I recently announced the return of my podcast for Dundee Culture, This Dundonian Life, and I am excited to be returning to the microphone to talk about my home.
The podcast takes its name from the popular American radio show, This American Life.
And like its makers, my aim is to present listeners with a slice of life – with a particular focus on Dundee.
I wanted to have my own space where I could share my love of my home city with a wider audience and a podcast seemed like a natural choice.
There are podcasts for almost everything these days and I’m a regular listener.
I’ve been enjoying The News Agents, spearheaded by former BBC journalist Emily Maitlis lately. I also listened to You, Me, and the Big C when the late Dame Deborah James was talking about her battle against cancer.
Closer to home, DC Thomson’s The Stooshie was named podcast of the year at the Scottish Press Awards last week.
Plenty to talk about in This Dundonian Life
I think podcasts can have a real impact on the listener.
An enthusiastic host can really draw people in and I know they’ve helped me to learn and understand more about news and current affairs.
Podcasting has really grown in popularity in the last few years, helped by the success of big names like The American Life and Serial.
But I’ve been dabbling since I was about 16 when I decided to create one of my own, interviewing people from across Dundee who were doing exciting things.
I ended it after a short time but returned to podcast scene a few years later with Dundeecast, which had a similar theme.
I’ve also featured in other people’s podcasts, which taught me more about the process.
This is our chance to tell the world about Dundonian life
This Dundonian Life came about early last year when I decided I wanted to create something that was about more than interviews.
I want to take a wider look at Dundee as a city and the storytelling narrative of This American Life, which often focuses on a topic but splits it into two or three parts, appealed to me.
🚨 BREAKING: Andrew Batchelor (@andybfaedundee) will be returning to the mic again in the new series of @DundeeCulture's podcast This Dundonian Life which releases later this year. #ThisDundonianLife pic.twitter.com/g3MzQ8CBF7
— Dundee Culture Studios (@DCultureStudios) September 22, 2022
I hope This Dundonian Life will allow Dundee Culture to branch out from social media and into another popular medium – as well as creating something that will showcase Dundee to the rest of the world.
One other thing I love about podcasts is that just about anyone can do it.
You don’t need fancy equipment. Just a microphone, a computer or laptop and an idea. It really is as easy as that.
I have no shortage of ideas and I’m looking forward to turning them into realities.
I’ll be releasing the first episodes of This Dundonian Life later this year.
I hope people will listen, and maybe even be inspired to get involved themselves.
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