Audio Always is providing free podcast production and mentoring support to amplify the talent and creativity of arts and culture in Greater Manchester.

The ‘Manchester Amplified’ scheme launched in May to celebrate our 10th anniversary, with the winners selected by a panel of experts from across arts and media, including Keisha Thompson (poet, performer and Artistic Director of Contact Theatre), Linton Stephens (BBC Radio 3 presenter and Chineke! Orchestra bassoonist), Nathaniel J Hall (actor, performer and Co-Artistic Director of Dibby Theatre) and Jane Beese (Director of Music at MIF).

We are very excited to announce that the winning podcasters are:

Touchstones // As Rochdale’s art and heritage centre embarks on a capital redevelopment project next year, it will close their doors in the real world and open them in the audio world, enabling the local community and the wider public to discover, engage and keep up to date.

“This project will enable us to continue connecting local communities with our collections whilst our building is closed for renovation, and provide an insight into what goes on behind the scenes of a Cultural Development Fund project. We’re excited to see what develops and the support offered will be invaluable.” 

– Bryan Beresford, Curatorial & Community Engagement Coordinator, Touchstones

Short Supply // After travelling around the North West this year with their ‘Goin Places Doin Bits’ programme, artist-led organisation Short Supply will be talking to people they met on the way, for challenging conversations and insider knowledge for emerging artists. 

“We’re made up to have been selected for Manchester Amplified – we’ve always wanted to make a podcast series and to receive this kind of tailored support to do it really well is dreamy! We hope our series will bring more transparency to the work we do around the region, and provide an intergenerational perspective that everybody can get a little something from.” 

– Mollie Balshaw, Director, Short Supply

Susanna Amato // A global majority theatre-maker, actress, writer and clown based in Manchester, Susanna recently performed her debut show ‘Landfill of Memories’ at HOME and will be continuing her humorous and personal exploration of grief in her podcast. 

“It’s a privilege to be able to share stories about our favourite people who have passed on through the medium of a podcast. When the space around us feels empty you can always fill it with a hilarious anecdote, a reminiscent tale, or a lovely memory temporarily forgotten” 

– Susanna Amato

Miche Robinson // Choral conductor, singer and soon-to-be psychology student, Miche, will be talking to classical musicians about their personal experiences of the good, the bad and the ugly sides of the industry, and looking at how things might be changing.

“Audio Always plays such an important role in getting voices heard, particularly in the North West. I am properly made up that through Manchester Amplified I will be given a platform for important conversations about the arts to take place.” 

– Miche Robinson

Audio Always Managing Director Stuart Morgan says: “We were thrilled to receive so many applications from across Greater Manchester and the standard of ideas and talent was incredibly high. There’s clearly a big appetite for podcast storytelling out there and we hope that by supporting just a small number of those we can inspire and encourage even more creative ideas from the region’s artistic community.”

Audio Always was founded at MediaCityUK in 2012, when the BBC moved a number of their programmes and departments to Salford. Over the past decade we have grown to be the biggest independent audio production company outside-of-London, delivering more than 400 hours of content each month.