Loop - Episode Guide

Loop meets Libertines frontman Peter Doherty, who shares his thoughts on art as a form of rehabilitation after taking part in a life drawing session with prisoners at HMP Barlinnie, as well as opening up about his own recovery.

From a blank page to a leather-bound treasure, bookbinder Gillian Stewart takes us through the satisfying process of creating a handmade book.

In Edinburgh, Dawn Irvine is at Capital Theatres to chat accessible art and how to tailor it to those living with dementia. We also hear from Willy Gilder, who after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's in early 2021, recognises more than ever the importance of having access to arts and culture.

Stepping into the otherworldly creations of set designer Furmaan Ahmed, Loop goes behind the scenes on a shoot with Glasgow band Walt Disco, as Furmaan explains how their work serves as a form of escapism from the reality we live in.

Bright colours, abstract shapes and large-scale rug tufting is how Molly Kent deals with her diagnosis of complex PTSD, and through her practice she hopes to open up the conversation around art and mental health.

Having moved from Pakistan to Pollokshields with her parents in the 1960s, comedian and actor Lubna Kerr reflects on a life spent straddling Scottish and Pakistani culture and comedy, and the boxes she has had to tick along the way.

In the Scottish Borders, Michelle de Bruin shuts out the noisy stoneyard around her as she takes us through the quiet, contemplative art of stonecarving.

After one case changed everything for former social care worker David McHarg, he decided to quit the profession and teach socially isolated people in his community how to build guitars from scratch, and in turn find his own happiness.

Sculptor Josie Ko's vibrant personality is evident in her colourful, whimsical sculptures, though behind the over-the-top wigs lies a more serious message rooted in racist stereotypes that Josie wants to turn on their head through her art.

Loop tells the story of Shatha Altowai and her husband Saber, artists from Yemen who made the decision to flee their home after escalation in the civil war made it impossible to practise their art. Having found a safe haven in Edinburgh, they are now using their creativity to highlight the plight of those still trapped in the conflict.

On the Isle of Lewis, Netty Sopata takes us through the art of kilt making and shares the reasons why creating traditional garments using wool from her own flock of sheep is important to her.

Teenage photographer Dylan Lombard doesn't go anywhere without his camera. At the age of ten he was diagnosed with MDP syndrome, a condition that affects only 13 other people in the world. Looking different to his classmates, Dylan felt isolated growing up, until his parents bought him a camera and what began as a coping method soon became an obsession.

Loop also hears from Gilly McLaren, who was so in awe of the care she received while going through treatment for ovarian cancer that she began to create portraits of the NHS staff who saved her. In Dundee, she meets two of those staff and presents them with their portraits.

Returning to the Isle of Lewis after studying in Glasgow, photographer and mask-maker Danielle MacLeod found herself inspired by the landscapes around her. But having deconverted from her Christian faith, a big part of her islander identity was gone. Danielle tells Loop how she created a new set of values for herself and brought them to life by photographing handmade masks created from Lewis's natural materials.

Graeme ‘Nash' Latto was a prolific tattoo artist in Dundee from the late 1970s until his passing in 2006. Now his son Gary is on a mission to photograph and collect stories from as many of his dad's former clients as possible, as a way to preserve the art but also reconnect with his dad after all this time.

Having created hats for royals and celebrities alike, Sally-Ann Provan knows her way around a lace embellishment. She sheds a light on the delicate art of millinery, from blocking and steaming to meticulously shaping realistic rose petals.

Fringe veteran Josie Long returns to Edinburgh with a quick-witted show inspired by changes and challenges in her life, including becoming a mother for the second time and relocating from London to Glasgow during lockdown. Loop meets Josie as she prepares to bring her action-packed show Re-Enchantment to the capital and learns how her love affair of Scotland has become integral to her work.

Edinburgh-based circus performer Sadiq Ali shares his highly emotive personal story as he prepares to bring his autobiographical performance The Chosen Haram to the Fringe for the first time. A love story told through the medium of Chinese pole and physical theatre, Ali's work is inspired by his queer Muslim upbringing and his determination to challenge perceptions of being HIV positive, following his own diagnosis.

Loop also meets the creatives behind Shona the Musical, an energic, Scottish-African choir based in Edinburgh, to discover how their rich harmonies, African drumming, joyful dancing and colourful costumes combine in a love story which transcends racial and cultural divides.

Spoken-word artist Lucy May performs her poem My Skin, which was written from the perspective of a woman reclaiming her skin, her choice of expression and her body.

Loop meets Glasgow School of Art graduate Danielle Macleod to learn about her latest project, which takes inspiration from her upbringing on the Isle of Lewis. Raised on the island as a Christian, Danielle's move away from her religious roots has influenced her latest project, which finds meaning in nature, folklore and island life.

Birmingham-born, Glasgow-based author Maisie Chan shares her unique, personal story to becoming a successful children's author. Passionate about creating better Asian representation in literature, Maisie wrote her first book, Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths, which became shortlisted for the 2020 Blue Peter Book Award.

Now, as Maisie prepares to launch her second novel, Loop meets Maisie and learns how her role as a young carer to her adoptive parents has shaped the narrative in her new novel, Keeping Dancing, Lizzie Chu.

In late 2022, Leyla Josephine's debut poetry book, In Public/In Private, was published, with a whirlwind tour around England, Scotland and Northern Ireland to support it. We meet the performance poet at the top of her game as she pauses for breath in her adopted hometown of Prestwick. In an exclusive recording from the beach, Leyla reads Questions I Have for Birds and gets ready for her much-anticipated homecoming gig at Glasgow's iconic King Tut's Wah Wah Hut.

Mousa Alnana is a Syrian artist working in painting, print and graphic design, who now calls Glasgow home. A master's graduate from the Glasgow School of Art, Mousa's work draws from his own experiences, showing humanity in its different colours and vulnerable stages. As well as showing us his own highly personal work, Mousa lets us in to one of his creative workshops at Glasgow's Centre for Contemporary Arts.

When they started No Comply, romantic and professional partners Cat and Andy turned their love for skateboarding into an eco-friendly business, as well as an art form. The pair collect used and discarded skateboards from across the UK and give them a new lease of life as a piece of beautiful handmade homeware. From the barn in rural Perthshire that they use as a workshop, the couple reveal their multi-layered process, which involves stripping the boards, gluing them together and lathing them down into the final products.

There is also an exclusive performance from poet Harry Josephine Giles, who performs her poem No Such Thing as Belonging.

Ceramicist AJ Simpson won The Great Pottery Throwdown in 2022, impressing the judges with her impressive ceramics.

AJ lives and works in Aberdeen, where she shares a studio with partner Celda, and we join them as they go back to their old high school to inspire the next generation of north eastern Scottish potters.

Passionate about creating better Asian representation in literature, Birmingham-born, Glasgow-based children's' author Maisie Chan's first book was shortlisted for the 2020 Blue Peter Book Award. As she prepares to launch her second novel, Loop learns how Maisie's role as a young carer to her adoptive parents shaped the narrative in Keeping Dancing, Lizzie Chu.

Elsewhere, from her studio in the Tweed Valley, Moy Mackay creates vivid felted paintings. Taking inspiration from the beautiful countryside on her doorstep, Moy reveals the secrets of felting with merino wool and coloured thread as she creates one of her unique landscape artworks.

Also in this episode, poet Matt Kinghorn gives an exclusive performance of Sometimes.

Classical chart-topping sisters Sarah and Laura Ayoub have been playing violin and cello since they were kids, but it was only when they started playing together as the Ayoub Sisters in 2015 that the world started taking notice. For their latest release, Arabesque, the sisters draw inspiration from their Arabic heritage, fusing classical strings with traditional folk songs from Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt, to reflect their unique musical make-up. The duo perform El Helwa Di for quartet of violin, cello, guitar and percussion.

The work of Trackie - aka Conor McLeod - pokes fun at growing up queer in the 90s and 00s in Glasgow. Drawing from the hyper-masculine, heteronormative world of football, Trackie's reflective work attempts to make sense of past cultural norms where he struggled to find his place. Loop joins Trackie as he prepares for his first solo exhibition, which explores the struggles he faced growing up and reclaims the experiences of his past.

Using traditional Chinese materials and techniques, Chi Zhang exploits the rich effects created by the interaction of brush, ink, water and paper, to paint Arthur's Seat in the city of Edinburgh.

And poet Nuala Watt provides an exclusive performanceof Pregnant and Squint.

Once the drummer for legendary punk band Buzzcocks, John Maher has become a serious photographer and is keen to document the landscape and abandoned crofts of Harris, where he now lives. We meet John to hear how he toured the world with Buzzcocks while supporting the Sex Pistols, and he opens up his scrapbooks to reveal meeting heroes such as Debbie Harry. We also follow him as he photographs a local family who are transforming an old croft into their home.

Due to complications at birth, teenager Becky Tyler has quadriplegic cerebral palsy. However, eye-gaze technology has allowed her to talk and paint, and now to study at the University of Dundee, where she is researching how applied computing can allow those with disabilities to gain more independence.

Drawing unconventional inspiration from pubs rather than churches, stained-glass artist Tessa Mackenzie reveals the secrets of her trade and creates a strikingly modern stained-glass piece in her city studio.

And Hong Kong-born poet Tim Tim Cheng performs The Fo(u)rth Bridge, her love letter to the Forth Road Bridge that was penned and inspired by seeing the famous Scottish landmark for the very first time.

For Glasgow-born and bred Yong-Chin, the face is her canvas. Since winning BBC make-up competition Glow Up in 2022, she's been turning heads with her eye-catching creations. Now based on the London fashion scene, Yong-Chin returns home to revisit old haunts like Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, and as she gives her sister a radical makeover, they discuss what it was like growing up with mixed Scottish-Malaysian heritage, and embracing their Asian side later in life. Inspired by the style of 90s club kids, the Glow Up star gives a glittering public masterclass at the city's Buchanan Galleries as friends, family, fans and influencers look on.

‘Scouting for Buoys' is one family's mission to clean up their local beaches - and turn discarded plastic waste into unique pieces of art. Donna and her husband Carl scour the shores next to their Isle of Skye home, collecting washed-up plastic to take back to their artists' studio overlooking the landscapes they care so much about. Artist Donna first creates beautiful artwork by painting the plastic buoys, and giving them a new lease of life. Carl, a retired fisherman, then handmakes each buoy's new rope, and what was once waste becomes a piece of art. We meet Donna and Carl on the stunning shores around their home, and experience how a close-knit family use creativity to make their corner of the world all the more beautiful, whilst helping clean up their beaches and seas.

Having studied architecture in Edinburgh, Charles Young, aka ‘Paperholm', has a fascination with all things intricate and building-related. A love of modelmaking led to Charles beginning a project where he made a paper building every day for a year. He's now up to 1,000 individual sculptures, which form a sprawling paper metropolis that he keeps adding to. We meet Charles as he creates his latest model, taking inspiration from one of our capital city's most iconic buildings, and recreates Edinburgh's St Giles Cathedral as a 3D paper model.

Sean Wai Keung performs Tomb Sweeping Day, his moving poem about his maternal grandparents from Hong Kong who made the leap to begin a new life in Britain as Chinese takeaway owners in the 1950s.

Scottish comedian and actress Karen Dunbar has turned her hand to something rather unexpected – teaching people to rap! In doing so, she has discovered how spoken word can empower people to tell their own stories, regardless of who they are or where they are from.

Karen Dunbar's School of Rap sees the comic embark on a unique musical mission to help a group of five elderly women from north Glasgow unearth their inner rap star. Over four workshop sessions, Karen joins forces with Maggie, Susan, Wilma, Betty and Jean, inspiring them to write a song based on their own life experiences. Working alongside Amy Rew from the Glasgow Girls Club, Karen's musical challenge culminates in a concert at a local community centre, where the ladies are invited to showcase their newfound skills to a live audience – but will they rise to the challenge and take to the stage?