be to split NATO and certainly to divide the US and Europe - is he succeeding and what does that mean for Britain? America First foreign policy and its haphazard application creates profound challenges for the UK. Is NATO viable? Do we need new defence alliances? With their prevarication, has the US lost their deterrent even if they stay in NATO? Foreign Aid has been hijacked to pay for the recent uptick in British defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, but Trump has said he wants that doubled to ensure the US’s commitment to NATO. So who’s going to pay and what are the political choices?
Our panel reflects the deadly seriousness of the issue. Tim Radford was the Deputy Supreme Commander NATO Europe at the time of the most recent Russian invasion of Ukraine, he’s been in the war room with the leaders of all the NATO countries and was at the heart of the alliance’s decision making, he is now a defence and security consultant. He’s joined by Ana Juncos Garcia, Professor of European Politics at Bristol University; Ana has written extensively about the European security architecture and the EU’s ability to resolve conflicts. Then we have Richard Graham, who is the former MP for Gloucester who chaired the Westminster Foundation for Democracy and was on the Joint Committee for National Security. Richard has a breadth of diplomatic experience too and he notes America First’s denigration of their alliances and says ‘Every country pursues its own interests, but appearing to abandon your values and trample on your allies is an odd way to build global partnerships’.
Our host will be Colin Gavaghan, Professor of Digital Futures at Bristol University.
Patrick Irwin from Altered State says “the direction of travel is unmistakable, America First seeks to undo the institutions that have kept us safe all our lives” and Al Farquhar adds “are conquest and spheres of influence really back? And where does that leave little old Britain? We need to talk”.
Tickets from https://www.headfirstbristol.co.uk/checkout/altered-state-tickets