Armchair Adventures, a podcast for younger listeners created by older individuals from throughout Manchester, was initially created in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic when journey was closely restricted.
A podcast made by a Manchester neighborhood group has fairly actually taken off after a serious airline included it in its in-flight leisure.
Travellers on Virgin Atlantic planes can tune in to Armchair Adventures, created by Made by Mortals which works with older individuals and people with psychological well being situations within the city-region.
The podcast was initially created at a time when no-one was capable of go on any adventures in any respect and journey was closely restricted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since then Armchair Adventures has gone from energy to energy, with the take care of the main airline approaching the again of it successful a nationwide award.
What’s Armchair Adventures?
Armchair Adventures is a podcast for kids created by older individuals who attend Made by Mortals’ actions.
The not-for-profit arts group brings older individuals’s experiences to life by way of music and theatre periods and notably works with residents who wouldn’t in any other case interact with tradition and are vulnerable to exclusion and social isolation.
That grew to become an much more urgent focus in March 2020 when the primary lockdown was introduced in to gradual the unfold of the novel coronavirus and folks needed to keep at residence besides for brief intervals of train.
Made by Mortals determined that its service customers, confined inside their 4 partitions and unable to get pleasure from their typical programme of social interplay, wanted an outlet which younger and outdated alike may flip to for unity and assist.
The outcome was Armchair Adventures, which is impressed by the experiences, data and passions of its contributors expressed by way of drama, music, motion, and tune.
It follows the story of Connie, a younger woman whose family-run journey company is vulnerable to going bust because of the pandemic.
Working along with her clients, who’re portrayed by the group’s contributors, collectively they create an alternative choice to a standard vacation – an journey from the armchair.
The podcast can be accompanied by actions together with colleges’ workshops, artwork installations, exercise packs and a dwell theatre present.
Made by Mortals is continuous to work with teams of individuals throughout Manchester to create the episodes for collection three of Armchair Adventures, which launches on Thursday 6 October.
Armchair Adventures may be loved without spending a dime on all podcast platforms together with Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts. New episodes are uploaded twice a month.
Awards success and a partnership with Virgin Atlantic
Armchair Adventures has loved appreciable success. It was described as a “optimistic podcast” by BBC Radio 4 and lately took residence a Bronze prize for Finest Household Podcast at this 12 months’s British Podcast Awards.
And in July main airline Virgin Atlantic determined it could make Armchair Adventures a part of its in-flight leisure providing.
Passengers can now tune in to the group’s efforts on flights to locations the world over.
What has been stated in regards to the podcast’s success?
Made by Mortals is thrilled to have secured its high-profile partnership with a serious worldwide airline and with the success the podcast has loved because it was created.
Paul Hine, one in all Made by Mortals’ two administrators, stated: “The partnership is a very nice match. Virgin Atlantic is happening a bodily journey, and Armchair Adventures is a journey of the creativeness. There’s a synergy between the manufacturers, even regardless of their distinction in scale.
“We’re decided to vary the notion of participatory arts and folks viewing it as merely a pleasant factor to do. Partnering with Virgin Atlantic positively helps us try this.
“Whenever you deliver a gaggle of over 65s collectively beneath one roof, you’ll undoubtably be amazed by the journeys they’ve been on, the tales they’ve to inform and the teachings they picked up alongside the best way.
“We imagine in giving individuals a spot to share their tales which cannot solely assist deliver them collectively and discover function, but additionally educate and encourage younger individuals within the course of.”
Andy Smith, Paul’s fellow director at Made by Mortals, stated: “When the pandemic hit, we wished to maintain the connection between the older individuals and youthful generations that we had established by way of our theatre productions and workshops.
“We wished to maintain giving the contributors the aim a lot of them gained by way of creating the productions for the younger individuals.
“We determined that since we couldn’t take the reveals out to youngsters anymore, we’d present a podcast for them, an interactive and enjoyable arts and tradition expertise.
“We shortly tailored to Zoom, upskilling the aged individuals, setting them up on the software program and equipping them with cameras and microphones – that’s the place Armchair Adventures was born and even totally produced for its first few episodes!”
Cathy Walters, supervisor of inflight leisure at Virgin Atlantic, stated: “We love the story of Armchair Adventures, which brings completely different generations collectively by way of this enjoyable, interactive podcast.
“We’re actually proud to have them as a part of our leisure line-up and I’m certain youngsters will get pleasure from letting their imaginations fly whereas onboard.”
