Global News Podcast - The Happy Pod: My college designs on display at the Met

Episode Date: May 16, 2026

We meet a teacher whose college fashion designs have gone on display at the famous Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Nadia Pinkney says she was shocked when the curator said they wanted to display her collection, which was inspired by a family history of Alzheimer's disease. She describes seeing the exhibition as an out-of-body experience and hopes it will encourage more people to talk about difficult topics like dementia.Also: the passengers catching a bus to nowhere in Switzerland. The project is designed to encourage people to slow down and talk to new people face to face.The mother who's found comfort from being able to hold her late daughter's hand again, after it was donated for a rare transplant.The Polish influencer who's raised millions of dollars for a cancer charity by hosting a livestream for nine days, non-stop.The grandmother fighting to preserve Chile's wetlands for the next generation.Plus the Canadian truck driver who rescued a moose called Rebel; and why musicians in southern England are holding improvised concerts with nightingales.Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.(Photo: Nadia Pinkney with her designs on show at the Met in New York. Credit: Nadia Pinkney)Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson

This is the happy pod from the BBC World Service. I'm Holly Gibbs and in this edition, the teacher whose university designs ended up on display at the Met. It was almost like an outer body experience, just being in amongst all these amazing artists and designers thinking, well, all the people that have already walked past this through the Met Gala. It was just amazing. Also on this podcast, why people in Switzerland are catching a bus

to nowhere. They sing, they laugh, they speak. It is a try to bring more humanity back into the daily life. A woman who's able to hold her late daughter's hand again. It's absolutely 1 billion percent, Georgie's hand. Yeah. No doubt whatsoever is amazing, yeah. To know there's a little piece of us still there.

The nine-day live stream that's raised millions of dollars for a cancer charity. And... That sign over there, my... My granddaughter painted it. It says, I love the wetlands. I want my granddaughter to be able to say, my grandmother stood up for this. She fought to leave us a better world.

The fight to save Chile's wetlands for the next generation. We start with a story about how one teacher's designs ended up on display at one of America's most prestigious museums. Nadia Pinckney, an art and fashion teacher from Scotland, created a line of clothes which represented Alzheimer's disease. She made the collection as part of her degree 10 years ago, and the items were then stored in a cupboard in her classroom. That was until last year,

when Nadia got a message from a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, asking for her designs. The clothes are now part of a new exhibition on costume art. I caught up with Nadia fresh from her trip to New York and started by asking her what inspired her collection all those years. ago. I had grown up with my grandmother on my dad's side and my great grandmother on my mother's side both had Alzheimer's. And probably between the ages of like eight and 19 year old, I was visiting care homes multiple times a week and seeing all these people with Alzheimer's and dementia.

And so it was really that that kind of drove the theme to start off with. And then I was just really lucky that Alzheimer's Scotland let me in and speak to their researchers and I got access to different patients brain scans. They had discussions to me and put it into quite simple terms so that I could understand

what happens. So basically when the disease enters the brain it starts to tangle and not all the neurons which is why then people can't access their memories because there's basically a blockage. And so because of that I then used the tanglement and the knots within the range quite

heavily and then the other thing was about I feel like a lot of people refer to dementia and Alzheimer's that the person's like slowly fading away so I wanted to make sure that it was almost like one colour and it was slowly getting muted so there was a tone of black, grey and white in there and when I was speaking to Dr Tom Russ with the brain scans he was telling me that the colour red symbolised the area of the brain that was still very much active so even a in the most severe cases of Alzheimer's, there's always still a little part of the brain that's red. The colour red tied in lovely

because my great-grandmother's favourite colour was red. So it was quite nice that the symbolism behind it connected in with the science, but also in a personal level as well. So then one day you get a message from a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. What happens next? Yeah, well, that message came through on a Friday evening.

And I thought, well, this has to be a scam. And then I realised, oh, this is actually a serious thing. And I thought, I don't know if I've got all these pieces. I went into the school and was able to gather the pieces that I had. However, they really wanted the brain scan tangled coat, which I actually just hadn't kept because it was quite a large piece. And they said, OK, we'll take what you've got. But could we also ask you to remake the coat?

When you see the exhibition, you can see the line. of the brain scans and the artwork from Dekooning that we've paired it with. So I can now clearly see why they wanted that specific piece to be part of something that's trying to celebrate everybody and say everyone has a say in fashion and, you know, everyone can choose exactly what they want to wear and let's celebrate everybody. I think that was a really lovely thing to be part of. People have asked me like, well, it's, you know, it's like what dreams are made off, isn't it? Like, did you ever dream that this would happen?

And I was like, no. Like, I never expected it to go anywhere. Like, you know, so for it to end up in the May. And it's after the exhibition closes in January, 2027, they've asked to keep it and put it as part of our permanent archive. And can you describe what it was like seeing your pieces there on display? I've been told that my work was in the exhibition, but I hadn't been told how much or how little would be in the exhibition.

And we kind of walked into the first gallery, and you could see the work and it had the blurbs. I mentioned both my grandmother and my great-grandmother. I think it was almost like an outer-body experience, just being in amongst all these amazing artists and designers and thinking, well, all the people that have already walked this through the Met Gala, it was just amazing. And I think what was more overwhelming, to be honest,

was when other people were looking at the work and reading the blurb and the conversations that those people were having was just amazing to watch because, you know, somebody would be like, oh, you know, like my mum had Alzheimer's or my dad had that. And it resonated with them and it opened up this conversation. You know, it's easier not to talk about it. And actually, if the whole thing has meant that one person feels more seen or heard or valued, that's the main goal. It's to raise awareness. What's your message for people who might be designing fashion items about thinking really outside the box like you did and taking inspiration from something that is quite sad, but as you say, making it something that raises awareness?

I think, I say this a lot to the kids in my classroom as well. Don't let anyone ever tell you no. If you're quite clear and you're quite passionate and you have a vision for something, then you have to run with it. And especially in a creative process, like, it's never straightforward. You're not going to please everybody. And you have to be confident in your own abilities first. And as long as you're trying your best, like, I would just say, you know, definitely go for it. Do what you want to do.

I mean, worst case, if it goes wrong and you stop that project and start a new one. Nadia Pinkney. To Switzerland next and a bus that's taking people nowhere. Yes, you did hear that right. It's a social experiment. which is encouraging its passengers to slow down and connect with people face to face. Rebecca Wood has the details. Where are we doing?

Up to the mountains. With no fixed route, no timetable and no destination, the Line Zero bus in Barden, Switzerland offers passengers a different kind of commute. The service encourages people to hop on and enjoy the social connection and is the brainchild a conceptual artist and twin brothers, Patrick and Frank. Ricklin. People don't take it to go from A to B. They take it to experience the journey itself. They sing, they laugh, they speak. One person had a birthday. Suddenly the whole bus was singing. It is a try to bring more humanity back into the daily life. It's a counter idea to what we see as a

as Frank says, it can give passengers a break from their normal daily routine, a time to put their mobile phones down and connect with others in real life. Everyone's happy and everyone's talking to each other. It's a lot noisier because of it, but it's fun. I'd definitely recommend it. It's just so unplanned and spontaneous. We sang on the bus, we talked to everyone, we turned on our phone, flashlights in the tunnel. It was just amazing. We even had an ice cream party. It was really cool.

You can ride on the bus for free and instead of taking tickets, the driver like Thomas Bossard collects experiences. It's crazy, but it's a good idea because you go out of the usual work every day and you can do something a little bit crazy too. It's a cool idea, I think. But having a real bus driver like Thomas and looking like a normal public bus means the service does sometimes pick up an accidental passenger or two. Here's Frank again. We had a lot of people, they were in the line zero without knowing it. Funny was that one of this person was a second time in the line zero,

three, four hours later. And then we asked, oh, again, you are in the wrong line. And then she said, no, now I decided for the line. It's a decision I wanted to be here. you. The Ricklin brothers hope that if this creative concept catches on, the bus could make stops in other places too. Rebecca Wood reporting. To Canada now and a truck driver's unusual rescue mission. I just backed up to my house and I phoned the wife and I said, bring out some blankets. I got a moose. That's Clint Gottinger. He'd been on his way to help some humans in his

tow truck when he spotted a moose that had fallen through some ice. He's been speaking to CBC news. About a kilometer from my house, there's a junction. And I see it across and there, that poor guy was in the ice, froze in the ice there. I drove up beside him and looked, oh, I can't leave him. So yep, everyone will have to wait. This is a priority. And I'm thinking, yeah, I'm pretty sure I can just slide the deck down to him. And I know I got a soft sling I can throw around him. I'm sure where he can pop about. And it worked out great. Pretty leery to walk up to him at first, but he was so tired and exhausted. He's been in there for a long time. And I took that nice sling and I threw it around. And I wanted to get under his arm.

and stuff, but couldn't quite. So I just went around his neck area. And so I started winching and pulling. And he was helping a bit. About that time, my neighbors showed up. We got the sling around his butt and popped him right out. Talked to another neighbor. They saw him there at 8.45 in the morning.

And I got him out at 5.30 at night. So he was, yeah, he was in there all day. And once I pulled up there, this moose sitting on the deck, she'd come running out with blankets. And we set a nice big blanket down on the ground. And I set him down nice on there. And then, yeah, he let us put a blanket over top of them. I think once I pulled him out onto the deck,

he was pretty happy to get out of there. But I'd go out there once in a while. He let me scratch his cheek in his ear and he liked that. So then about later in the evening there, 8, 9 o'clock, I went checked on him and he was still laying there. I'd give him some oats, but he wasn't eating. Then before we went to bed, at 11 o'clock in the dark, I went out there. he was standing. So I thought, well, let's see if I can walk up and scratch his cheek again, eh?

But he kind of grunted and put his leg up. Oh, you're still wild. So we left him. And then the next morning, he was still laying there, but across the road more. So he was kind of moving around a little bit. But that was all day Sunday. He hung around. Once in a wide, look, he'd be standing next time he'd be sitting. And I'd go out there when he was sitting. And he would let me scratch him. And my wife's mad at me. Stop walking up to that guy. You're going to get hurt. And then the next morning he was gone. Remember, like I said, I was on these two tow calls, you know, long ways away. So as I'm playing with Rebel, the Moose here, people are phoning, where are you?

Whereabouts are you? So I had to explain to them, well, something came up. Once I told them I'm digging a moose out of the ice, they were very understanding. Oh, no, that's fine. So my customers were very understanding with that. And the calf named Rebel is now arguably, the most famous moose in Canada. The rescue has been a hit on social media

and people have been commenting saying that there is still kindness in the world. Coming up on the happy pod. An exquisite meditation occurs as the nightingale starts to sing with us and incorporate our humour music into their avian song. The improvised concert celebrating nightingales. You're listening to The Happy Pod.

A mother here in the UK has been able to hold her daughter's hand again, a year after she passed away from a rare brain condition. 33-year-old Georgie donated her hand, and her mother Jackie has been to meet the recipient, as Kate Bradbrook reports. Morning, how are you? Two women brought together by a series of life-changing events. Eight years ago, Kim Smith lost all four limbs to see. Sepsis. Last year, she received a rare hand transplant from her donor, Georgie Peterson.

After sending an anonymous letter via the transplant team to Georgie's mum Jackie, the pair decided to meet. It's absolutely 1 billion percent Georgie's hand. Yeah. No doubt whatsoever. Freckles, little Mark here. It's amazing, yeah. Yeah. To know there's a little piece of us still there. I didn't expect to actually end up meeting the family. I just thought I've got to send a letter and say thank you. I just thank you doesn't seem enough for this because it's just such an incredible gift that's given me so much independence.

Georgie was 33 and was living with a rare brain condition called PVNH which caused epileptic seizures and cluster headaches. Human sunshine, that's how I would describe her. When she was 17 and she was diagnosed, she came to me and said, I've signed the organ donor register and if anything happens, this is my wishes and that she didn't want to be kept alive if it wasn't fully hair. I've been able to finally hold my youngest granddaughter's hand and I can actually feel it now. I don't have feeling like other people do, but I've got sensations so I can feel touch

and things like that, which is absolutely incredible. NHS blood and transplants say limb donation is rare and not covered by the organ donor register. If organ donors are a match and are close by, limb donation can be discussed with loved ones. When I was asked about limbs, kind of paused from a minute I thought, what is the difference?

If I'm giving heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, what difference does it make so? And it will change somebody's life, so yeah. How do you feel when you're holding her hand? Like I'm holding George's hand. Feels amazing. Do you get comfort from that? Yeah.

Yeah, absolutely. Jackie Kerwin ending that report by Kate Bradbrook. Here on the Happy Pod, we love hearing from our listeners, and we've had someone get in touch about our next story. So thank you to Inga in Poland. An influencer there has raised millions of dollars for a cancer charity, by hosting a nine-day non-stop live stream. Branca Lesser Dissar has the story.

Broadcasting from a flat in Warsaw, 23-year-old Piotr Hanka, better known as Latvagang, managed to raise 50 million pounds for a children's cancer charity. It all started with the charity single by the Polish rapper Bedouez. Piotr had promised to listen to a second of the track for every like of the video he'd share. So when the song went viral, he ended up listening to it on a continuous loop for the whole nine days. The live stream was supported by musicians, celebrities and sports stars, including Cold Place Chris Martin and Grand Slam champion tennis player, Iger Shviatek.

Shviatek sent in a video message, encouraging others to donate to. I would like to support this by donating 100,000 Slotty and two tickets to my Wimbledon match, so I highly encouraged you to donate. Hankers' online marathon began on April 17th and finished on Sunday, April 26th. At one point, it was being watched by 1.4 million people. Supporters gathered outside the flats as it came to an end, celebrating the huge achievement. The money raised, which was more than three times the previous record for a live-stream fundraiser, went to the Cancer Fighters Foundation, a Polish organisation that supports children of cancer.

The charity has pledged to publicly account for all the money received, so everyone who's been a part of the campaign can see their commitment translate into real help. Branca Lesadisar reporting. Chile is home to thousands of wetlands. Many are protected by an international agreement that recognises their vital role in cleaning water, supporting wildlife and preventing flooding. But they're under threat, often used as land for new homes or illegal rubbish dumps. Now though, many local communities are working to restore them.

Jane Chambers went along to the central city of Concepcion to find out more. The city's built on low flat land near rivers and the sea, so water builds up easily when it rains. I met local resident Louisa Valenzuela, who lives right next door to the Roccoant Andalien wetland, one of the most important and threatened wetlands in Concepcion. Living here is difficult, especially in winter, With illegal dumping and construction, the water now rises enough to get into our homes

and sometimes the sewage system overflows. It's really affecting people's quality of life, especially older residents. The illegal dumping and building means the wetlands are filling up with rubbish, buildings and concrete. The water can't soak into the ground. Instead, it runs off quickly, which makes flooding worse. A few years ago, Louisa saw something which made her decide to take action. I saw trucks dumping rubble near my house and a pair of ducks diving at the truck and trying to defend their home,

probably because they had a nest and young ones there. That's when I realised I couldn't just watch. I had to become a voice for the species that live here. I'm in Louisa's local wetland, and she's jumping up and down, showing me how springy the ground is. She wants me to understand that we're, wetlands are giant sponges. Beneath the surface, water flows through hidden channels,

helping them soak up rain so it doesn't rush into streets and homes. The wetlands then release the water slowly, reducing the risk of flooding. And jumping with her is someone who has a plan to use wetlands as a solution. Nature-based solutions involve developing infrastructure that imitates nature in order to restore the riverbank and reconnected with the floodplain. That's Loretta Arriaga, the local coordinator for Audubon, an international non-profit environmental organization. She's working with them, BirdLife International, and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, on a project called the America's Flyways Initiative. This project is about restoring wetlands so they can actually work again.

Right now, a lot of them are fragmented. They've been cut up by development. so they're not functioning as one system. And if you restore them, they can start working together to manage water. Loretto thinks government money could be better spent on this issue. At the moment, most money goes into dealing with floods after they happen. This project is about prevention, fixing the wetlands so flooding doesn't happen in the first place. Once the fundings there, the project involves removing landfill sites and small illegal dumps. They'll create terraces with drainage so water can soak into the ground and flow naturally.

It will also reconnect the wetlands water system and restore the river banks so water can move between the river and the wetland, spread out and soak into the soil. This helps reduce flooding during heavy rain and protects nearby homes. Louisa wants Loretta's project to go ahead so that more of her beloved wetland is restored to its former glory. and she wants to show me some of the things she loves about it, including a space in the heart of the wetland. We're just entering the magic forest,

and there's a sign, a brightly coloured sign with a dragonfly. Tell me about it. That sign over there, my granddaughter painted it when she was five. It says, I love the wetlands, because she's learnt so much here. She can recognise the plants and understand nature. If we don't take care of these places, the situation is going to get worse. There's already water scarcity and these wetlands are where the fresh water is.

So their future is at risk if we don't protect this. I want my granddaughter to be able to say, my grandmother stood up for this. She fought to leave us a better world. That report was by Jane Chambers and you can hear more about efforts to preserve Chile's wetlands on people fixing the world. wherever you get your BBC podcasts. We end with a harmony of arts and nature.

That's the sound of a nightingale, a bird known for its beautiful song, so much so that in 1924, a cello player persuaded the BBC to broadcast live from her garden, where a nightingale had begun singing as she practised. That recording has inspired people to gather at dusk for improvised performances with wild nightingales in southern England. The project called Singing with Nightingales was founded by musician and conservationist Sam Lee.

He told the BBC's Anna Foster how they do it. Very sensitively, because this is their mating song after 11pm, myself, a guest musician, and a small audience will very sensitively go and sit right at the feet under the blackthorn bush of a wild bird. And there we begin to make a musical conversation. A little bit like that recording there made over 100 years ago. And an exquisite sort of meditation occurs as the Nightingale starts to sing with us and incorporate our human music into their avian song. Yeah, describe to me how they respond to it

because they clearly get something from it. Otherwise, they could quite happily fly away if they wanted to. I still disbelieve myself sometimes when I say it, but just a few hours after last night's concert. And there we sat under the stars. And as the musicians sang and played, we just experienced this way that the bird starts to adapt his voice and come into tune with us and rhythm

and really starts to listen deeply to what we're playing and find that harmony, that unison. And the voice amplifies, it grows. And he starts to really come into some sort of rhythm and play with us. It does beggar belief, I must admit. What we are celebrating is the joy and the survival of the population here, and their voices are of such expressiveness.

But the sadness is that we are listening to a relatively significant, if small percentage of the nation's nightingales that are left. We're just hearing a small fraction of what it used to sound like. And what we played was the sound of a nightingale and a cello, But actually you've got a real range of different artists, different music who are doing this, and it works every time. It really does. And the Nightingale responds differently to every musician. They are so very good at reading.

So when Charlotte Church sang last weekend under the full moon on Mayday, she channeled and the Nightingale really found a soulmate. And every player and every instrument has a different sort of interaction. And that's part of the magic. No two nights are alike. And every evening, the journey we go. on is completely unique and every audience is falls into a complete spell. I think this is what's so important is it's spellmaking stuff. Sam Lee. And that's all from the happy pod for now. We'd love to hear from you. As ever, the address is global podcast at BBC.com.uk. This edition was produced by

Rachel Bulkley. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Holly Gibbs. Until next time, goodbye. Bye.