104: Lean into Clean with Jarvis Smith - Episode 104104: Lean into Clean with Jarvis Smith - Episode 104
UK Health Radio Podcast
Jarvis Smith speaks with Rebecca Atkinson-Lord and Callum Hall about how art, island life and careful attention to nature shape their work at Antoba and Mull Theatre. The conversation links climate, community and culture, inviting people to slow down and rethink how they relate to the land around them.
50:53•30 Sept 2026
Art, Islands and Paying Attention: Lean into Clean on Mull
Episode Overview
- Paying close attention to local landscapes can be a simple way to start caring more deeply for nature and for oneself.
- Art experiences like audio walks and sculpture trails can gently prompt reflection on belonging, identity and environmental impact.
- Living in a remote community highlights the importance of resourcefulness, minimal waste and shared support during crises.
- Curating and creating art around sustainability and place helps people reconsider their relationship with land and community.
- Working towards net zero can involve practical changes such as renewable heating, solar energy and reusing materials in productions.
“What if the best way to care for nature starts with simply noticing it?”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey and wider wellbeing through creativity and connection to place? This conversation on UK Health Radio’s *Lean into Clean* brings together host Jarvis Smith with Rebecca Atkinson-Lord and Callum Hall from Antoba and Mull Theatre on the Isle of Mull, weaving art, landscape and community into one rich story.
Jarvis opens with a simple but challenging idea: "What if the best way to care for nature starts with simply noticing it?" From there, Rebecca and Callum explain how their small Hebridean island acts as a test-bed for climate resilience, community spirit and sustainable living, where power cuts, cancelled ferries and food shortages are part of everyday life.
You’ll hear how their project *Invasive Species* turns a temperate rainforest walk into a free 45-minute audio and sculpture experience that questions what it means to belong — for plants and for people. Colour-coded waymarker sculptures and stories gathered from locals encourage visitors to pause at waterfalls, moss-covered rocks and man-made lochs, reflecting on their own impact and place in the environment.
As Rebecca puts it, "You just have to think about resources in a different way… and just not waste stuff." The episode also covers *Transit* by artist Eve Campbell, whose screen-printed textiles and ceramics echo Scotland’s west coast without loud environmental slogans, inviting quiet attention instead.
Callum sums up his curating approach as asking what it feels like to be alive *here and now*, and the team share how they’re pushing towards net zero with ground-source heating, solar and low-waste theatre productions. Throughout, there’s a gentle reminder that slowing down, noticing your surroundings and engaging with culture can support mental health, sobriety and a deeper sense of belonging.
Maybe this week’s challenge is simple: can you take one slow walk and really look at the land you live in?
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