Episodes
| Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | ||
| 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
An insight into Leeds\u2019 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 | 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
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. | ||
| Breathing Lyrical | 20220712 | 20240325/26 (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) | 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
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.
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| Disappearing Birds | 20230803 | 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
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. | ||
| Disappearing Birds | 20230803 | 20231230 (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. | |
| Disappearing Birds | 20230803 | 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. | |
| Down on the Farm | 20220719 | 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
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. | ||
| Down On The Farm | 20220719 | 20240326/27 (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. | |
| Harassment Architecture | 20230801 | 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
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. | ||
| 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 | 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
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. | ||
| He Wears A Mask, And His Face Grows To Fit It | 20220726 | 20240327/28 (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. | |
| 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
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. | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 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. 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?
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| Our Dad | 20230804 | 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 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. | ||
| 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. | |
| 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. 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. 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. " 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. " | |
| 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
Poetry and stories exploring the Chough\u2019s 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
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 | 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
Born with a difference, Danielle\u2019s experience growing up in a world focused on appearance. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. | ||
| Sara's Spirit | 20220802 | 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
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. | ||
| Sara's Spirit | 20220802 | 20240328/29 (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. | |
| 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
Exploring Parson\u2019s 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. 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. 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. 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 Sound Collector | 20220809 | 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
The Gold Winner of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Audio Feature 2023. New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature. | ||
| The Sound Collector | 20220809 | 20230102 (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 Sound Collector | 20220809 | 20240329/30 (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. | |
| 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 | ||
| 01 | The Flapper | 20190729 | 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
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. | |
| 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
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 | 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 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. | |
| 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 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 | 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
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. | |
| 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
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 | 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
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. | |
| 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
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 | 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
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. | |
| 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
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. |