NTS PRESENTS DON’T ASSUME DAY: A CHARITY BROADCAST FOR THE UN WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME

NTS has always kept an open mind: Don’t Assume being the mantra – music fanatics come from all walks of life, and you never know when someone can surprise you with their taste.

On Friday 17th October, we celebrate this universal joy by handing NTS across to a wild mix of figures from outside the traditional music landscape. An unpredictable day of programming as leaders from the worlds of art, activism, film, literature, comedy and beyond take over both NTS channels, raising funds for the UN World Food Programme.

Check the first two waves of confirmed participants below, who will each be hosting or guesting on special radio episodes:

Adam Curtis & God Colony — cult British documentary filmmaker joined by experimental music duo

Ahlam Shibli — Palestinian photographer exploring themes of home, displacement and belonging

Assa Traoré — French activist and founder of the Justice pour Adama movement

Blindboy Boatclub — Irish satirist, musician and host of The Blindboy Podcast

CAConrad — American poet and author

Chris Packham — British naturalist, broadcaster and environmental campaigner

Daniel Kaluuya — acclaimed British actor

Chris Smalls — Labour movement organiser and founder of the Amazon Labor Union

DaFuq!?Boom! — Digital artist and animator best known as creator of Skibidi Toilet

Edgar Davids — Dutch football legend

Elijah Wood — Actor, producer and DJ best known for The Lord of the Rings

Eric Andre — Comedian and host best known for Adult Swim’s The Eric Andre Show

Forensic Architecture — Research agency investigating state and corporate violence through spatial analysis

Hans Ulrich Obrist — Swiss curator and artistic director of the Serpentine

Hiroshi Fujiwara — Japanese designer and streetwear pioneer

Isamaya Ffrench — Artist, creative director and founder of ISAMAYA Beauty

Jasmine Asia — Multidisciplinary artist, model and gamer

Jeremy Corbyn — British MP, political leader and social justice campaigner

Jonathan Glazer — BAFTA and Cannes-winning filmmaker (The Zone of Interest, Under the Skin)

Kate Berlant — Comedian and actor known for her absurdist and performative humour

Keith LaMar — Activist and writer advocating against the U.S. death penalty whilst on death row

Liz Johnson Artur — Ghanaian-Russian photographer documenting the lives of Black communities globally

Lu Yang — Chinese multimedia artist merging gaming, spirituality and technology

Martine Rose — London designer redefining menswear

Mati Diop — Acclaimed Senegalese-French filmmaker (Atlantics, Dahomey)

McKenzie Wark — Writer and theorist exploring media, gender and capitalism

Melanie Courtinat — Swiss artist working with virtual worlds and speculative digital storytelling

Meriem Bennani — Moroccan-born artist blending animation, documentary and humour

Mia Khalifa — Cultural commentator and feminist activist

Missouri Williams — British writer and editor

Mohammed El-Kurd — Palestinian writer and poet

Myles Lewis-Skelly — English footballer and rising Arsenal talent

Nadia Lee Cohen — British photographer and filmmaker known for surreal Americana-inflected imagery

Neck Face — Graffiti artist influenced by heavy metal and latrinia

Nifemi Marcus-Bello — Nigerian industrial designer championing local manufacturing and form

Paloma Elsesser — American model and activist promoting body diversity and modern beauty

Paul Gilroy — British theorist and author examining race, culture and diaspora

Payton Talbott — UFC bantamweight rising star

Rene Matić — British artist exploring identity, subculture and post-colonial Britain

Roisin Tapponi — Curator and founder spotlighting Arab and SWANA cinema

Samuel L. Jackson & Kesh — Legendary actor and multimedia artist/designer in conversation

Shon Faye — Writer and broadcaster focused on trans rights and social justice

Simon Hanselmann & Anu — Award-winning cartoonist interviewed by NTS stalwart resident

Tessa Thompson — Actor and producer known for roles in Creed and Westworld

Toyin Ojih Odutola — Renowned Nigerian-American visual artist

Tremaine Emory — Designer and cultural commentator, founder of Denim Tears

Yumna Al-Arashi — Yemeni-American photographer exploring identity and femininity

Yusuf Dikeç — Turkish Olympic sport shooter and internet meme icon

Many more to be announced. If you have the means, donate to the UN World Food Programme.