Post by Vic Elizabeth Turnbull, MIC Founder
Recently I had the pleasure of heading over the Pennines to the University of Leeds to speak at the Education through Podcasting (EPOD) Conference.
I joined Dr Lauren Baker Mitchell from Northumbria University to share the work we’ve been doing together on the AHRC Creative Communities programme, where we’ve been using podcasting to help Community Innovation Practitioners tell the stories behind their place-based research.
At MIC media, we help universities, charities, councils, social enterprises and other purpose-led organisations use podcasting to share knowledge, amplify underheard voices and communicate ideas that make a difference.
I absolutely loved being back on a university campus for the day (Leeds Uni had a great array of wildlife, I saw a heron, ducks and a tiny bunny knocking about!).
But aside from nature, what really stuck with me were the conversations. There wasn’t much chat about downloads, monetisation or the latest podcast growth hack. Instead, people were asking a more interesting question.
How can podcasting help people learn?
That’s a very different conversation to “How do I get more downloads?”
Research Hits Different When You Hear It
One of the things we talked about during our session was how podcasting asks researchers to think differently. Research is often written with academic audiences in mind.
But what if research could sound like the people at the centre of it? Not just the researchers, but the communities, partners and practitioners involved too. Podcasting gives those voices a platform to be heard. It brings research to life in a way that’s accessible, relatable and rooted in lived experience.
It also encourages researchers to think beyond reports and papers. It asks:
Whose voices should be heard?
What does this place actually sound like?
How do we help someone connect with this story?
For the Community Innovation Practitioners, that meant creating podcast episodes alongside their policy papers and case studies, sharing the lived experiences of the people and places at the heart of their research for the AHRC Creative Communities programme.
Stories You Can Hear
One of my favourite things about the Creative Communities podcast is that it captures things you simply can’t squeeze into a written report.
You hear skateboarders in Portrush.
You hear refugees singing together in Liverpool.
You hear apprentices building walls in Port Talbot.
Those moments aren’t just nice bits of atmosphere.
They’re part of the research, they help you understand people, place and community in a way that’s difficult to achieve on the page.
That’s something podcasts do brilliantly.
More Than a Podcast
Working on the Creative Communities podcast reminded us of something we say a lot at MIC. Podcasting is much more than a podcast. Yes, you end up with a brilliant series that people can listen to.
But you also create opportunities for reflection, better conversations and sharing knowledge in a way that’s more human and engaging.
The podcast becomes one part of something much bigger.
What EPOD Reminded Me
Listening to speakers throughout the day, I realised there’s a whole community of educators and researchers using podcasting to make learning richer, research more open and communities more visible. They’re not chasing viral clips or worrying about chart positions.
They’re simply using podcasts to help people understand something a little better.
And if you’ve followed MIC for a while, you’ll know that’s very much our cup of tea.
Because whether we’re working with universities, research teams, charities, councils or social enterprises, the aim is often the same. To help important ideas reach the people who need them most through thoughtful podcasting and great storytelling.
That’s the kind of podcasting we’ll always get behind.
Listen to The Creative Communities Podcast
If you’d like to hear what place-based research sounds like, you can listen to the Creative Communities podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts.
For more information about the AHRC Creative Communities Programme and their latest cohort of Community Innovation Practitioners head to their website here.
And if you’re a university, research team or social impact organisation wondering whether podcasting could help share your work, we’d love to have a brew and a chat.
Thinking about starting a podcast?
That’s what we do. At MIC media, we help social-impact organisations and value-led good eggs make cracking, purposeful podcasts without the faff. Whether you need full production, training, or consultancy, we keep things simple, supportive and totally doable.
Fancy a chat about your idea?
