Two local audio creatives selected as part of flagship professional acceleration programme: BBC Sounds Audio Lab

BBC Sounds’ unique programme helps amplify the next generation of audio creatives and champions the growing UK podcast sector

Launching in 2022, BBC Sounds’ Audio lab, returns for its third incarnation. The project has been specially designed to help support up-and-coming audio creatives, with the aim of advancing their creative development through building confidence and connection whilst enhancing their writing, recording, performance, and promotional skills.

Former alumni have seen great success, with an ARIA Gold award for Best New Podcast forged from the inaugural Audio Lab, and three nominations at this year’s British Podcast Awards. Black Gold is nominated for Best Climate podcast and there were two nominations for Sacred Money in the Business and Editor’s Choice ‘Specialist Award’ category.

Now four new creators from under-represented backgrounds have been chosen to turn their ideas into podcasts and BBC Audio Lab is delighted to announce that Hugh Sheehan, Mia Thornton, Jay Behrouzi-Sneade and Meg Elliot make up this year’s collective.

Mia Thornton is a creative producer currently based in Liverpool. Mia is driven by a passion for storytelling and a commitment to amplifying Black voices. She has worked on a wide range of creative projects for both global brands and community-based initiatives, showcasing her talent and versatility.

Jay Behrouzi-Sneade is a Filipino-Iranian journalist from Liverpool hailing from a long line of passionate cooks! Replicating global cuisine at home was a big part of her upbringing as a part of her a multi-heritage expat family in the United Arab Emirates.

Hugh Sheehan is an audio producer and musician/composer originally from Birmingham. Much of his work explores questions around gender and sexuality, desire and shame, assimilation, and radicalism. In 2020 he was commissioned as a New Creative by BBC Arts and Arts Council England to make Lost Time – an audio short contemplating LGBTQ+ people’s experiences in getting to live life on their own terms.

Meg Elliot is a writer, zine-maker, and mountain biker from Shropshire. She is fascinated by story, folklore, and the way memory lives in landscapes. Meg co-creates a zine exploring nature through art and writing and is one half of The InBetween Collective, an international creative group sharing stories of culture, resistance and celebration. She has also worked on heritage projects across the UK investigating the social impact of environmental projects.

Starting this month, the four successful applicants are taking the next steps in their creative journey, supported by professionals at BBC Sounds and from the wider podcast industry. As a collaborative, paid programme, the aim is that both the creators and BBC Sounds together foster and develop incredible talent. With advice and guidance from industry professionals, access to tailored resources, and tools and experiences to connect and collaborate, the BBC Sounds Audio Lab programme will help facilitate this cohort of emerging talent to take the next steps in their career. Chosen from hundreds of applicants, the quartet will be immersed in a unique accelerator programme backed by a comprehensive package of practical and professional training while embedded with one of Audio Lab’s production partners located across the UK.

Khaliq Meer, Audio Lab Commissioning Executive says:

“It’s thrilling be at the starting line again with a new cohort of fresh talent – poised for a development experience like no other. It’s been a joy getting to know Meg, Mia, Hugh and Jay. We’ve teamed them up with some of the UK’s very best audio producers so they can be led and supported to realise their creatively ambitious ideas whilst growing their skillsets on-the-job. I can’t wait to press play on what they dream up. Best of luck Audio Lab Class of 2024 – you’ve got this!”

Working with Audio Lab’s production partner, Manchester Reform Radio, Mia Thornton’s successful podcast pitch will delve into how black culture has helped shape different music genres. Featuring archival content, covering pivotal moments in history, the impact on the global music landscape, as well as interviews with industry experts, musicians and cultural commentators. The podcast will offer an immersive journey through music history, with black voices at its core. From the soulful melodies of jazz to the defiant spirit of punk, and the innovative beats of techno, the podcast will showcase the resilience, creativity and influence of black musicians across genres, celebrating the rich tapestry of black musical heritage, whilst challenging stereotypes and amplifying underrepresented voices in the music industry.

Working with production partner, BBC Audio North, Filipino-Iranian immigrant, Jay Behrouzi-Sneade, is hoping to reconnect with her heritage, by creating a positive, food-science documentary. Jay seeks to understand the chemistry of cooking. Each episode will explore a different chemical principle, experimenting with Filipino recipes, talking to guests, and discussing the British-Filipino experience. With the help of food-chemists, Jay hopes to understand the science behind a ‘dash of this and a sprinkle of that’ and how it works together to create the food she loves.

In addition to four multi-episode projects, Audio Lab is partnering with Multitrack, a charity working to raise awareness around diversity, equity and inclusion in the audio industry, by sponsoring its award winning 12-week Fellowship programme, supporting fourteen full-time paid placements, creating three additional part-time placements for producers outside of London, and helping fund two commissions for BBC Sounds.