'Tubridy, I'm available to take over whenever you want...' Matthew Nevin is an artist, curator, and Co-Director of the MART Gallery & Studios Dublin - he writes for Culture about a series of fascinating online conversations he's been hosting with the cultural community.

As a creative, the current circumstances have thrown me into a timewarp of self reflection. Like most in the creative industries, I have found myself feeling artistically isolated and living with everyone's new best friend - fear of the future. To combat all this I decided back in April to begin reaching out to some of my network of artists, creatives, writers, filmmakers, performers and cultural producers to see how they are coping with our new normal.

Watching James Corden and the two Jimmys {Kimmel & Fallon} put their mighty networks and teams into place during lockdown to continue their shows, I thought why not me? I may not have their production values nor their settings (a remote house somewhere outside NYC / LA where they are cocooning in hardship), but I do have my car, a place of silence, sitting outside the family home {currently full of three children bouncing with energy everyday} I can use. I’ve always seen myself as a talk show host, perhaps fronting The Late Late Show someday - it’s a given, really.

Watch: Matt chats with Maser

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So I created a series of conversations - #mattschats - about creative life during lockdown and thoughts on the future for the creative sector. What has emerged is an exciting mix of chats with some of Ireland's leading creatives and artists. Ending in a two way narcissistic tongue-in-cheek interview with myself! - a must-see!

The series kicks off with great chats with artist and educator Dr. Katherine Nolan who speaks of family life and teaching from home, and a lovely chat with Actor Jenn McGuirk, who is isolating back in Ireland after a trip home from her base in Los Angeles. I had a great conversation with world-renowned artist Maser, who told how he is managing the lockdown and keeping a clear head - he's since been busy creating new artwork and using his platform to fundraise for great causes. Meanwhile, performance artist Francis Fay and Sinead Bailey Kelly of H&G Creations have been keeping busy like us all, escaping reality through podcasts, books and walks.

Watch: Matt chats with PJ Gallagher

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Cian Kinsella of Lords of Strut fame spoke of finding a new love in gardening in Carlow and his thoughts on the future of live performance, which of all the disciplines has been one of the hardest hit. I then caught up with Comedian PJ Gallagher, one of the kindest & funniest people in Ireland, who chatted about his love of reading, fitness and continuing to work on the radio, and the effects Covid-19 has had on his latest theatrical show.

Watch: Matt chats with Aine Phillips

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I had other wonderful chats with artist and educator Aine Phillips, who just had launched an exhibition with us in MART Gallery, and with artist El Putnam on juggling life, art and technology. I took the opportunity to connect with CIACLA Director of Development and poet Jenny Minniti Shippey in the USA, on life stateside and how Covid-19 has affected the international presentation of Irish culture and put a freeze on some of our own plans.

Filmmaker Nicky Larkin and Artist Robin Price spoke to me about life in Belfast and Northern Ireland, and how creatives there are handling the changes that have happened and are coming their way. With artists having to find new ways to present and sell their work, I spoke to Dublin artist Gerard Byrne about moving his practice of selling online, while successful Illustrator and MART studio member Claire Prouvost talked me through the benefits of finding work through social media and her daily drawing challenges.

Watch: Matt chats with Angela Dorgan

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The wonderful Angela Dorgan of First Music Contact spoke to me about all her work in supporting musicians through grants and online platforms she is helping to secure to assist those working in the music industry.

Watch: Matt chats with Aideen Barry

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Renowned artist and educator Aideen Barry and I got deep into what the future holds for the visual arts world and provided some great tips for emerging artists who might be balancing life and an artistic career. I was delighted then to be joined by MART Co-Director Ciara Scanlan to talk about her family life, the future of MART, the importance of supporting the arts and the creative industries during this time.

Last year I met singer Nella over in Los Angeles as part of my work with CIACLA, so it was great to see her home studio and listen to her new single, and I was only delighted to be joined recently by performance artist Day Magee who spoke to me about their developing art career and how to manage our mental health during this time.

Finally, for me of course the most important person I have spoken to is myself - Matthew Nevin! The last in the current series ended with me looking inward to speak about the future of the arts, working on my own projects and what’s next for MART and the creative industries.

Watch: Matt chats with himself

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The series can be watched online or listened to while you’re cooking, planting, stretching or running and accessed through Facebook.

Tubridy, I'm available to take over whenever you want...

Watch Matt's Chats now via the MART Facebook page.