大象传媒

Sara Parker introduces a new generation of student features makers, all winners and finalists of the Charles Parker Prize 2023 鈥� set up in memory of her father.

The annual Charles Parker Prize celebrates a new generation of audio producers and storytellers - open to anyone studying radio and audio at Higher or Further Education establishments across the U.K.

Broadcast through the 1950s and 60s, along with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, Charles Parker's series known as the 'Radio Ballads' arguably left a lasting legacy on the landscape of radio storytelling; by interweaving original musical composition with remote interview recordings, and with a focus on highlighting working class voices - a practice until then unheard on 大象传媒 radio.

Charles鈥� daughter Sara Parker, herself an award-winning radio producer, hears this year's very best features; woven between highlights from their features, our ten new storytellers share their experience and journey creating their prize-winning work.

An 鈥渆xpertly montaged鈥� undersea dive exploring how man-made sounds threaten underwater ecologies; the 鈥渄elicate and mysterious鈥� unveiling of a serial womaniser and his hitherto undiscovered children; the 鈥渂eautiful and evocative鈥� ode to the Irish language and its 鈥榣ife force鈥�; an 鈥渆ngrossing and touching鈥� investigation into the declining numbers of wild house martins; and a startlingly vivid and intimate depiction of two siblings鈥� relationship with their abusive late father that judges agreed was both 鈥渃aptivating and horrifying鈥�.

There are extracts from the prize-winning features of; Thea Rickard, Dom Brown, Christina Hardinge, George Ruskin, and Lottie Steele, as well as five of our finalists; Kieran Davis, Petra Jones, Lydia Kenny, Matthew Temporal, and Alice Whalley.

You can hear the five winners鈥� work in full in the series 鈥楴ew Storytellers鈥� on 大象传媒 Radio 4 and 大象传媒 Sounds.

Producer: Jay Sykes

Made for 大象传媒 Radio 4 Extra by Soundscape Productions.