Business leaders share their insight and experience in this series of events organised by UWE Bristol.

Bristol Distinguished Address Series Podcasts

Join us for the latest exciting event in our Bristol Distinguished Address Series, recorded live at the Watershed in Bristol. A conversation with Camilla Rigby and Rachel Mostyn, Co-Founders and CEOs of Bristol-based business the Women's Work Lab, as they explain how and why they are doing well by doing good.

Since launching, Women’s Work Lab has supported over 300 women – mostly single parents, many with experience of domestic abuse, children with SEN and their own health conditions – on their journey into work. Camilla and Rachel's shared vision is to become the UK’s biggest employability support for unemployed Mums.

Listen more from the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: https://soundcloud.com/uwebristol/sets/bristol-distinguished-address
Watch the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrOzUDjo8U6JTeJ02D-Bo_EtA47W6vG-T  
Learn more about the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.uwe.ac.uk/events/bristol-dis…hed-address-series

Rachel Mostyn & Camilla Rigby, The Women's Work Lab | Bristol Distinguished Address Series

In this special collaboration with Bristol’s 2025 Festival of Nature on the theme of ‘Water’, we heard from an expert panel about rivers as the ancient ‘gut health’ of our planet. They explored the crucial role of rivers in the carbon cycle and our ecosystem, the research work and citizen science that is being carried out to learn more about them, the campaigns to keep our waters clean - and what we can be doing to nurture and enjoy rivers in our cities and beyond.

Our panel was led by Professor Darren Reynolds, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research & Knowledge Exchange, UWE Bristol, and included guests, Emma Brisdion, Communications & Campaigns Manager, The Rivers Trust and UWE Bristol Alum; Dr Eva Perrin, Research Fellow in River Pollution, University of Plymouth and UWE Bristol Alum; Hedvig Lyche, Chief Sustainability Officer, Additive Catchments; and Mehbooba Ferdoush, a cold water swimmer. We also had a special screening of the trailer for the Bristol-made documentary film, ‘Rave On For The Avon’, courtesy of EightySita.

The post-even drinks included a special rivers-themed exhibition by Devon-based photographer and artist, William Templeton, curated watery texts from Bristol independent bookseller, Bookhaus, and stalls from ‘Rave On For The Avon’ and water-testing organisation, MolEndoTech, who demo’d their rapid water quality analysis device with the audience.

Listen more from the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: https://soundcloud.com/uwebristol/sets/bristol-distinguished-address
Watch the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrOzUDjo8U6JTeJ02D-Bo_EtA47W6vG-T  
Learn more about the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.uwe.ac.uk/events/bristol-dis…hed-address-series 

Useful links:

Festival of Nature 2025: https://www.bnhc.org.uk/festival-of-nature/
Professor Darren Reynolds, UWE Bristol: https://people.uwe.ac.uk/Person/DarrenReynolds
Emma Brisdion, The Rivers Trust: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-brisdion/?originalSubdomain=uk
The Rivers Trust: https://theriverstrust.org/
Dr Eva Perrin, University of Plymouth: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/staff/eva-perrin
Hedvig Lyche, Chief Sustainability Officer, Additive Catchments: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hedvig-lyche-4a433710/
Additive Catchments: https://additivecatchments.com/
Rave On For The Avon: https://www.eightysita.com/raveonfortheavondocumentary
Photographer William Templeton: https://williamjoshuatempleton.com/
Bookhaus: https://www.bookhausbristol.com/
MolEndoTech: https://molendotech.com/
Watershed: https://www.watershed.co.uk/

Festival of Nature | Bristol Distinguished Address Series

In this episode of the Bristol Distinguished Address Series, an expert-led panel discussion explored how the South West could become a leader in innovation, sustainability, and economic growth through space-enabled technologies, bringing together perspectives from academia, industry, and regional initiatives to highlighted opportunities for collaboration and future development.

Hosted by Rebecca Huffee (Space West / NCC), the panel featured Ross Hulbert (Spaceport Cornwall), Dr. Chris Toomer (UWE Bristol), and Simon Wheeler (reOrbit).
 
Rebecca Huffee is Cluster Manager for Space West which covers the geographies of Swindon and Wiltshire, Bristol and Bath and Gloucestershire having taken up the post based at the National Composites Centre in 2023. She works collaboratively with her Space Cluster colleagues from across the UK to accelerate innovation and grow the space sector in the UK. Prior to the this she was a programme manager for Space and Net Zero at the University of Bristol, engaging with industry and policymakers to support the university’s academic community to understand industrial and policy challenges to help deliver innovation for real world problems.


Listen more from the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: https://soundcloud.com/uwebristol/sets/bristol-distinguished-address
Watch the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrOzUDjo8U6JTeJ02D-Bo_EtA47W6vG-T  
Learn more about the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.uwe.ac.uk/events/bristol-dis…hed-address-series

From Ground to Orbit | Bristol Distinguished Address Series

In this special BDAS episode we explored leadership, identity, and lived experience within the health and care sectors through the lens of the panel’s extensive expertise. It brought together voices from creative practice, policy, community leadership, and lived experience. Looking into how they intersect to shape more inclusive and equitable systems of care.
Host Corine Walker, a Bristol-based writer, director, creative producer, and performer, spoke with Sophie Chester-Glyn, Managing Director of a local care organisation and Director of Coproduce Care, and Councillor Lorraine Francis, a Green Party Councillor, social worker, and therapist.
This discussion explored how co-production, representation, and storytelling can challenge inequality and inspire structural change. It highlighted the evolving role of leadership – from community-led action to policy influence – and how authenticity and resilience can drive meaningful transformation.
 
About UWE Equity https://www.uwe.ac.uk/study/career-development/equity 
 
UWE Equity a positive action coaching programme for Global Majority students providing personal and professional development opportunities with targeted initiatives for Global majority students in the form of insight sessions, webinars, mentoring and coaching/skills sessions .As part of the programme there are speaker events linked to our Bristol Distinguished Address Series – last year’s event was Crossing Generations with Dr. Edson Burton & Guests.
Listen more from the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: soundcloud.com/uwebristol/sets/bristol-distinguished-address
Watch the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLr…2D-Bo_EtA47W6vG-T
Learn more about the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.uwe.ac.uk/events/bristol-dis…hed-address-series 

Thriving While Leading| Bristol Distinguished Address Series

In this episode of the Bristol Distinguished Address Series, we explored the dynamic evolution of the publishing and creative industries through the lens of Stephen's extensive experience. It delves into how technological advancements, sector strategies, and leadership approaches are reshaping creative communities. Paying particular attention to engagement with UK Government through bodies such as the Creative Industries Council and regional growth in cities such as Bristol. Hosted by Nikesh Shukla, award-winning novelist and screenwriter, the event will also address the continued technological developments and their implications for the creative sector; highlighting opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and sustainable leadership in a rapidly changing cultural and economic landscape. Stephen Page is Non-Executive Chair of Faber & Faber, one of the world’s leading independent literary publishing houses, where he was Chief Executive from 2001 to 2021.

Listen more from the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: soundcloud.com/uwebristol/sets/bristol-distinguished-address
Watch the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLr…2D-Bo_EtA47W6vG-T
Learn more about the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.uwe.ac.uk/events/bristol-dis…hed-address-series 

Navigating Change | Bristol Distinguished Address Series

In this episode of the Bristol Distinguished Address Series, step into the world of immersive arts – where creativity meets cutting-edge technology and audiences are part of the action. This inspiring evening will explore how art is being reimaged in bold, interactive ways, whilst making art more inclusive and accessible. Hosted by Verity McIntosh and featuring a panel of artists working with the grant Being Human Festival

This event is part of the Being Human Festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities, taking place 6 - 15 November 2025. Led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, with generous support from Research England, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. 

About Verity
Verity McIntosh is Director and Principal Investigator of Immersive Arts, a £6m UK-wide programme of research, training, funding and events, supporting over 200 artists to engage with immersive technologies. Funding for Immersive Arts is provided through a collaboration between the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Arts Council England (ACE), the Arts Council of Wales (ACW), Creative Scotland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI).
Verity is Associate Professor of Virtual and Extended Realities at the University of the West of England where she founded one of Europe's first dedicated XR masters programmes. Through her research she works collaboratively with creative practitioners, companies, communities, policymakers and governments around the world. Her work has been discussed in the UK’s House of Commons and House of Lords, EU Parliament, Council of Europe and in multiple print and media contexts. Current research interests include inclusive and accessible experience design in XR, the ethics of virtual presence, and the role of human rights in multi-person, spatial computing paradigms.

Bristol Distinguished Address Series: The Bristol Distinguished Address Series (BDAS) - Events | UWE Bristol
Watershed: Watershed | Cultural cinema, talent development and creative technology in Bristol
Being Human Festival https://www.beinghumanfestival.org/

Listen more from the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: soundcloud.com/uwebristol/sets/bristol-distinguished-address
Watch the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLr…2D-Bo_EtA47W6vG-T
Learn more about the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.uwe.ac.uk/events/bristol-dis…hed-address-series

Navigating Change | Bristol Distinguished Address Series

UWE Bristol

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