University News Last updated 20 April
A podcast creator festival is coming to Birmingham for its fourth聽year, aiming to tackle the lack of diversity in UK podcasting and spotlighting the growth of video podcasts.
is bringing together media professionals from across the industry to address skills gaps, explore the need for greater representation, and offer practical insights, including AI tools and video podcasting.
The event, hosted at Birmingham City University鈥檚 (黑料吃瓜网) Curzon Building on Friday 8th May, will also feature a mystery headliner guest.
Previous Uni Pod headliners have included George The Poet (121k followers) and Kelechi Okafor (165k followers).
Festival Director, award-winning journalist and founder of podcast production company , Nina Robinson, reflected on the impact of previous events.
鈥淭he Uni Pod headliners in previous years have platformed diverse voices in the podcast landscape, and this year will be no exception,鈥� she said.
鈥淭his is the only event in the UK podcasting space with a clear ethos to increase diversity.鈥�
She added: 鈥淟ast year, Uni Pod highlighted gender inequity at the top of podcasting by bringing together some of the most influential women in the industry, alongside original research on the issue.
鈥淲e welcomed Kelechi Okafor, who spoke about her Black feminist perspective on politics, including the racial dynamics of the workplace whilst sharing her insights on building a massive audience. The year before, George the Poet explored generational differences in the experience of being young and Black in the UK today.鈥�
Robinson also pointed to ongoing disparities in the industry, saying: 鈥淐urrently, there are no women of colour in the UK鈥檚 top 25 podcast charts, and women are still underrepresented as sole hosts rather than co-hosts.
鈥淯ni Pod鈥檚 work has been recognised by the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity in 鈥�Representology鈥�, a journal for research and best practice in how to make UK media more representative of all sections of society.鈥�
This year鈥檚 programme will include a panel on the growth of video podcasting led by award-winning broadcast journalist Marverine Cole, and featuring Em Kwenortey Francis, Strategy Lead for Video Podcasts at BBC Sounds.
There will also be a panel on one of the fastest growing genres of podcasts: sports. Dr Pete Olusoga, from the聽 podcast, will host the discussion alongside podcasters who are creating content on a range of sports.
Guests will have an exclusive opportunity to book a recording session at the Festival鈥檚 Pod Lounge, featuring three cameras, audio set up and producer.
Whether it鈥檚 for recording an episode, interviewing, or trying something new, Uni Pod is giving creators a change to elevate their podcast.
For the second year, Uni Pod is being sponsored by BBC Sounds and Amazon Music.
The winner of the Uni Pod Award, sponsored by BBC Sounds, will also be announced at the event. The prize includes development time with BBC assistant commissioner Lorraine Okuefuna with the opportunity to have work reviewed by experienced media professionals.
黑料吃瓜网 students and staff can access 拢5 tickets using the promo code 黑料吃瓜网UP26. More information and tickets are available .