Episodes
| Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anything Goes In Holbeck | 20200810 | In 2014, Leeds City Council established a managed approach in a small industrial zone of Holbeck, which allowed the legal buying and selling of sex during night time hours. The Council believed that legalisation of street sex would keep crime down and make the area safer with police patrols, health checks and support for sex workers, and a dedicated street cleaning team. But Holbeck residents say they do not feel safe. They're concerned and angry about the managed approach on their doorstep and have stories to tell - including how schoolgirls have been mistakenly approached by punters. On two cold winter nights in February, producer Charlotte Hurrell and her friends Clara and Shemariah spoke to the sex workers and recorded punters during the legal working hours of 8pm to 6am, to capture first-hand if street sex can truly be managed. They also hear the views of Teela Saunders from the University of Leicester, who has researched sex work for the past 20 years, and the stories of an exited sex worker who shares how past experiences have affected her life. New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features the five winners of the 2020 Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. Anything Goes in Holbeck was originally produced in 2019 by Charlotte Hurrell during her last final as a Birmingham City University student. Judges regarded it a `bold, brave piece of investigative journalism with a sense of danger and tension` with particular praise for the reporting team. Producer: Charlotte Hurrell A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 An insight into Leeds' dedicated zone for the legalised selling and buying of street sex. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. | ||
| Breathing Lyrical | 20220712 | 20240325 (R4) 20240326 (R4) | Can a poem change how you breathe? A young woman Taqwa found herself devoid of energy and, at a loss for a pathway to recovery, turned to the power of an ancient Persian poem to help her breathe. Her journey towards alternative healing for long Covid unfolds through conversations about the power of poetry, rhythm and voice, Islamic mystical conceptions of breath, and the impact of literature on the brain. On her journey down this rabbit-hole, Taqwa meets Pat Edwards, from the Poetry Pharmacy, translator Muhammad Ali and academic and publisher Nick Canty. So, is there a real science behind this ancient art? ~New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features the winners of the Charles Parker Prize 2022 for the Best Student Radio Feature. The award is presented every year in memory of the pioneering radio producer Charles Parker who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. Winning producer of Breathing Lyrically, Taqwa Sadiq, is studying at University College London and the judges adored Taqwa's 'beautiful journey of the programme'... A ‘fantastically interesting idea, well made'. Producer: Taqwa Sadiq A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 Can a 13th-century Persian poem help you recover from long Covid? New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. Can a poem change how you breathe? A young woman explores alternative healing for long Covid through the power of poetry, Islamic mystical conceptions of breath, and bibliotherapy. | |
| Disappearing Birds | 20230803 | 20231230 (R4) 20240105 (R4) | House martins live on our homes in summer and, in winter, they disappear. No one knows where they go. But now these mysterious birds are red listed. They're rapidly declining more and more each year. Disappearing Birds tells the story of how people all over the UK are working hard to save them. This series of New Storytellers is presenting the winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature 2023. Petra Robyn Jones, the producer of this winning feature, is a recent graduate from the University of the West of England's MA course in Journalism (Audio, Documentary and Podcast). The judges remarked that her programme on house martins, celebrated their beauty and examined their declining numbers through a group of persuasive speakers - it was “well executed with good use of sound...The stories are engrossing and touching: Moving, insightful, surprising and sometimes shocking. ? Producer: Petra Robyn Jones A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 House martins live on our homes in summer - in winter they disappear. Will they return? New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. House martins live on our homes in summer and, in winter, they disappear. No one knows where they go. Now the numbers of these mysterious birds returning are declining each year. This series of New Storytellers is presenting the winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature 2023. Petra Robyn Jones, the producer of this winning feature, is a recent graduate from the University of the West of England's MA course in Journalism (Audio, Documentary and Podcast). The judges remarked that her programme on house martins, celebrated their beauty and examined their declining numbers through a group of persuasive speakers - it was `well executed with good use of sound...The stories are engrossing and touching: Moving, insightful, surprising and sometimes shocking.` | |
| Down On The Farm | 20220719 | 20240326 (R4) 20240327 (R4) | The stressed-filled lives of Britain's small farmers is a subject rarely spoken of outside the confines of the farming community (and Farming Today). Up before dawn, often not in bed until the small hours. The multiple pressures of livestock, spiralling costs and bad weather can conspire to drive farmers to the edge of suicide. With at least one farmer in the UK taking their own life each week, Down On The Farm explores the struggles within the agricultural industry - through poetry (Border Country by Owen Sheers), music and verbatim voice. One farmer recounts the impact it's had on his community, and on his own mental health. ~New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features the winners of this year's Charles Parker Prize 2022 for the Best Student Radio Feature. Down on the Farm was made by University of Sunderland MA student Megan Hayward, and the judges were impressed with its 'impressive storytelling – frank and raw and honest,' and a mixture of poetry and song which was 'beautiful and well delivered'. Producer: Megan Hayward A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 Exploring one of the biggest problems faced by farmers today - their own mental health. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. With at least one farmer in the UK taking their own life each week, Down On The Farm explores the struggles within the agricultural industry through music, poetry and voice. Down on the Farm was made by University of Sunderland MA student Megan Hayward, and the judges were impressed with its 'impressive storytelling - frank and raw and honest,' and a mixture of poetry and song which was 'beautiful and well delivered'. | |
| Fight Fair | 20240812 | “This is my story. It's the story of how a single mother - me - stumbled into boxing because of childcare. Or lack thereof. ? Having been through a turbulent relationship break up, housing difficulties and as a newly single mother to a young son, the knock outs kept coming. Libby Liburd was seeking a way to find her feet again, when she came across a flyer for a boxing gym. Boxing is an unlikely sport for women, a sport rife with accusations of misogyny and sexism. But Libby found that, while she may not be accepted as a boxer, she is celebrated as a mother - and having her child with her in the boxing gym changes the trajectory of both their lives. Fight Fair is a punchy, pacy, personal story about what it means to overcome adversity on your own terms, to be a woman in a male dominated space and just what you can achieve if you keep moving forward. New Storytellers presents the work of new radio producers, and this series features the winners of the Charles Parker Prize 2024 for the Best Student Radio Feature. These awards are presented every year in memory of the pioneering radio producer Charles Parker who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. This series is introduced by Charles' daughter, Sara Parker, an award-winning radio producer in her own right. Fight Fair was produced by Libby Liburd who is studying the MA in Audio Storytelling for Radio and Podcast at University College London. The judges said her feature demonstrated a “real raw talent. It was very moving, and terrific to hear her determination. A marvellous programme, by a maker who knows absolutely what she's doing ?. Photo: Kasia Burke Producer: Libby Liburd A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 How a single mother and her son found strength, belonging and joy in the world of boxing. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. The personal story of how a single mother, Libby Liburd, and her young son found strength, belonging and community in the most unlikely of places - the world of boxing. | ||
| Friends Of The Wall | 20240813 | 20250317 (R4) |  Every Friday, a small group of volunteers paint red hearts on the National Covid Memorial Wall, in the heart of Westminster. As the world moves on, why do they keep coming back? In this award-winning feature, producer Evan Green weaves together testimonies from the group into a captivating sonic snapshot of the wall, and everything it means to them. For over three years, this tight-knit group of bereaved volunteers has gathered here every Friday, come rain or shine, fuelled by coffee and cake. Nearly a quarter of a million red hearts fill the wall, each heart representing a life lost to Covid-19. Each with a unique story - bound together by a shared loss and driven by a hearty recipe of love and anger in equal parts - the Friends of the Wall are determined to ensure the hearts on the wall don't fade. New Storytellers presents the work of new audio producers. This series features the winners of the Charles Parker Prize 2024. The award is presented every year in memory of the pioneering radio producer Charles Parker who produced the ground-breaking Radio Ballads featuring voices of communities unheard at the time, with musical narratives by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. The judges of the prize – made up of producers, critics and commissioners – described Evan Green's winning feature as an “excellent programme ? based on “a simple yet riveting idea, told through marvellously articulate speakers - beautifully recorded ?. Producer: Evan Green A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 They've painted over 200,000 red hearts on a huge wall in the heart of Westminster. Why? New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. | |
| Friends Of The Wall | 20240813 | Every Friday, a small group of volunteers paint red hearts on the National Covid Memorial Wall, in the heart of Westminster. As the world moves on, why do they keep coming back? In this award-winning feature, producer Evan Green weaves together testimonies from the group into a captivating sonic snapshot of the wall, and everything it means to them. For over three years, this tight-knit group of bereaved volunteers has gathered here every Friday, come rain or shine, fuelled by coffee and cake. Nearly a quarter of a million red hearts fill the wall, each heart representing a life lost to Covid-19. Each with a unique story - bound together by a shared loss and driven by a hearty recipe of love and anger in equal parts - the Friends of the Wall are determined to ensure the hearts on the wall don't fade. New Storytellers presents the work of new audio producers. This series features the winners of the Charles Parker Prize 2024. The award is presented every year in memory of the pioneering radio producer Charles Parker who produced the ground-breaking Radio Ballads featuring voices of communities unheard at the time, with musical narratives by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. The judges of the prize – made up of producers, critics and commissioners – described Evan Green's winning feature as an “excellent programme ? based on “a simple yet riveting idea, told through marvellously articulate speakers - beautifully recorded ?. Producer: Evan Green A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 They've painted over 200,000 red hearts on a huge wall in the heart of Westminster. Why? New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. | ||
| Full Circle | 20240815 | Singer-songwriter Dawn has two daughters. One has known Dawn for her whole life, and the other, who was born in Belfast in the 1970s, was taken from her as a baby. Set against the backdrop of a sectarian society, Dawn was one of thousands of mothers whose children were removed from their care. Placed in a Catholic Mother and Baby Hostel by her family, she was told she was 'paying for her sins' - the sin of being unmarried, and falling pregnant young. Full Circle is Dawn's story - her 40-year search for her long-lost daughter, adopted during the Troubles in Belfast. Her traumatic experience has inspired her creatively – songs, poems and novels all illustrate her journey so far. “I just wanted to know her. And to know that she was OK. ? This series of New Storytellers is presenting the winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature 2024. This award-winning feature was produced by Amy Bartlett, a student on the MA in Journalism (Audio, Docs and Podcast) at the University of the West of England. According to the judges her feature was “an impressive piece of work', ‘highly personal, and well-told with really powerful use of music to move along the storytelling. I was gripped and horrified'. Producer: Amy Bartlett A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 One woman's 40-year search for her daughter who she last saw in Belfast as a baby. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. In Belfast during the 1970s, thousands of babies were taken from their unmarried mothers. This is the story of Dawn's search for her daughter told in her own words and music. | ||
| Harassment Architecture | 20230801 | 20231202 (R4) | The homeless community is targeted by features in the cityscape that are invisible to many of us. Many argue that anti-homeless architecture enforces a certain type of ‘acceptable' use of public space. Benches, bus stops and back alleys have been redesigned - leading some to say that homeless people are harassed into living in evermore hidden and dangerous places. A culture of resistance on the streets is fighting back. In Harassment Architecture, Charlston draws from his first-hand experience of being homeless and disabled to reflect on how he and others like him are instructed, and often forced, to navigate urban environments. He questions the purpose and value of hostile design through recalling his own testimonies, and the hardship he has encountered. He now uses architecture as a tool in campaigning for radical solutions. ~New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features the winners of this year's Charles Parker Prize 2023 for the Best Student Radio Feature. Harassment Architecture was made by Goldsmiths MA student George Ruskin, and the judges commented, “What is excellent about this piece is the perspective. It makes the listener see the world from one – singular – point of view, with wonderful stereo illustrations to bring the words to life. ? Producer: George Ruskin A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 Is it time to rethink urban architecture that potentially creates hostile environments? New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. Is it time to rethink the urban architecture that potentially creates hostile environments? From first-hand experience of homelessness, Charlston makes a call for change. | |
| He Wears A Mask, And His Face Grows To Fit It | 20220726 | 20240327 (R4) 20240328 (R4) | Police officers often witness things outside the normal range of human experience – violence, brutality and traumatic death that many of us never see. For most it is accepted as just part of the job and, although traditionally officers have not been encouraged to share their feelings, what is the emotional cost? How does dealing with trauma on a regular basis, change us as human beings? High profile atrocities like the murder of George Floyd in the US, and Sarah Everard's murder in the UK, have also led to scant understanding and sympathy for policemen and women dealing with the day-to-day realities of policing. In “He wears a Mask, and his Face Grows to Fit it', retired policeman Guy Gardener reflects on the horrors he witnessed during his 30 year career in British policing and how he learnt to cope with the emotional fall-out of the job. Now 70, he recorded this candid interview with his son, also called Guy who was making a feature for his audio production course at Goldsmith's College, University of London. Guy the son discovered a great deal about his father's long policing career - stories and feelings that had never been shared before – and he contrasted the reality with an upbeat period recruitment film. ~New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features the winners of the Charles Parker Prize 2022 for the Best Student Radio Feature. The judges praised Guy's feature saying that it was ‘interesting to hear this perspective in a beautiful interview. The stories the policeman told were ‘very vivid' and the programme was a ‘powerful listen – a bit gruesome but not in a bad way. Producer: Guy Gardener A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 How do we live with trauma? A retired policeman reflects on his emotional weight. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. Retired policeman, Guy Gardener, reflects on the horrors he witnessed during his 30 year career in policing and how he learnt to cope with the emotional fall-out of the job. Police officers often witness things outside the normal range of human experience - violence, brutality and traumatic death that many of us never see. In `He wears a Mask, and his Face Grows to Fit it', retired policeman Guy Gardener reflects on the horrors he witnessed during his 30 year career in British policing and how he learnt to cope with the emotional fall-out of the job. Now 70, he recorded this candid interview with his son, also called Guy who was making a feature for his audio production course at Goldsmith's College, University of London. Guy the son discovered a great deal about his father's long policing career - stories and feelings that had never been shared before - and he contrasted the reality with an upbeat period recruitment film. New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features the winners of the Charles Parker Prize 2022 for the Best Student Radio Feature. The judges praised Guy's feature saying that it was interesting to hear this perspective in a beautiful interview. The stories the policeman told were very vivid' and the programme was a powerful listen - a bit gruesome but not in a bad way. | |
| He's Only A Cleaner | 20210729 | The world has had to change and adapt to the effects of Covid-19 as all our lives have been turned upside down. Key workers have been the true heroes of this virus. As more of the general public started working from home or were told to self-isolate, an army of workers kept our country going, most of them among the lowest paid in society. Steve is an industrial cleaner whose life and work have been severely affected by coronavirus. He, along with many others, goes almost unnoticed as he battles to control the virus that has killed over 128,000 people in the UK. Many say he's only a cleaner'. In Emma Millen's feature we find out he's much more. New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features the five winners of the 2021 Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. The award is presented every year in memory of pioneering radio producer Charles Parker, who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. Emma Millen, who completed her MA in Radio at the University of Sunderland last summer, originally made her winning entry at the height of the pandemic. He's Only a Cleaner was regarded by the judges as 'a compelling account of working life in the best Charles Parker tradition and captured the hardship and heartache of this Covid year perfectly ... which the producer has edited well - choosing clips carefully and setting them in an order that unfolds the story and deepens our understanding'. Producer: Emma Millen A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 As Covid-19 took hold, an invisible army of workers battled the virus. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. | ||
| In Living Memory | 20250822 |  In Living Memory' is a deeply intimate and sensitive story that follows Shadé Joseph as she sends a voice message to her eldest brother, who died 17 years before she was born. She has the quiet belief that he is somewhere out there, listening. For what felt like a lifetime, Shadé sensed him knocking on the door of her heart, but fear held her back from answering, uncertain of the pain it might awaken in her family. Then, on one seemingly ordinary day in November 2024, she found the courage to let him in. What unfolds is a tender reflection on how his absence became a legacy that shaped the lives of every child in the family who came after him. New Storytellers presents the work of new student audio producers, and this series features the winners of the Charles Parker Prize 2025 for the Best Student Radio Feature. These awards are presented every year in memory of the pioneering radio producer Charles Parker who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. The series is introduced by Charles' daughter, Sara Parker, an award-winning radio producer in her own right. Shadé Joseph is a student at UCL East studying an MA in Audio Storytelling for Radio and Podcast. The judges said of her Gold Charles Parker Prize winning feature, “I found this programme extremely moving,” commented one judge. “The narrator's script was honest, vulnerable, at times playful... A small idea with a lot of heart!... overall, a wonderful piece of radio.” Producer: Shadé Joseph A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4. A sister speaks to the brother she never got to meet who died 17 years before her birth. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. Seventeen years before she was born, her brother passed away. In this intimate story, Shadé Joseph speaks to the brother she never got to meet, believing he's out there, listening. | ||
| In Living Memory | 20250822 | 20251205 (R4) 20251206 (R4) |  In Living Memory' is a deeply intimate and sensitive story that follows Shadé Joseph as she sends a voice message to her eldest brother, who died 17 years before she was born. She has the quiet belief that he is somewhere out there, listening. For what felt like a lifetime, Shadé sensed him knocking on the door of her heart, but fear held her back from answering, uncertain of the pain it might awaken in her family. Then, on one seemingly ordinary day in November 2024, she found the courage to let him in. What unfolds is a tender reflection on how his absence became a legacy that shaped the lives of every child in the family who came after him. New Storytellers presents the work of new student audio producers, and this series features the winners of the Charles Parker Prize 2025 for the Best Student Radio Feature. These awards are presented every year in memory of the pioneering radio producer Charles Parker who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. The series is introduced by Charles' daughter, Sara Parker, an award-winning radio producer in her own right. Shadé Joseph is a student at UCL East studying an MA in Audio Storytelling for Radio and Podcast. The judges said of her Gold Charles Parker Prize winning feature, “I found this programme extremely moving,” commented one judge. “The narrator's script was honest, vulnerable, at times playful... A small idea with a lot of heart!... overall, a wonderful piece of radio.” Producer: Shadé Joseph A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4. A sister speaks to the brother she never got to meet who died 17 years before her birth. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. Seventeen years before she was born, her brother passed away. In this intimate story, Shadé Joseph speaks to the brother she never got to meet, believing he's out there, listening. | |
| Life In Numbers | 20250819 |  Living with a chronic condition feels like living with a full-time job and no days off. Musician Sarah Warren knows this well and offers a creative, unfiltered insight into living a life where numbers are vital to survival. With a medical history comparable to that of someone three times her age, Sarah's story is a stark reminder that you can never tell what someone else has to cope with every day of the year. Diabetes affects around 5.8 million people in the UK, so Sarah's journey with Type One diabetes is not an uncommon story. This feature is a personal, witty and creative take on the lessons she has learnt, and how medical advances and digital monitoring have evolved since she was first diagnosed 14 years ago. Diabetes used to be something that Sarah tried to keep from others now it's something she wants to share proudly. Think of this as your permission to stare. ‘Life in Numbers' gives you access to a world through sounds you've never heard before. You can't see it, but you can listen. New Storytellers presents the work of new audio producers and this series features the winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Audio Feature 2025. Sarah Warren worked on her feature while at Transmission Roundhouse, based in London, who run audio production training courses. The Judges praised Sarah Warren's feature as “a good personal, informative account of living with diabetes - a very easy listen and the personality really shines through - with great illustrative sound design.” Producer: Sarah Warren A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 A creative insight into living a life - where numbers are vital to survival. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. There are no days off when you live with a chronic condition like diabetes. Musician Sarah Warren gives a creative insight into living a life where numbers are vital to survival. | ||
| Life In Numbers | 20250819 | 20251212 (R4) 20251213 (R4) |  Living with a chronic condition feels like living with a full-time job and no days off. Musician Sarah Warren knows this well and offers a creative, unfiltered insight into living a life where numbers are vital to survival. With a medical history comparable to that of someone three times her age, Sarah's story is a stark reminder that you can never tell what someone else has to cope with every day of the year. Diabetes affects around 5.8 million people in the UK, so Sarah's journey with Type One diabetes is not an uncommon story. This feature is a personal, witty and creative take on the lessons she has learnt, and how medical advances and digital monitoring have evolved since she was first diagnosed 14 years ago. Diabetes used to be something that Sarah tried to keep from others now it's something she wants to share proudly. Think of this as your permission to stare. ‘Life in Numbers' gives you access to a world through sounds you've never heard before. You can't see it, but you can listen. New Storytellers presents the work of new audio producers and this series features the winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Audio Feature 2025. Sarah Warren worked on her feature while at Transmission Roundhouse, based in London, who run audio production training courses. The Judges praised Sarah Warren's feature as “a good personal, informative account of living with diabetes - a very easy listen and the personality really shines through - with great illustrative sound design.” Producer: Sarah Warren A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 A creative insight into living a life - where numbers are vital to survival. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. There are no days off when you live with a chronic condition like diabetes. Musician Sarah Warren gives a creative insight into living a life where numbers are vital to survival. | |
| Living With Dementia | 20200812 | A creative drama/documentary which explores the lives of those affected by dementia - from close family members, to the various offers of support to help increase quality of life. Our presenters are Harry and his grandmother Ruth, who is living with dementia. Together, Harry and Ruth investigate what dementia is, and some of the problems it creates for carers and family members. But it's not all about the negatives, as they also look into some of the creative things people are doing to positively impact the lives of those affected - from helpful dogs to slow shopping - and, hopefully, make enough difference to reduce the stigma that surrounds dementia. Cast: Harry: Lewis Harrower Ruth: Hester Dowling ~New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features the five winners of the 2020 Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. The award is presented every year in memory of pioneering radio producer Charles Parker, who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. Living with Dementia, was produced by Lewis Harrower, who has just completed his MA in Radio at the University of Sunderland. His feature was described by the judges as `ambitious, hugely imaginative and brave sonically and tonall | ||
| My Toy Soldier | 20250818 |  At birth Thomas Callaghan was 11 inches long, smaller than an action toy soldier. This is the story of Thomas's battle for life told through the words of his mother Tracy, father Andrew and grandmother Linsay. The feature explores, from the baby's first breath, what it was like for the family faced with the unexpected and frightening premature birth of their first born child and grandchild. New Storytellers presents the work of new student audio producers, and this series features the winners of the Charles Parker Prize 2025 for the Best Student Radio Feature. These awards are presented every year in memory of the pioneering radio producer Charles Parker who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. The series is introduced by Charles' daughter, Sara Parker, an award-winning radio producer in her own right. This winning feature was produced by Kieran Callaghan, a second year BA Media Production student at the University of Sunderland, the judges said of My Toy Soldier “This simple story was beautifully told, and I loved all the little sonic details which elevated the feature and took it to a different level.” Producer: Kieran Callaghan A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 At just 11 inches long, smaller than an action toy soldier, Thomas battles for survival. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. Thomas Callaghan was one of the smallest babies born in the UK. Just 11 inches long he was smaller than an action toy soldier. This is his, and his family's, battle for survival. | ||
| Our Dad | 20230804 | 20231216 (R4) | Growing up in the shadow of violence and alcohol abuse can leave you with questions. So, what happens when a child becomes an adult and tries to answer them? Weaving through displaced memories, this documentary explores the experiences of four siblings with one distinct focus - their father. When time and context shifts, what remains is shame, uncertainty, and the inexorable search for clarity. An upended audio mystery, this piece follows the life of an abusive man from the perspectives of four of his children. The narrator, switching between the roles of daughter and journalist, takes a gruelling journey into the past, re-discovering what she thought she knew about the person she once loved most. 'This is a story. Well, it did really happen. But this is the kind of story that you wish didn't. This is the story of our dad.' ~New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and Thea Rickard's feature won the Gold Award of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature in 2023. The award is presented every year in memory of the pioneering radio producer Charles Parker who produced the ground-breaking Radio Ballads featuring voices of communities unheard at the time, with musical narratives by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. The judges of the prize, made up of producers, critics and commissioners, praised Thea's top prize winning work as “captivating and horrifying ?, “well-written and considered, ? “a properly structured and layered piece. ? Producer: Thea Rickard A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 A true story, unwound and spun, about growing up in the shadow of violence and addiction. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. The judges of the prize, made up of producers, critics and commissioners, praised Thea's top prize winning work as `captivating and horrifying`, `well-written and considered,` `a properly structured and layered piece.` | |
| Out At Sea, Out Of Mind | 20230802 | 20231209 (R4) 20231227 (R4) | Take a deep dive into the sonic realms of the sea. With natural soundscapes recorded beneath the surface, this is a journey of discovery into how important sound is for all sea creatures - from whales, dolphins, and porpoises, to the smallest invertebrates, sound is an essential part of their being. Since the discovery that whale song can be heard across entire oceans, many researchers have been exploring how human-produced sounds and frequencies may affect communication among the mammals. But as we on the surface can't hear the sounds beneath the sea, we can be oblivious to the devastating effects some of these noises can have on underwater life. As humans we bring to the vast arena of the oceans much louder sounds than would occur naturally on the evolutionary scale - shipping, sonar used for underwater navigation, and the loud seismic gun testing blasts produced when surveying the ocean bed for oil and gas. Do we need to start listening to our oceans? With contributions from: Professor Volker Deecke, marine pollution consultant Tim Deere-Jones, researchers Sarah Dickson, Jordan Burgess, Jo Garrett, and writer Jay Richardson. This series of New Storytellers features the winners of this year's Charles Parker Prize 2023 for the Best Student Radio Feature. Out at Sea, Out of Mind was produced by recent University of Sunderland MA Radio, Audio and Podcasting student Lottie Steele and the feature is, in the words of the judges, “skilfully creative ? and “expertly montaged so that there is a great sense of flow ?. And they admired the “beautiful use of sound and music. A shocking and important programme. ? Producer: Lottie Steele A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 A deep dive into the sonic realms of the sea and the effects of man-made noise pollution. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. A sonic exploration of life beneath the sea – discovering the sounds that sea creatures produce, and the man-made sounds that can cause them harm. This series of New Storytellers features the winners of this year's Charles Parker Prize 2023 for the Best Student Radio Feature. Out at Sea, Out of Mind was produced by recent University of Sunderland MA Radio, Audio and Podcasting student Lottie Steele and the feature is, in the words of the judges, `skilfully creative` and `expertly montaged so that there is a great sense of flow`. And they admired the `beautiful use of sound and music. A shocking and important programme.` | |
| Outsider Sisters | 20210727 | 20250826 (R4) |  I remember a girl calling me a black pig...' - Kat Francois. Through poetry, music, sounds and interviews, producer Chantal Herbert brings to life the emotions and experiences of women and non-binary persons of colour who grew up or migrated to the UK. With powerful spoken word, stories and real-life accounts of racism, Outsider Sisters gives you an uncomfortable snapshot into the everyday shared life experience of many people of colour living on this small island. New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features the five winners of the 2021 Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. Outsider Sisters was produced by Chantal Herbert, who graduated from the University of Sunderland's MA Radio course last year. The competition judges praised the feature's 'skilled and creative use of the medium and vivid contributions - It had a great flow and groove ... A lovely piece. A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 An exploration of the experiences being a woman and non-binary person of colour in the UK. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. Producer Chantal Herbert weaves together the experiences and emotions of growing up or migrating to the UK as a woman and non-binary person of colour. | |
| Outsider Sisters | 20210727 | I remember a girl calling me a black pig...' - Kat Francois. Through poetry, music, sounds and interviews, producer Chantal Herbert brings to life the emotions and experiences of women and non-binary persons of colour who grew up or migrated to the UK. With powerful spoken word, stories and real-life accounts of racism, Outsider Sisters gives you an uncomfortable snapshot into the everyday shared life experience of many people of colour living on this small island. ~New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features the five winners of the 2021 Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. Outsider Sisters was produced by Chantal Herbert, who graduated from the University of Sunderland's MA Radio course last year. The competition judges praised the feature's 'skilled and creative use of the medium and vivid contributions | ||
| Palores, The Bird Of Cornwall | 20200811 | The Cornish Chough, or Palores in Cornish, is a member of the crow family. It is most recognisable for its distinctive bright red legs and long red bill. The bird has had a close association with the county for several hundred years. To much sadness for many residents of Cornwall, the Chough gradually disappeared over time, and by 1974 there were no Choughs left in Cornwall. This programme contains poetry and stories inspired by the Chough, and features a collection of Cornish voices, including bird experts, writers and members of the community. New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features the five winners of the 2020 Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. The award is presented every year in memory of pioneering radio producer Charles Parker, who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. Palores: the Bird of Cornwall was produced by Gabriel Green, who graduated from the University of Westminster last year. The competition judges praised his feature's `lovely combination of the metaphysical, literary, personal memory and experience and history and place - a very mature piece of work`. Producer: Gabriel Green A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 Poetry and stories exploring the Chough's symbolic connection to Cornish identity. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. | ||
| Projectionists | 20200813 | The projectionists, the people in charge of running films at a cinema, are no longer vital to the industry, as their roles have been replaced by digital technology. Between 2010 and 2012, 90% of cinema projectionists were either made redundant or phased out of their roles in projection. according to the BFI. In their own words, three projectionists young and old share their love for the art of cinema projection. They tell their stories of how cinema has impacted their life, and how they are trying to keep cinema projection alive today. John Newcombe's career as a cinema projectionist dates back to the 1950s, when he worked as a rewind boy in a one-screen cinema. At 82, he has continued to pursue his love of projection at the Lighthouse Theatre in Poole. Joe Cornick might be the future of cinema projectionists - at 17, he started his own 35mm film cinema in his village of Slindon. And Ben Dowell, a former Chief Projectionist and author of Last Reels, saw first hand how the switch to digital projection changed the industry forever through his work in large cinema chains. New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features the five winners of the 2020 Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. The award is presented every year in memory of pioneering radio producer Charles Parker, who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. Originally produced in 2019 by Richard Queree, who recently completed his MA Radio degree at Bournemouth University, Projectionists was credited by the judges with giving a `sense of the dying of the light`, a `social history made with a purpose`. Producer: Richard Queree A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 The people keeping the art of cinema projection alive in a time it is no longer needed. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. | ||
| Read My Lips | 20210728 | 20250827 (R4) |  Danielle was born with a cleft lip and palate and knows what it is like to be different in a world focused on appearance. She has experienced first-hand the effect of looks on everyday life. For her, the mental effects of 28 operations have required a much higher resilience than the sheer physical endurance. She has had to cope with missing a lot of school and the challenge of keeping friendships, struggling to find a sense of identity as her face constantly changed through surgery. Now Danielle hopes her first-hand experience will help others. A researcher at the University of the West of England (UWE), she is studying the psychology of those affected by craniofacial conditions. New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features all five winners of this year's prize for Best Student Radio Feature. The award is presented every year in memory of pioneering radio producer Charles Parker, who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. This was the first feature made by producer Isobel Howe - an MA student studying audio journalism at UWE. The judges praised the piece as ‘a beautifully told personal story' which was ‘completely absorbing', saying ‘Danielle, the subject and principal speaker, is articulate, funny and open' with 'some visceral and moving moments'. A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 Born with a difference, Danielle's experience growing up in a world focused on appearance. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. Born with cleft lip and palate, Danielle knows first-hand the effect of physical appearance on everyday life. | |
| Read My Lips | 20210728 | Danielle was born with a cleft lip and palate and knows what it is like to be different in a world focused on appearance. She has experienced first-hand the effect of looks on everyday life. For her, the mental effects of 28 operations have required a much higher resilience than the sheer physical endurance. She has had to cope with missing a lot of school and the challenge of keeping friendships, struggling to find a sense of identity as her face constantly changed through surgery. Now Danielle hopes her first-hand experience will help others. A researcher at the University of the West of England (UWE), she is studying the psychology of those affected by craniofacial conditions. New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features all five winners of this year's prize for Best Student Radio Feature. The award is presented every year in memory of pioneering radio producer Charles Parker, who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. This was the first feature made by producer Isobel Howe - an MA student studying audio journalism at UWE. The judges praised the piece as a beautifully told personal story' which was completely absorbing', saying Danielle, the subject and principal speaker, is articulate, funny and open' with 'some visceral and moving moments'. Producer: Isobel Howe A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 Born with a difference, Danielle's experience growing up in a world focused on appearance. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. | ||
| Remembering The New Cross Fire | 20210730 | 20250828 (R4) |  Commemorating the tragedy of a house fire in New Cross, South East London in 1981, where 13 young black teenagers died at the joint birthday party of Yvonne Ruddock ,16, who was one of those who lost their life, and Angela Jackson,18, who survived after leaving the party early. To this day, no-one has been found responsible for the fire which is believed by some to have been a racist arson attack. At the time, the families and community criticised the police investigation. The government's lack of action and press disinterest led to a Black People's Day of Action, which has continued every year, campaigning for racial justice. The historic first protest saw 20,000 march from the Moonshot Youth Club in New Cross into Central London. Forty years on, Remembering the New Cross Fire weaves together protest and memories including that of Lewisham community leader Sybil Phoenix OBE who ran the Moonshot, the first black youth club in the area, with music created in response to the fire and a poem by Linton Kwesi Johnson. Magdalena Moursy (2021 Gold winner of the Charles Parker Prize) also recorded at this year's Black People's Day of Action in March where many gathered, despite pandemic restrictions, to continue to remember and demand justice for those who died and their families. New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features all five winners of this year's prize for Best Student Radio Feature. The judges praised Magdalena Moursy, an MA student at Goldsmiths, University of London, for 'an extremely moving and well-crafted feature that is true to the spirit of Charles Parker while doing something fresh and entirely its own'. Producer: Magdalena Moursy A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 Commemorating the 1981 New Cross fire that killed 13 black teenagers at a birthday party. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. Commemorating the 1981 New Cross fire that killed 13 black teenagers at a birthday party. Believed by some to be a racist arson attack, no one has ever been found responsible. | |
| Sara's Spirit | 20220802 | 20240328 (R4) 20240329 (R4) | On the evening of 3rd June 2017, three extremists drove a hired van over London Bridge, mounting the crowded pavement repeatedly before going on a rampage through Borough Market. This attack took eight innocent people's lives, including 21 year old Sara Zelenak. Sara's Spirit tells the story of a young woman from Brisbane, Australia, who got caught up in the tragedy. Five years on, her parents Julie and Mark are keeping her memory alive, as they navigate the grief of losing their child. This series of New Storytellers is presenting the winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature 2022. However, for editorial reasons, the fourth prize winning feature will be broadcast at a later date. So, although Goldsmiths' College student Anna Budd's feature, Sara's Spirit, was not one of the five winners it was very highly commended by the judging panel and so earns a place in this series. The judges said it was a 'very accomplished, professional piece' for its 'harrowing and emotionally immersive' exploration of grief and loss. 'It ‘didn't sugar-coat the impact of the tragedy. Producer: Anna Budd A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 After a tragic terror attack in London, the lives of two parents changed forever. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. The story of Sara, a young Australian woman who was caught up in one of London's deadliest terror attacks. Five years on, her loved ones are keeping her memory alive. This series of New Storytellers is presenting the winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature 2022. However, for editorial reasons, the fourth prize winning feature will be broadcast at a later date. So, although Goldsmiths' College student Anna Budd's feature, Sara's Spirit, was not one of the five winners it was very highly commended by the judging panel and so earns a place in this series. The judges said it was a 'very accomplished, professional piece' for its 'harrowing and emotionally immersive' exploration of grief and loss. 'It didn't sugar-coat the impact of the tragedy. | |
| The Bathing Place | 20210726 | 20250825 (R4) |  Cultural historian George Townsend leads us through his research into Parson's Pleasure, a male-only nude bathing place on the outskirts of Oxford. A unique site, Parson's Pleasure offered exercise and repose to men from many walks of life, for at least 400 years. It formed a centre of muscular Christianity for the Victorians and a hub for the sunbathing craze between the wars. It was also a cruising spot and sanctuary for gay men until its demolition in 1992, and remains a part of the city's collective imagination to this day. Through poetry and stories from old regulars, we explore the river island where Parson's Pleasure sits, and discover surprising echoes of its history among the younger generation of today. Touching on social and landscape history and the history of sexuality, The Bathing Place offers an insight into the city of dreaming spires like no other. New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features the five winners of the 2021 Charles Parker Prize for Best Student Radio Feature. The award is presented every year in memory of the pioneering radio producer Charles Parker who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. Winning producer of The Bathing Place, Hunter Charlton studying an MA at Goldsmiths, University of London, was commended by the judges for having made ‘a lovely engrossing listen, with a great mix of oral history, music, poetry and effects. Presenter: George Townsend Producer: Hunter Charlton A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 Exploring Parson's Pleasure, a male-only nude bathing place on the outskirts of Oxford. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. George Townsend leads us through the unique history of Parson's Pleasure, a male-only nude bathing place on the outskirts of Oxford. | |
| The Bathing Place | 20210726 | Cultural historian George Townsend leads us through his research into Parson's Pleasure, a male-only nude bathing place on the outskirts of Oxford. A unique site, Parson's Pleasure offered exercise and repose to men from many walks of life, for at least 400 years. It formed a centre of muscular Christianity for the Victorians and a hub for the sunbathing craze between the wars. It was also a cruising spot and sanctuary for gay men until its demolition in 1992, and remains a part of the city's collective imagination to this day. Through poetry and stories from old regulars, we explore the river island where Parson's Pleasure sits, and discover surprising echoes of its history among the younger generation of today. Touching on social and landscape history and the history of sexuality, The Bathing Place offers an insight into the city of dreaming spires like no other. New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features the five winners of the 2021 Charles Parker Prize for Best Student Radio Feature. The award is presented every year in memory of the pioneering radio producer Charles Parker who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. Winning producer of The Bathing Place, Hunter Charlton studying an MA at Goldsmiths, University of London, was commended by the judges for having made a lovely engrossing listen, with a great mix of oral history, music, poetry and effects. Presenter: George Townsend Producer: Hunter Charlton A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 Exploring Parson's Pleasure, a male-only nude bathing place on the outskirts of Oxford. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. | ||
| The Final Fanfayre | 20230731 | 20231223 (R4) 20231227 (R4) | It's 1974 and, half a decade after The Beatles and Elvis Presley dominated the charts, a new generation of artists were capturing the hearts and minds of the nation's young female fans - The Jackson 5, The Bay City Rollers, and above all David Cassidy and The Osmonds. The Final Fanfayre is a different kind of fan story. Fanfayre were a band of Osmond fans made up of two sets of sisters – Ali (15) and Bev (11), and Lou (16) and Anne (13). They played Osmond songs and loved the group so much that, when an opportunity to audition to be their European Fanclub band arose, the four youngsters from Middlesbrough applied - and won! It's 2023 and, 50 years on, broadcaster Paul Gambaccini reflects on fandom in the mid-70s, as sisters Ali and Bev reminisce about their time in Fanfayre and what it was like to be part of the group and travel to a London studio to record their single, Donny's Girl. ~New Storytellers presents the work of new radio producers and this series features the winners of the Charles Parker Prize 2023 for the Best Student Radio Feature. These awards are presented every year in memory of the pioneering radio producer Charles Parker who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. The series is introduced by Charles' daughter, Sara Parker, an award-winning radio producer in her own right. The Final Fanfayre was produced by Dom Brown who is studying MA Radio, Audio and Podcasting at the University of Sunderland. The judges said of his feature, “What a blast! ? “An Interesting subject, well put together ? and “Evocative of the time. This simple piece works brilliantly because of the sheer power of the women's reminiscences. ? Producer: Dom Brown A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 In 1974, a young girl band from Middlesbrough made a record for their idols - The Osmonds. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. In 1974, four young girls from Middlesbrough won a national competition and found themselves making a record for their idols - The Osmonds. | |
| The National Language Of Nowhere | 20240814 | I may think in English, but I feel in Yiddish'. It's been said that no other language in history has done as much borrowing, shifting, shaping, adapting or giving as Yiddish. It's a rich, colourful, expressive language, full of humour, but with a bite. A reflection of the history of the people who spoke it for over a thousand years. On the eve of WW2 there were close to 12 million people speaking Yiddish but, after the Holocaust, this was vastly diminished. A few years ago Yiddish was placed on the UNESCO list of endangered languages. In this personal story, Naomi Bloomstein looks at this extraordinary 1000 year-old language to try and understand what it means to a people and whether that meaning is inherently passed on through the generations of one family, and asks the question - is it disappearing? She also speaks to historians and experts in Yiddish to discover more about its unique history and significance. Switching between the roles of daughter, mother and narrator, we are taken on a journey into the past asking her own family if she has done enough to preserve this marginalised language. The answer isn't what she expected. New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features the winners of the Charles Parker Prize 2024 for the Best Student Radio Feature. Naomi Bloomstein is studying for an MA in Audio Storytelling for Radio and Podcast at University College London and the judges described her prize-winning feature as ‘very, very accomplished with such a creative use of the medium, where the music really drove it. A beautifully made programme and definitely in the top bracket on so many levels'. Producer: Naomi Bloomstein A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 How an 1000-year-old language still affects one family passing through the generations. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. It's said that no other language in history has done as much borrowing, shifting, shaping, adapting or giving as Yiddish. But is this 1000-year-old language now at risk? | ||
| The Outcast Dead And Alive | 20240816 | Hidden in the heart of Southwark on London's South Bank, buried between skyscrapers and stations, are a set of iron gates festooned with photos, ribbons and other memento mori which open into a garden - Crossbones, the site of a medieval sex workers graveyard. Known as the Winchester Geese, these women were licensed by the Bishop of Winchester, whose Palace was nearby, and plied their trade in the Southwark streets across the River Thames from the respectable City of London. In 1997, the writer John Constable had what he calls a 'visitation' which showed him the location of the graveyard and, following excavations, it was confirmed as the site of Crossbones. Grace Reeve's Gold Charles Parker Prize-winning feature uses extracts from Constable's Southwark Mysteries and Spark in the Dark to explore the history of the burial site, the battle for its survival and the unique rites and rituals that keep memories alive and create new traditions. Grace is studying an MA in Audio, Radio and Podcasting at Goldsmiths, University of London. The judges said her Gold Prize winning feature, The Outcast Dead and Alive, was “fantastical, bonkers and rather wonderful. Unusual, profound and embedded deep in the social history of ordinary people: it's made me want to go visit the graveyard! With special thanks to the Bankside Open Spaces Trust and the Friends of Crossbones. The songs, incantations and poetry are by John Constable and performed at the Ribbon Gates by the Heathen Harlots. Producer: Grace Reeve A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 An ode to Crossbones, a hidden medieval sex-workers' graveyard, in Southwark, London. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. An evocative ode to Crossbones, the medieval sex-workers' graveyard, now a fiercely protected memorial garden nestled in the heart of Southwark on London's Bankside. | ||
| The Sound Collector | 20220809 | 20230102 (R4) 20240329 (R4) 20240330 (R4) | Sara Parker introduces the Gold Winner of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Audio Feature 2023. Rummaging around in a lifetime's possessions, two sisters discover an exercise book. As they open it up and sift through the pages, a poem unearths buried memories. Producer Talia Augustidis, a recent graduate of University College London, discovers the moving writings of her older sister Thea, along with a poem, The Sound Collector. It brings them back to a moment in their childhood, when familiar sounds and voices suddenly disappeared overnight. ~New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and Talia's feature won the top Gold Award of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature in 2022. The award is presented every year in memory of the pioneering radio producer Charles Parker who produced the ground-breaking Radio Ballads featuring voices of communities unheard at the time, with musical narratives by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. The judges of the prize, made up of producers, critics and commissioners, praised Talia's Gold Prize winning work as 'such a layered piece; intelligent, probing, sensitive. A piece to make us think and feel. Poet: Roger McGough Producer: Talia Augustidis A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. | |
| The T-shirt | 20250820 |  The T-shirt has been kept at the bottom of a drawer for 15 years. Jenny's bedroom is a mess. To make space for her partner, a clear out is definitely needed. The history and dark significance of the T-shirt is shared... and this time, the feelings it holds are handled with care. New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features the winners of the Charles Parker Prize 2025 for the Best Student Radio Feature. Jenny Davies made her prize-winning feature ‘The T-Shirt' as part of an ‘In the Dark' summer course and the judges called it “an incredibly powerful, poignant listen - a small masterpiece - beautifully written, delivered and constructed with an inevitable climax that's a remarkable section of scripted audio.” This feature contains references to sexual assault. If you have been affected by the issues raised in this programme contact the BBC Action Line - www.BBC.co.uk/actionline Producer: Jenny Davies A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 Kept at the bottom of a drawer for years, a T-shirt sparks the sharing of a painful memory New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. Jenny's bedroom is a mess. To make space for her partner, a clear-out is needed. The history and dark significance of the T-shirt is shared - and this time, it's held with care. | ||
| This Ain't My Life | 20200814 | Homeless man Kane Walker died on the streets of Birmingham in a freezing city underpass. Having met him just weeks before his death, Alex Morgan tells Kane's story and how homelessness has affected Britain's second city. Alex takes a closer look at the streets she walks through every day, to learn more about the man who called them his home. Hearing from charity outreach workers and other homeless people, and even listening to heart-breaking footage of Kane shortly before he died, Alex learns how Kane's death could have been prevented, and how to help others in his situation. This Ain't My Life is not the story of Birmingham's homeless issue'. It is the story of one man whose death has affected so many. New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features the five winners of the 2020 Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. The award is presented every year in memory of pioneering radio producer Charles Parker who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. This Ain't My Life, the work of producer Alex Morgan, won this year's Gold Charles Parker Prize. Alex has just graduated from Birmingham City University and the judges commented that it was `well-researched, cleverly edited; urgent and importan | ||
| Ukraine To Scotland: A Musical Journey | 20250821 |  A creatively moving musical feature which tells the story of Sofiia, a 16 year old refugee from Ukraine, and her escape from her war-torn homeland to a music technology course in a Scottish university. A personal perspective of a teenager caught up in war. This series of New Storytellers is presenting the winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature 2025. This award-winning feature was created by Sofiia Fylypiv who is studying for a Higher National Certificate at the University of the Highlands and Islands in Perth. According to the judges her feature was “thought-provoking, emotionally engaging, with highly skilled radio production values for one so young and totally original use of music - this feature showed expressiveness, storytelling skill, combined with subtle mix of music and effects - Moving, memorable and quite dazzling.” Producer: Sofiia Fylypiv A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 The story of Sofiia, a 16-year-old refugee, and her escape from war-torn Ukraine. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. A moving and musical feature which tells the story of Sofiia, a 16-year-old refugee from Ukraine, and her escape from her war-torn homeland. | ||
| 01 | The Flapper | 20190729 | 20200310 (R4) | The story of one family told through one object - a memorial to a much-missed matriarch as her family celebrate the life and cookery of Audrie Guthrie, an idiosyncratic and creative mother. Malcolm Guthrie was 94 when his youngest son Bruce returned to live with him in their family home after 31 years away. This is the story of one of the untold heroes of domestic life - the daily use of something seemingly inconsequential but full of memory, meaning and symbolism to their family. Documenting the ways in which the spirits of people can so often be captured within domestic objects. New Storytellers presents the work of radio and audio producers new to BBC Radio 4 and this first series features the five winners of this year's Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. The award is presented every year in memory of pioneering radio producer Charles Parker who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. The Flapper was produced by Bruce Guthrie, an MA student in Radio Documentary Production at the University of the West of England, who recorded his father and older siblings, Fiona and Tim, during the second Christmas after the death of their mother. It's a celebration of what the Charles Parker Award judges called her `idiosyncratic, matriarchal ways - a radio feature which acts as a way of dealing with loss as well as containing quiet joy.` Producer: Bruce Guthrie A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 The story of one family told through one object - a memorial to a much-missed matriarch. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. |
| 02 | Kidnapped | 20190730 | 20200317 (R4) | This documentary-drama presents a binaural experience which follows two very different true stories of abduction - one without long-lasting consequences, the other, devastatingly fatal. The feature asks if we are we blind to the possible risks in our everyday lives as, through the power of binaural surround sound, Kidnapped places you in the victim's place giving the listener the experience of being abducted. For the best listening experience - put your headphones on, close your eyes, and allow the 3D binaural audio to immerse you in a kidnapping. New Storytellers presents the work of radio and audio producers new to BBC Radio 4 and this first series features the five winners of this year's Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. The award is presented every year in memory of pioneering radio producer Charles Parker who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. Kidnapped was produced by Harry Stokoe who has just graduated from the University of Salford. The Charles Parker Award judges were struck by the `great, direct interviews; it's a well-crafted feature with interesting stories and is technically mature.` Producer: Harry Stokoe A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 A binaural docu-drama which puts the listener at the centre of two kidnapping stories. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. |
| 03 | Beyond The Ballot | 20190731 | 20200324 (R4) | Fran De'ath is a retired UN Election Organiser who now lives on a houseboat in Bristol, but the voyage of her life is extraordinary - a true story of an ordinary person rising to meet extraordinary circumstances. She was a peacekeeper in 1990s South Africa and, in the 2000s, she de facto wrote the election law in Afghanistan, despite a suicide bomber in her office. But the work Fran is most proud of is what she did in East Timor's independence referendum. Along mountain passes and into a besieged UN-Compound, she tells the story of how she put herself in harm's way to help bring freedom to the region, the toll it took on her mental health and the road she walked back to wellness. New Storytellers presents the work of radio and audio producers new to BBC Radio 4 and this first series features the five winners of this year's Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. The award is presented every year in memory of pioneering radio producer Charles Parker who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. Beyond the Ballot was produced by Rosa Eaton who is studying for a Masters in Radio Documentary at the University of the West of England. This winning feature was praised by the Charles Parker Award judges as a `beautifully layered, well told and edited story, with a great talker at its heart - a worthy winner.` Producer: Rosa Eaton A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 Along mountain passes and into a besieged UN-Compound, Fran remembers East Timor in 1999. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. |
| 04 | My Life After Grenfell | 20190801 | 20200331 (R4) | Three survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire - Alison Moses, Emma O'Connor and Antonio Roncolato - recount the hardships they have endured since that fateful night in June 2017. Starting with memories of the disaster, the survivors then describe what has happened to them since - from being re-housed in temporary accommodation to their feelings about the immediate and long-term political responses to the fire. How do you cope with losing friends and family and still living in the charred shadow of Grenfell Tower itself? New Storytellers presents the work of radio and audio producers new to BBC Radio 4 and this first series features the five winners of this year's Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. The award is presented every year in memory of pioneering radio producer Charles Parker who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. My Life After Grenfell was produced by Rhys Gunter who has just graduated from the University of Westminster. The Charles Parker Award judges said, `although Grenfell is a well-known story, this chilling retelling of the fire and its aftermath brings a new authentic perspective - a very high-level achievement.` Producer: Rhys Gunter A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 Survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire recall what has happened since that fateful night. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. |
| 05 | A Young Sel In A Small Town | 20190802 | 20200407 (R4) | Selina Medford grew up in Port Talbot, South Wales, where people of West Indian heritage were in a minority. Now she takes her daughter back to relive her experiences. Touring around the town, they delve into the good, the bad and the ugly struggles that Selina and her family faced growing up during the 1960s. On the way, her daughter Sian, who was born and raised in Birmingham, begins to understand her mother's experience and how the multi-cultural world she grew up in, and often took for granted, was denied to her mother. A Young Sel in a Small Town paints a retrospective picture that highlights the musical and cultural life of the time, navigating through Selina's early years of growing up in a harsh household with her Jamaican father, step mother and four other siblings - yet trying to fit in with the everyday European white world around her. A trip down memory lane, meeting old friends and faces in a collage of sounds and music, bringing back hard memories and hope for the future. New Storytellers presents the work of radio and audio producers new to BBC Radio 4 and this first series features the five winners of this year's Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. A Young Sel in a Small Town won the top award, the Gold Charles Parker Prize, for its producer Sian Medford in Parker's centenary year. Sian has just graduated from the University of West London and the Judges thought her colourfully creative feature was `such a lovely simple idea. An important piece of social history mixed with modern reaction as the family reunites - a rich, dynamic production, with its rich sense of hard lives lived to the full - a really worthy Gold Charles Parker winner.` Producer: Sian Medford A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 Selina revisits her early years as part of a Jamaican family growing up in South Wales. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. |
| 40 | Years On: Remembering The New Cross Fire | 20210730 | Commemorating the tragedy of a house fire in New Cross, South East London in 1981, where 13 young black teenagers died at the joint birthday party of Yvonne Ruddock ,16, who was one of those who lost their life, and Angela Jackson,18, who survived after leaving the party early. To this day, no-one has been found responsible for the fire which is believed by some to have been a racist arson attack. At the time, the families and community criticised the police investigation. The government's lack of action and press disinterest led to a Black People's Day of Action, which has continued every year, campaigning for racial justice. The historic first protest saw 20,000 march from the Moonshot Youth Club in New Cross into Central London. Forty years on, Remembering the New Cross Fire weaves together protest and memories including that of Lewisham community leader Sybil Phoenix OBE who ran the Moonshot, the first black youth club in the area, with music created in response to the fire and a poem by Linton Kwesi Johnson. Magdalena Moursy (2021 Gold winner of the Charles Parker Prize) also recorded at this year's Black People's Day of Action in March where many gathered, despite pandemic restrictions, to continue to remember and demand justice for those who died and their families. ~New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features all five winners of this year's prize for Best Student Radio Feature. The judges praised Magdalena Moursy, an MA student at Goldsmiths, University of London, for 'an extremely moving and well-crafted feature that is true to the spirit of Charles Parker while doing something fresh and entirely its own'. Producer: Magdalena Moursy A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 Commemorating the 1981 New Cross fire that killed 13 black teenagers at a birthday party. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. |