We Are Survivors is a survivor focused organisation that provides safe spaces for male (including trans and non-binary individuals) survivors of sexual abuse, rape and sexual exploitation across Greater Manchester.
They teamed up with Rope Ladder Fiction, a Manchester-based drama production company. Together they created a series of powerful written pieces, using the survivors’ personal experiences to create four moving stories of hope and resilience.
Rope Ladder approached Reform Radio to produce the recording of the stories. Read and performed by Neil Bell, our team directed the performance. We encouraged the writers to be in the room during the recording of their pieces, ensuring they felt a part of the process and experienced how it all worked.
Our team then edited each piece, adding in detailed sound design to bring the stories to life. We received amazing feedback from both the Rope Ladder Fiction team, and the writers.
Joseph from Rope Ladder Fiction said: “Working on these audio dramas with We Are Survivors has been a privilege that has led to four emotive and well-written pieces of storytelling being created. We can’t thank Reform Radio enough for their professional and comforting approach to producing these audio dramas and inviting us into their space. From February to July, this creative process is one that has been allowed time and care. Olivia and the rest of the team respected this from the get-go and matched this ethos during the two recording days.”
Tonies is a children’s toy maker, bringing listening and playing together. The Toniebox uses audio storytelling to introduce pre-readers and developing readers to the wonders of narrative long before children can read the words in a book.
Children and parents can listen to narrators like Rupert Grint, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Whoopi Goldberg, David Walliams, and Jodie Whitaker reading stories like The Emperor’s New Clothes, Peter and the Wolf, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
We worked with Tonies on their series of short children’s stories, written by the author Rachel Bright and narrated by actor Bill Nighy. The stories followed the adventures of a curious Koala, a lonely Gecko, and a nervous Lion. Our team wrote, recorded, and edited the introductions to each story as well as the quiz and outro that followed each tale. Our brilliant in-house team worked hard to ensure the audio was engaging, exciting, and was appropriate for the target audience of 3-8 year olds.
Hosted by creative force Mia Thornton, Instrumental is a 5 episode music podcast celebrating the powerful yet often overlooked contributions of Black British artists in shaping Britain’s most cherished musical genres – those not as typically associated with Black culture, such as classical, punk, folk, dance and pop.
Through captivating storytelling, expert interviews with high profile contributors such as Craig David and Clara Amfo, and rich archival content, each episode focuses on one of these genres, touching themes of erasure and re-telling, breaking stereotypes, legal and economic challenges and safe spaces and community to name a few.
This is a BBC Sounds podcast produced under the Audio Lab 2024 scheme, a training and development programme helping to amplify the next-generation of podcast producers and audio creatives, set for release in early 2025.
It is the first podcast for the BBC that makes use of a new music rights agreement called SORP, meaning we’re able to feature longer music extracts than the usual BBC documentaries you hear!
Find more information on the BBC Sounds Audio Lab Scheme here.
The BBC Indie Development Fund is awarded to six independent production companies and gives them a financial grant plus mentoring support. The aim is to help small production companies develop their work which in turn allows the BBC to better represent, serve and reflect all audiences.
Reform has been partnered with and is being mentored by Radio 3, the home of classical music on the BBC and we have worked across three areas with the fund.
1. Classical Connections Open Forum
We wanted to explore the barriers people face when connecting with classical music in an Open Forum discussion. Classical composer Afrodeutsche hosted a discussion to understand why people struggle to connect with classical music, and how that might affect who works in classical music radio.
2. A two-day workshop: How to be a classical music radio producer
We provided training in the skills required for music radio production skills and an understanding of the current landscape of classical music radio. Participants developed ideas for a new radio/podcast series and recorded a short trailer for their ideas.
3. Hiring a junior producer
Welcome to Tylah Pierce who took part in both the Open Forum and the two day workshop! Tylah joins us on a 6-month contract in our podcasting team and is eagerly helping out across our projects, gaining hands-on industry experience in radio and podcasting production.
Manchester International Festival has invited some of the greatest artists on the planet to delight and often challenge crowds in spaces of all shapes and sizes – from car parks to concert halls. They have crossed boundaries, leapt over them, broken through them.
Ahead of 2024’s festival events, we created two in depth programmes looking at two of their projects; Balmy Army and Factory Sounds.
It’s Mental Health Awareness Week 2024 – a 7-day initiative to help prevent mental health problems in the UK. In alignment with this, we thought it would be a good time to share with you our new audio-video project, ‘Am I Living Right?’.
Brought to fruition by our own Aisha Williams, ‘Am I Living Right?’ is a self-presented audio-video series. It records Aisha’s freeing journey informed by an overwhelming influence of social media. Our host takes the audience along with her through experiences of dating, ice baths, and more, to seek out the answer to her question.
‘Nowadays, those of us in our twenties are bombarded on social media with content which tells us how to live our best lives, how to to make the most of our twenties, and how to become the best version of ourselves… The information overload leaves you asking ‘am I living right?’.‘
Aisha Williams, ‘Am I Living Right?’ Presenter
We are proud to kickstart the series with our pilot episode out today. Join Aisha to look into cold water therapy and how the internet boasts it can change people’s lives. In the episode, Aisha is joined by her friend come TikTok content creator, HUMZ. The duo took to the banks of Chorlton Water Park for an ice bath. Meanwhile, they discussed how daily baths have positively impacted HUMZ’s mental health, alongside building an online cold water therapy community. Following this, more guests join Aisha for a fresh cold water dip, alongside chatting about modern-day self-care practices such as yoga, and meditation.
‘I would definitely do something like [a cold water dip] again. It felt like I was having an out of body experience and all I could think about was focusing on what I was doing. I needed to ground myself and be present in that moment to get through it.’
Ebony, guest on the ‘Am I Living Right?’ pilot episode
Intertwining our values of youth culture and well-being, this episode delves straight into the pressures of how young people are told to live their lives. However, Aisha brings a realistic approach to such conversations, welcoming audience to turn inwards and explore their own well-being practices. On Mental Health Awareness Week, we invite you to do the same. Now is the perfect time to think about what makes you feel good. If you don’t know where to start, maybe Aisha will inspire you with some of her discussions in this episode.
Check out the full pilot episode of ‘Am I Living Right?’ above.
Although we didn’t have the funds to complete the full series, we have hopes of doing so one day. If you think you can help make this happen, please get in touch with us on our social media or join us as a paying member of Reform Radio to support our work here.
Last night, we attended The Radio Academy ARIAS 2024. This year, we were lucky enough to be nominated for The John Myers Station of the Year Award alongside an incredible array of nominees. We are delighted to share we won silver in the category, with BBC Radio Manchester winning gold and Clyde 1 bronze. It was amazing to have some strong Northern representation for such an acclaimed award.
We’d like to take this moment to congratulate our unmatched team, and our community of DJs, creatives and young people. It is all of you that make Reform Radio one of the UK’s finest – it’s a true team effort. Huge congratulations to our fellow Mancunian station, ALL FM, for bagging Community Station of the Year too.
What an evening it was. Now, it’s time for some celebrations.
When the Co-Op Foundation came to us looking to make a short series podcast to promote their new cooperative strategy. Working closely with a group of young people, they developed a vision for how organisations can run in the future.
We helped them to bring together a range of experts and young people to discuss their process, outcomes, and obstacles. The result was a three part series showcasing the achievements of the strategy.
We have been producing the award-winning Kaplan’s Learn Better Podcast since the start of 2021. The podcast is made for those currently studying or about to study professional accountancy qualifications.
From wellbeing to industry related topics, host Stuart Pedley Smith interviews key industry players and current students to discover more about the current work/training landscape.
Previous guests have discussed the importance of diversity in finance, the global opportunities accountancy can bring, and how Artificial Intelligence will transform the industry.
Kaplan’s Learn Better Podcast won Podcast of the Year at the PQ Magazine Awards in 2022 and 2024.
If you head to the reopened Manchester Museum and find the South Asian Gallery, you will hear an aural exhibit produced by Reform Radio. The first gallery in the UK dedicated to the stories of the South Asian diaspora, the exhibit features stories from the South Asian LGBTQ+ community, which were recorded and put together by Reform.
Reform Radio produced BBC Sounds weekly mix series Focus Beats from October 2022 until the brand was rested in April 2024. Doing exactly what it says on the tin, Focus Beats is a curated mix of beats and instrumental tracks designed to help you concentrate. Whether you’re working, studying, or focusing on a hobby, this is your soundtrack.
Every few weeks the mix was curated by a very special guest, organised and produced by our team. These guest curators included musicians, producers, and productivity influencers, all with the aim of bringing the brand to a wider audience.
You can hear mixes from the likes of influencers Grace Beverley and Ali Abdaal, and musicians Moonchild, ELIZA, Surprise Chef, and Sampa the Great.
The BBC Sounds team also commissioned us to make bespoke video content for the Focus Beats series, created by our in-house content team. This included a video tied into the BBC’s 50 years of Hip-Hop celebrations, in which our team took to the streets of Manchester. They challenged local passers by to listen to iconic hip-hop instrumentals and guess the artist. This was a perfect example of how we are always injecting fun and creativity into our productions.
How many of these hip hop instrumentals do you know? 🎧 We put the people of Manchester to the test! As part of our celebration of 50 years since the birth of hip hop, you can listen to special episodes of Focus Beats with instrumentals to help you stay in the zone 🙇 #hiphopbeats#hiphopinstrumental#guessthesong#manchester
When Manchester’s first city centre park in over a century opened its gates, we teamed up with the National Lottery Heritage Fund to explore the past, present and future of the site.
In this three part series we delved into the rich history of Mayfield Park, looking at The River, The Green Space, and The Culture of this area. Featuring archival audio from Manchester’s Central Library archive, this series features guests like author Robert Graham and Hacienda legend DJ Paulette.
The whole series was produced by young producer Jamie Green, who joined Reform on a Kickstart placement, with on site audio recordings, vox pops and interviews conducted by a group of Manchester Adult Education Service participants.
Read more about Jamie’s journey here. The podcast itself hopes to have its own legacy within the site, with QR codes to be placed on windows, allowing visitors to listen to episodes whilst immersing themselves in the park. Listen now.
What happens when you mix a biologist and a badass female MC? The result is a unique and captivating blend of raw talent, honest insights, and rhymes about the fascinating process of fertilisation. Get ready to have your mind blown and your senses awakened as “Made The Same Way” takes you on a journey through the wonders of human development.
“Made The Same Way”, a revolutionary new podcast hosted by Manchester’s very own OneDa. Bringing together scientists and emerging female rappers, this experimental podcast dives headfirst into the fascinating world of human development – from the moment sperm meets egg, all the way up until the day we are born.
No question is off-limits as these dynamic pairs discuss what makes us human and explore the intricacies of where we come from. With each of the eight episodes, listeners will be privy to the creative process, as the pairs collaborate on an original piece inspired by their conversations.
“Made The Same Way” is a collaborative project between Manchester production company Reform Radio and the Wellcome-funded Human Developmental Biology Initiative (HDBI). This groundbreaking podcast challenges traditional views on science, life, and music, and is sure to captivate and enlighten audiences around the world.
Get ready to be inspired, entertained, and educated like never before with “Made The Same Way” – the podcast that’s changing the game for science and music lovers everywhere.
New for 2022, we are delighted that our work on environmental sustainability has copped us a nomination for The Sustainability Award. This has been several years work, namely from Lewys Stocks and our advisory board member Dan Jackson, but importantly engaging everyone across the organisation.
Congratulations to everyone and massive thanks to all our staff and community for engaging so positively in this work. Last week we had the pleasure of hosting a panel discussion focusing on creative sustainability, hosted by Dan. You can watch it back below.
To follow on from this success and to continue our work in this area, we’ll soon be launching free Carbon Literacy training, delivered by Dan, designed specifically for content makers and creatives. To sign up or find out more information email projects@reformradio.co.uk.
With The People’s Party being the first across the UK commission for BBC Radio 6 Music, we’re delighted that show’s host Afrodeutsche has been nominated for the Best New Voice award at this year’s APAs. Basically the Oscars for the production side of our industry, it’s great to see a concept that we’ve developed and produced has been recognised in this way. Massive congrats to the team and especially Henrietta, a born broadcaster who has brought her wealth of knowledge and passion to Friday nights on 6 Music.
We’re thrilled to announce that Reform Radio have been commissioned to produce BBC Sounds, curated music mix, Focus Beats.
For the next year we’ll be releasing a new mix every week via BBC Sounds. Focus Beats does exactly what it says on the tin, a curated mix of beat tapes and instrumental tracks designed to help you focus on work, study, do domestic chores or more importantly, chilling out.
Over the course of the year, we’ll be working with some key talent to join us as guest curators on the series; news on those names to follow. The other episodes will be curated by us and what is exciting about this commission is it’s big on supporting new music, especially from new producers.
If you’ve got any beats or instrumental hip hop tracks you want to submit for potential inclusion then please email focusbeats@reformradio.co.uk.
What excites both us and the BBC Sounds team about this series is the opportunity it gives us to bring new talentinto the BBC and showcase some of the people we’ve been working with and have access too. This philosophy also applies to our production team, with producer Olivia and assistant producers Aisha, Jamie and Mike having all come through our outreach projects. For Jamie and Mike this will be their first BBC credit.
In other news, we’ve been commissioned to produce another year of The People’s Party with Afrodeutsche, which goes out live every Friday night, 7pm on BBC Radio 6 Music. Focus Beats will also get a live transmission on 6 Music as part of their overnight schedule.
A few of the team have been working with our sister station Sonder to produce new audio series Like A Fine Wine.
Funded by the Audio Content Fund, this five part series was broadcast across 21 community radio stations during October and is available to listen on demand via all podcast streaming platforms.
With UK wine now regularly winning awards across the globe, Oz Clarke has been on the road this summer exploring the vast variety our British shores have to offer. Joining him are his team of four tasters, largely novices, who learn increasingly more about wine and each other as the series progresses. Like A Fine Wine is not your average drink show, but a metaphysical journey into the human experience, with the symbolism of winemaking serving as the backbone.
Jamie, who is now a regular Reform freelancer following a Kickstart placement, was Sound Recordist and Sound Designer on this, doing a fantastic job editing together hours and hours of multi-microphone audio across each episode.
Our new Operations Coordinator Farwa, was Production ordinator, managing a multitude of complex logistics, with the UK wide, rural locations, multiple transport interchanges and a large number of crew and cast to keep her eye on. It is testament to her ability that everything ran smoothly, safely and to time.
The podcast reached as high as 6 in the Apple Podcast charts, with great reviews and feedback from audiences. There are now plans to develop multiple series, with Oz Clarke especially engaging with the concept and the team.
Manchester’s first city centre park in over a century opened its gates today. Described as an urban escape, the 6.5-acre park that lies along the banks of River Medlock is now open to the public.
In recognition of the ongoing launch of Mayfield, we teamed up with the National Lottery Heritage Fund to explore the past, present and future of the site.
Produced by one of our very own, Jamie Green, the three-part series is now available to listen to on all streaming platforms. Get listening now and if you love it as much as we do, you can even leave a review or rating on Apple.
We caught up with Jamie to find out more about the production process, the themes explored in each episode, as well as his journey with Reform and beyond.
Please could you introduce yourself and explain your current occupation.
Hey, my name is Jamie Green and I am a freelance Audio Producer for Reform Radio. I work within Reform’s Podcasting team and assist with recording, editing, and producing podcasts and audio content.
You joined Reform Radio in January 2022 as a Kickstart Studio & Podcasting Assistant. How did you hear about this opportunity and what made you decide to apply?
I first saw the opportunity as a Studio & Podcasting Assistant posted on Reform’s Instagram page. I had decided over the coronavirus lockdown that I really wanted to pursue a career working with audio and so this role just seemed like the perfect opportunity. Having previously participated in some of Reform’s audio-based courses, I also knew what an incredible company they were and was keen to work in such a creative, inclusive environment.
Please could you describe your responsibilities/projects that you worked on?
I have worked on a fantastic variety of projects, from editing interviews for BBC 6 Music’s The People’s Party with Afrodeutsche to travelling around the UK recording a road trip style podcast about British vineyards. I have also led the production of our ‘Park Life’ podcast which has involved interviewing photographers, archaeologists and event organisers. My day-to-day responsibilities have included anything from recording autobiographical audiobooks for clients such as Liz Taylor to editing podcast series for ‘The Life & Death Podcast’ for Ashgate Hospice.
After Kickstart, you continued working with Reform as a freelancer, how are you finding it now?
The transition to becoming a freelancer has been really exciting, I have loved working across numerous projects and utilising my audio skills in different ways to deliver exciting content such as the ‘Park Life’ podcast.
Have you had any opportunities arise as a direct result of Reform?
Definitely, I think one of the key opportunities that I have gained through my connections within Reform is being booked for regular DJ work which has really helped build my confidence as a DJ and also provided financial support.
You have been working on the Mayfield project for some time. Please could you briefly describe what this project is and what your involvement has been?
With Manchester building its first city centre park in over 100 years, we have produced a three-part podcast series that captures and explores the heritage of this area of Manchester known as Mayfield.
My role has been to lead the creation of this podcast, which has involved everything from interviewing archaeologists and photographers to sourcing archive recordings from the Manchester Central Library, designing soundscapes and capturing field recordings to accompany the podcast.
How has the experience been producing this podcast? Any highlights?
Producing the ‘Park Life’ podcast has been an incredible experience. I have loved discovering the forgotten stories of this unique area of Manchester through speaking with so many fascinating people. Their passion for the heritage of Mayfield has really rubbed off on me, and so I feel really fortunate to have been given the creative freedom to shape the format of this podcast and how we tell the story of this site.
During the project, you touch on themes including The River, The Park and Culture. Can you talk a little bit about the creative process here?
The River
The first episode of the podcast is themed around The River Medlock. The episode tells the story of how the Medlock was transformed from a beautiful meandering river into an industrial sewer later covered over with concrete to make way for expanding industries. After being hidden for over 50 years the river Medlock in Mayfield has now been uncovered, so we really wanted to focus on how the river has intrinsically shaped the history of this area and reflect on the importance of protecting and valuing our waterways.
The Park
The theme of the second episode was inspired by Manchester opening its first city centre park in over 100 years this month! We wanted to learn about the site’s transformation from a derelict wasteland into a lush haven in the city centre, and also explore the importance of green spaces on our mental health and well-being.
Culture
The Mayfield district in Manchester is becoming a cultural hub in the city, with it being home to The Warehouse Project, Escape To Freight Island, and hosting events such MIF, Pride and numerous art exhibitions. So it only seemed natural to theme an episode around the culture surrounding the park today. However, we also wanted to dig a bit deeper and explore the unique cultural heritage of the site and investigate how this has also developed over time.
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Take the plunge and move up to Manchester, it will be worth it!
What do you want for the future?
Working on the ‘Park Life’ podcast has really reinforced my desire to continue working with audio and sourcing work that integrates my passion for sound design, recording audio and producing music. In the future, I would love to continue producing audio content across different formats and using my creativity to shape the listening experience.
Do you have anything upcoming that you would like to shout about?
I’m super excited to have my first track released over the coming months as part of a compilation album on Martyn’s record label, 3024. Keep an eye out for that!
July was a busy month for us, producing The People’s Party with Afrodeutsche, and we hope you caught some of the show in the summer heat! Airing every Friday night 7-9PM.
Kicking off the month was Manchester based DJ and producer Mr Scruff, who brought us a Phones Down Finale mix dedicated to the music of his youth. This month we also heard mixes from Manchester Queer collective Kiss Me Again and Turkish DJ Nene H.
Rising East London artist Eliza Rose joined the party this month to take on the Unmixable challenge. She had to combine Blondie with Soul II Soul, and it was truly magical. LA based producer Obli, and Irish duo Le Boom, also took on the challenge this month and we were truly blown away by their creativity.
Last but not least, as part of our Fresh Magic feature, in which we bring you the freshest new artists, we had producer and DJ Junior Simba, DJ Ceri and Italian artist Stenny who chatted to us about their new music.
Tune into the show on BBC6 Music every Friday night!
Welcome back to our recap of The People’s Party with Afrodeutsche, where we look back at a month of guest mixes and features from musicians across the world.
This June, we celebrated both Pride month and our very own Afrodeutsche presenting live from Worthy Farm at Glastonbury with Tom Ravenscroft, taking listeners across the stages and acting as a live guide to the festival after dark.
American-Icelandic songwriter and singer John Grant, joined Afrodeutsche to chat about being personally selected for a performance at Grace Jones’ Meltdown Festival that ran between the 10 – 19th of June.
As the People’s Party Selector he offered two tracks to welcome in the show and kick things off, such as ‘Main Title’ from John Scott’s Inseminoid soundtrack album and ‘Freaks Come Out At Night’ by Brooklyn, New York-based Hip-Hop trio Whoodini.
The Huddersfield based DJ and Electronic music artist that is SDEM joined us this June for a floor-filling futuristic Phones Down Finale Mix. Playing a mix of Drum N’ Bass, featuring tracks from Manchester, Bradford, Wigan, London and Chicago that were put out between 1993 and 2022, he played the ultimate mix of classic 90s breakbeat hardcore and current dancefloor mutations.
As the first North West commissioned show by 6 Music, we love showcasing Northern talent. This month we were joined by Manchester based Matt Brewer, also known as Frameworks, a multi-instrumentalist and producer, who is known for his rich, warm compositions, pulsing bass, and haunting vocals. He played us his new track ‘NO SKIN’ in collaboration with Australian producer Mild Minds.
Keep up with our Instagram for the latest show updates or tune into the show every Friday night from 7PM – 9PM to hear the magic for yourselves. It’s a Friday night celebration you won’t regret.
Back in October 2021, we proudly joined the BBC 6 Music family and started producing ‘The People’s Party’, hosted by Afrodeutsche. Nine months down the line and we are still loving that we get to produce this incredible show every Friday. A big thank you to everyone listening, we couldn’t have done it without you!
This month, Locked Groove took on the ‘Unmixable Challenge’, where two tracks contrasting in musical style are selected and mixed together, resulting in a mindblowing blend of genres (or so they hope). The two tracks Locked Groove was challenged to mix this time running were Radiohead’s ‘Idioteque’ and ‘Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini’ by Bombalurina. Would you take on the challenge? Listen below to see how he did.
This May, 6 Music celebrated 25 years since the release of Radiohead’s iconic ‘OK Computer’ album. On the People’s Party, we delved into Radiohead’s electronic influence, playing the artists who have been inspired by their music.
Electronic artist and Radiohead remixer Nathan Fake played us out with a Radiohead-inspired Phones Down Finale guest mix.
Veronica Vasicka, musician, DJ, and founder of Minimal Wave record label brought us a Phones Down Finale mix as we celebrated Afrodeutsche’s All Points East festival (APE) curation.
Returning for the second year in a row, BBC Radio 6 will be making another appearance at Victoria Park’s well-loved APE. The line-up has been curated by Afrodeutsche, alongside Gilles Peterson, Mary Anne Hobbs, Tom Ravenscroft, Jamz Supernova and Don Letts – the other 6 Music station presenters. With a spectacular line up of artists such as DJ Storm, Sherelle and Nia Archives joining the 6 Music stage, it’s set to be cosmic.
In May we also welcomed duo Henry Counsell and Louis Curran, who together make Joy Anonymous. They chatted to us about their community-driven pop-up music events and took on the Unmixable Challenge.
‘The People’s Party’ is wholeheartedly, for the people. We created this show for listeners to feel connected, with each avid listener’s input adding to the inspiration of the shows to follow. So, if you’re not already tuning in every Friday, we urge you to whack on the volume – wherever you are – and tune in from 7PM – 9PM. It’s a Friday night celebration you simply won’t regret!
