All sorts of things!
Some people book me simply to record and/or edit their podcast, but I can offer a lot more:
An initial call with me about what a podcast could offer your organisation or business.
In-depth consultancy and research into how your audio offering could better complement the other work you publish.
Story development and feedback on the arc of a multi-part narrative series.
You can read a bit more about the types of work I like to do below – please get in touch if any of this sounds interesting to you or your organisation.
Finding and shaping stories
This is the part I like most. Someone has an idea, or half an idea, or a feeling that there’s an idea somewhere nearby and we work together to find out what it actually is, why it matters, and how it wants to be told.
I do this for brands, organisations, creators, and the occasional person who’s been sitting on something for years and just needs someone to help them think it through. I’ve done it for food companies, independent publishers, cultural organisations, and the BBC.
Podcasts: making them, developing them, thinking about them
I’ve been working in audio since 2011. Live music radio, documentary, interview, experimental, narrative, branded…you name it, I’ve given it a go. I’ve also spent two years on the other side of the commissioning desk at BBC Sounds, which means I understand not just how to make a podcast but also the many factors to consider when we think about what success looks like for producers, presenters and their listeners.
I can come in at any point. Very early (“we want to do something audio related, no idea what”) through to very late (“we’ve made six episodes and something isn’t working”). Somewhere in the middle is fine too. It’s always nice to be in from the ground up as I can help you to learn from the mistakes I’ve previously made!
Food
I first started writing about food and interviewing cooks for Lecker ten years ago; a little podcast I started in my spare room which has since won two Fortnum & Mason awards and been featured in the New York Times. I’ve interviewed hundreds of people: chefs, cooks, farmers, producers, historians and disability campaigners about their eating, cooking and kitchens. I now regularly produce and consult for brands, organisations and publications in the food world and I love to help people understand how audio specifically – and storytelling more broadly – fits in with their goals and values.
Writing and speaking
I’ve always considered myself a writer, even when I was solely publishing work in audio form. Now I regularly write for my newsletter subscribers, and also write occasional commissioned pieces; I’ve previously had work published in The Guardian and delicious magazine. I’m also working on my first book, represented by Kay Peddle at Colwill & Peddle.
My younger self would be astonished to hear this, but I absolutely love public speaking. I’ve given talks and participated in panels for the British Library Food Season, Open City, the conference Interesting, the Festival of Encounters at Van Gogh House, and at the open mic at my choir retreat after 3 wines. I’d love to speak at your event!
Other: education and installations
I’m a co-founder of SOUNDCRAFT: Sound for Stories, a collective of audio makers based in St Leonards-on-Sea. We organise and facilitate playful and inspiring workshops and masterclasses to help audio makers get the most out of their craft.
As part of my creative practice I work with sound and textiles to produce work for galleries and festivals. I’ve produced work about architecture, eating alone and reintegrating textiles to the domestic kitchen.
Lucy Dearlove 