Hear from the first alumni of the Acast Amplifier podcast incubator
Hear from the first alumni of the Acast Amplifier podcast incubator
Written by Simon FranklinDigital Brand Marketing Manager2022.08.11
In January 2022, we launched Acast Amplifier — our first podcast incubator programme in the UK. Amplifier was created to seek out new audio talent that’s bubbling up across the region, actively supporting the next generation of podcasters in getting their ideas off the ground and sharing their stories with the world.
We’ve now revealed the three winning original podcast ideas that will be developed and launched with guidance and mentorship from Acast — and you can read all about Memories From The Dancefloor, Stacked, and Call Me Disabled below.
Better yet, why not hear from the creators themselves? Here are Damian, Amanda, Ziporah and Poppy explaining what listeners can expect from their shows, in their own words.
We were completely blown away by the response, with more than 600 creators sending in their applications and audio demos. Every single one was read, listened to, and considered — with help from our panel of podcast ambassadors including Adam Buxton, Chanté Joseph, Dane Baptiste, and many more.
The process proved without a doubt that there’s no shortage of flourishing creative audio storytellers out there, and the future for British podcasting looks bright.
You can expect to hear these podcasts in the wild later this year, and we’ll be following up with our alumni down the road — so watch this space.
More about our winners
Memories From The Dancefloor
Damian Kerlin is a writer and journalist hailing from Cardiff, and creator of the Memories of The Dancefloor podcast. The show takes listeners on a journey to unravel the forgotten history behind LGBTQ+ nightlife across the UK.
From London to Birmingham and beyond, Damian unpacks the renaissance of 20th Century queer culture with the opening of iconic superclubs. Through the podcast, Damian seeks to open dialogue about the coded expressions of queer identity and the real lives of the community behind those closed doors.
Memories from the Dancefloor will be produced by Hunter Charlton, who’s produced shows including, Shaun Keaveny’s Creative Cul-De-Sac and Working Hard, Hardly Working. Hunter also won Best New Producer at the AudioUK Production Awards, and was a Charles Parker Prize finalist.
Stacked
Stacked was conceptualised through two friends' shared love of literature. Amanda Kingsley brings dystopian and science fiction, while Ziporah Banda has a heart for literary and historical fiction of all kinds.
The podcast discusses books and how they’ve influenced and shaped us — how they challenge us and can even disappoint us — and will cover the intersection between literature, pop culture and politics.
Stacked will be produced by Aiwan Obinyan, who’s produced podcasts including Growing Up with gal-dem, Small Axe Podcast and Queer Me Out.
Call Me Disabled
There are 11 million disabled people in the UK, and Poppy Greenfield — creator of Call Me Disabled — is telling their stories. Poppy wants to highlight that disability is part of the human life cycle, and show people how rich their experiences and perspectives are.
Each episode, Poppy will interview a disabled person — including influencers, models, advocates, writers, directors, creators and trailblazers with a unique and captivating story to tell.
Call Me Disabled will be produced by Eliza Lomas, who’s worked with the BBC, Crack Magazine and Tate Modern.
Photos of Stacked and Memories Of The Dancefloor by Tino Chiwariro, photos of Call Me Disabled by Lucy Werrett.