At a time when authentic youth perspectives are more essential than ever, a groundbreaking new podcast series titled “My Podium” is making waves. Curated and created by creatives under 25, this audio experience blends raw emotion, social insight, and artistic storytelling — all shaped by the lived experiences and vivid imaginations of young people across the UK and Ireland.
Backed by the award-winning platform Podium.me, which has long empowered budding journalists and storytellers globally, My Podium is not just a podcast — it’s a movement. And it’s launching today, April 15, 2025, marking five years since the world first came to a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
🎧 Podcast with a Pulse: Why My Podium Is Different
The podcast taps into real emotions, real voices, and real stories — but it’s not your usual conversation-based show. This series innovatively blends:
- 🎭 Fictional dramas
- 🎙️ Interviews
- 🎧 Documentaries
- 🎬 Audio storytelling with a cinematic edge
Each episode offers a unique, youth-centered lens on topics like careers, education, politics, mental health, digital trends, and post-pandemic realities.
🦠 Five Years Later: Reflecting on the Pandemic Through Fiction
As a symbolic launch, My Podium features five original audio dramas that take listeners on an emotional rollercoaster through pandemic-era Britain and Ireland. With settings in Dublin, Derbyshire, Oxford, Folkestone, and Glasgow, these stories are full of tension, humour, unexpected warmth — and more than a few surprises.
The writing and performances are 100% driven by emerging talent, offering a gripping and human take on the shared trauma and absurdity of lockdown life.
🎭 Featured Dramas: Unique Stories of Isolation, Connection, and Resilience
1. The Biscuit Tin
📍 Written by Ciara Jayne Stagg | Dublin, Ireland
In this sharp, touching story, a mother and daughter wait by a coffin during lockdown, wondering whether mourners will attend — or if football and pints will take priority. Balancing dark humour with emotional depth, this piece explores grief, social rituals, and the quirks of Irish hospitality.
2. Open
📍 By Emily Reader | Folkestone, Kent
A chance meeting between an elderly woman and a young stranger on her birthday evolves into a tender tale of intergenerational connection. With stunning location-based audio and subtle dialogue, this story lingers long after the final line.
3. Saving Mel Spencer
📍 By Simon Marshall | Derbyshire, England
Set on a dairy farm, this comedic yet poignant piece explores a couple’s whimsical imaginations running wild during lockdown — featuring everything from dramatic cow conversations to imagined reunions with long-lost friends.
4. Home Brew
📍 By Katie Sayer | Oxford, England
Lockdown walks near a sewage plant aren’t exactly the stuff of fairy tales, but when romance and routine collide, what’s left to talk about? This BAFTA-nominated writer delivers a comedy-drama laced with awkward love and earthy wit.
5. Doug the Dog
📍 By Susan Aitken | Glasgow, Scotland
This high-energy Scottish drama blends family chaos, hospital drama, and the unifying charm of a dog named Doug. With rich accents and riotous pacing, this piece captures the soul of Glasgow during a crisis — with humour and heart.
🛠️ Behind the Scenes: Workshops, Mentorship & Real Opportunities
The production of these dramas was made possible through creative workshops funded by 21st Century Fox, curated by industry mentor Cordelia Galloway. These labs gave young people a chance to:
- Learn scriptwriting fundamentals
- Collaborate with professional sound engineers
- Work on real-world podcast production
- Develop stories from pitch to post-production
🚀 Want to Join the Movement?
Aspiring podcasters, writers, and audio producers under 25 can submit pitches directly to Podium via Instagram (@podiumdotme). Whether it’s a quirky drama, an investigative piece, or a personal story that deserves to be heard — My Podium offers the platform, tools, and training to help it shine.
🌍 The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters Now
🎤 Giving a Mic to the Future
In an era of saturated digital media, few platforms truly center youth voices — especially ones that go beyond surface-level opinions. My Podium changes the game by:
- Empowering young creators to lead editorial decisions
- Providing technical and storytelling mentorship
- Offering a platform where global youth issues are explored, not glossed over
🎯 What Topics Can Listeners Expect?
Beyond the launch dramas, upcoming episodes will include:
- Gen Z’s take on politics and activism
- Career anxiety and the job market
- University life post-pandemic
- Mental health and social media
- Climate change through youth narratives
- Audio explorations of identity, culture, and community
📱 Where to Listen & How to Get Involved
My Podium is available on all major streaming platforms including:
- Spotify
- Apple Podcasts
- Amazon Music
- And wherever else you get your podcasts
🎧 Follow @podiumdotme on Instagram for exclusive content, creator interviews, behind-the-scenes clips, and calls for submissions.
📊 Youth Media Trends: Why Podcasts Are Dominating in 2025
According to the latest report by Ofcom:
- Over 78% of listeners aged 16–25 now consume podcasts weekly
- Authenticity and relatability are the top drivers of youth engagement
- Fiction podcasts saw a 47% increase in downloads in the last 12 months
What does this mean?
Platforms like My Podium, which are youth-driven, story-first, and community-oriented, are not just timely — they’re the future of audio journalism and entertainment.
✅ Summary: Why My Podium Deserves Your Ear
- 🎤 Created entirely by under-25s
- 📚 Blends education, creativity, and real-world training
- 🎧 Launches with 5 fiction dramas set in pandemic-era UK/Ireland
- 🌍 Focuses on Gen Z perspectives on politics, identity, and society
- 🎓 Offers mentorship and media skills to young people globally
- 📲 Actively seeking pitches from aspiring youth storytellers
