Season 3 of High Notes, the podcast about the business and art of voice, will drop from Monday 27th October for eight weeks. It will see host Melissa Thom talking to leading figures across business, culture, and communication.
Guests include world-leading speechwriter Simon Lancaster, voice coach Dr. Rockford Sansom, writer and historian Jane Duffus, BAFTA’s Colin Burgess, PR legend Lynne Franks, and broadcaster Janey Lee Grace.
Together, they explore how voice shapes influence, leadership, and true connection at work: how to stay composed under pressure, engage an audience and speak with authority.
The full line up of episodes and release dates are as follows:
27/10/2025 – Simon Lancaster: speechwriter to business and political leaders, on the Language of Leadership and the hidden patterns that make communication persuasive.
03/11/2025 – Jane Duffus: writer and historian, on Women, Wit & the Power of Speech and how women’s voices have shaped and continue to shape public life.
10/11/2025 – Colin Burgess: BAFTA’s Executive Director of Operations, on the Resilient Voice, building legacy, and nurturing new creative voices in film, games and television.
17/11/2025 – Tricia Duffy: leadership coach, on Creative Confidence and finding your voice in times of change and uncertainty.
24/11/2025 – Dr. Rockford Sansom: voice coach to executives worldwide, on Influence & Impact, and how leaders can speak with presence in the boardroom.
01/12/2025 – Janey Lee Grace: BBC broadcasting legend and coach, on Executive Presence, clarity, sobriety and having the courage to speak up.
08/12/2025 – Lynne Franks: author, entrepreneur, communications strategist and fashion pioneer on Leading with Wisdom, and using voice as a force for visibility, purpose, and change.
15/12/2025 – Margaret Heffernan: business thinker, writer and voted one of the “Top 100 Media Executives” by The Hollywood Reporter on Voice, Creativity and Embracing Uncertainty, and why leadership today demands adaptability.
High Notes’ host, Melissa Thom is a speech and communication coach and acclaimed voice actor with decades of experience voicing projects including Grand Theft Auto V for Rockstar Games, Elder Scrolls for Zenimax, LL COOL J, Google, Amazon, Nike and many more.
Melissa is also the Founder and CEO of BRAVA, and has trained thousands of people in communication and voice from the UK and beyond – from rappers and reverends to ad creatives and countesses.
Melissa Thom said: “This season of High Notes is focused on how professionals can use their voice for impactful communication in the workplace and beyond. Our guests bring a wealth of experience from different sectors and creative disciplines – we hope our listeners will both be entertained and come away with actionable tips to supercharge communication confidence.”
High Notes season 3 can be found at brava.uk.com/podcast and all major podcast platforms, from October 27th, 2025.
As part of ADLIB‘s ‘True Diversity’ series, Tony had a chat with Lee Chambers, Founding Director at Male Allies UK, business psychologist, male allyship specialist and speaker.
This article is based on a transcript from that chat where Lee talks about why inclusion matters, how it helps build better workplaces, and why men need to be part of the conversation.
Tony: Starting with the need for diversity and inclusion. Why is it so important?
Lee: So from my perspective, and from a lot of the work that I’ve done, the importance of diversity and inclusion spans a variety of different areas. The first one for me is, in an increasingly individualistic world, the things that actually bring us together, especially across difference. Because as we become more individualistic, we actually start to fear difference more than embrace and celebrate it.
So things that actively work to bring different people together in a proactive and intentional way are increasingly important in an algorithmic world, which is trying to bring commonality together rather than difference. I think it’s vital for society that we’re able to create communities of difference rather than communities of commonality.
I think, secondly, it’s important because we still live in a world without modern meritocracy. Your outcomes are still massively determined by lots of things that you can’t necessarily control yourself, but that do potentially present either an awful lot of systemic barriers to overcome, or significantly less. And we all benefit when we collectively work together to reduce some of those barriers, because fundamentally it means that we can create better outcomes from the work that we do together.
There’s more opportunity to work with great people. Talent gets the ability to rise. People can get closer to their potential. People get the opportunity to perform, which is vital for sustainable businesses. And more than ever, people feel like they can belong, not necessarily their whole self, because many people don’t want to bring their whole self into the workplace, but they would like to bring their best, most effective self. And an inclusive culture allows that to happen.
It allows that embracing of difference which, whether we’re looking at commercial or societal outcomes, helps us mitigate risks earlier, see more potential opportunities, create more effective products and services, and just make better workplace cultures where people want to stay, continue to develop themselves, and continue to contribute. They see it as a net positive rather than something that takes away from them.
I think that’s vital because the next generation is more sensitive towards these things and is definitely looking for more purpose and more alignment in the very work that they do. So yes, it’s vital in a lot of different ways. When it’s done effectively, and in a structured and really considered way, it simply makes for better ecosystems that humans can exist within.
At the end of the day, as humans, we need those spaces to be able to grow and thrive. And it’s not always on us as individuals to create those spaces.
Tony: That’s a brilliant answer. Thank you. Absolutely agree with all of that. Can you share a little bit more about what you do at Males Allies UK?
Lee: Male Allies UK fundamentally exists to help men engage in inclusion. From our work, we’ve seen that when it comes to people-orientated projects in the workplace, whether that’s around well-being, inclusion, people engagement, or people development, there are a lot more women who get involved. In the bigger picture, that means men are missing out on the opportunity to be part of designing what these people structures will look like in the future. If they’re not present, they can’t be part of co-designing and co-creating them.
We’ve also seen over the years the impact on men’s health when they don’t take a more collective approach to navigating the world. The isolation, individualism, self-reliance, and self-sufficiency, sold as independence and freedom, actually come at a cost. No man is an island. If men can connect with people, it gives them the ability to feel more connected to the world, and also to themselves.
So we exist to engage men in inclusion, to support them in building the skills of allyship, and to be honest about the systemic barriers that still exist for all genders in the workplace. We specifically start from a binary perspective and move beyond that over time.
We do this through delivering masterclasses that are more informational, busting myths and misconceptions, identifying barriers from our research, and highlighting the benefits of inclusion. Too often, inclusion is framed only around when it goes wrong, microaggressions, discrimination, poor behaviours, bad cultures, rather than amplifying the benefits of getting it right and doing it well.
We also create spaces and consult on engagement, whether that’s events, men’s networks, male partner networks, male strands, or male pillars. We host what we call creative spaces, where men can share their perspectives on inclusion without judgment, contribute their honest views, and express sentiments they might feel suppressed from sharing elsewhere. There are boundaries of respect, but it removes the sense of “I can’t say anything.” This lets them explore their beliefs, and as we go through that process with curiosity, we often find the root of resistance is linked to their own personal challenges, economic pressures, divorce, mental health struggles, fertility issues, lack of friends, caring for parents, and more.
If men don’t feel they can share these experiences, it can cause frustration that other challenges get more attention or visibility. In these spaces, they can connect, support each other, and see they’re not alone, because again, no man is an island.
We also look at what organisations can do systemically to get more men collaborating together. Our big mission, beyond those safe spaces, is to get everyone in the room together. It’s vital to shine a light on our blind spots, recognise that men and women are not homogeneous groups, and that there are massive intersecting identities within both. There are also common challenges across genders, and many issues that impact women in the workplace have a tail, end effect on men that often goes unconsidered.
If we can work together to address the gender stereotypes and norms that restrict us, many of which are at the root of these challenges, we can start to create a world where we can be who we truly are, rather than who we’ve been told to be. This will make us less judgmental, more curious about each other, and more able to explore what’s possible, bringing our own authentic expression into the world.
Tony: In your opinion, what does good allyship look like?
Lee: Yeah, so the word “allyship”, when I first came across it nine years ago, I didn’t like the term. It felt very militaristic, like “good guys versus bad guys,” a rallying cry of “join us and let’s blow them up.” That didn’t mirror my perspective on what I wanted to achieve.
I’d been on a personal journey, building a tech company, getting ill, learning to walk again, stepping out to become a stay, at, home dad, and through that, I began seeing the world differently. I realised there were many things I hadn’t seen or noticed before, a lot of unfairness in the world.
Initially, I resisted the term, but then I learned its root comes from the Old French word alliere, meaning “to combine, to unite, to come together.” That clicked for me. Allyship is about that collaborative, collective coming together, partnering with people for change, and partnering through difference.
Good allyship is multifaceted. It starts with personal work: unpacking your own conditioning, educating yourself on other perspectives without placing emotional labour on others. Then there’s allyship “in the moment”: thinking about who’s not in the room, who is in the room but not being heard, who’s being interrupted or not credited. It’s having the courage to bring someone in, amplify their voice, ensure they get the credit they deserve, and being mindful of who is doing work that goes unrecognised.
There’s also the systemic aspect, examining policies to see if they create more or less opportunity, and looking at processes like meetings, networking, promotions, project allocation, recruitment, and more. We all have different levels of systemic power to make change, but everyone has some ability to make change.
I see allyship as a skill to build, not an ideology to believe. We’re often beginners when it comes to the lived experiences of others, but over time we gain benefits from building these skills. It requires willingness to learn, humility, courage to challenge, and curiosity about what we don’t yet know.
Good allyship also means knowing when to step forward to challenge and question, when to step to the side to partner on change and projects, and when to step back to allow others to take the platform and lead. That ability to move fluidly, stepping forward, aside, and back, is the essence of allyship. It’s easy to get stuck in one of those positions, but true allyship is an agile skill.
Tony: I love that meaning of allyship! And your point about stepping forward, stepping to the side, and stepping back is a great one. A lot of people, maybe through fear of getting it wrong, default to stepping back, and I’ve done that in the past. Then, once you do step forward, the tendency might be to do it all the time or too much. So that’s a really good awareness point , I’ve learned something just from hearing that. Thank you.
Tony: Can you give an example of what good allyship looks like?
Lee: In terms of good allyship, there are more great examples than we often appreciate. Sometimes those examples are small and easy to overlook, because we tend to think of allyship as lots of small, intentional, inclusive acts that build the skill set.
We don’t see allyship as making big sweeping statements, grand gestures, or one, off transformational changes. It’s about those micro, moments in the day, to, day. Yes, there’s a lot that could be improved, but even simple actions can be powerful, like seeing senior leaders openly say, “I’m going to pick my kids up” or “I’m taking time off with my children.” Especially for male senior leaders, that challenges stigma and models what I call “caregiving loudly.”
Other examples include men calling out sexist remarks in meetings and explaining why they’re problematic, or pulling women back into conversations when they’ve been interrupted, saying, “Hang on, you’ve just interrupted her, let her finish her point.”
Some of the most powerful examples of allyship, though, are the ones we don’t see, like changing policies or systems, or using institutional power to advocate for something you wouldn’t necessarily expect them to be passionate about. Those are moments when people put real skin in the game, because allyship can be uncomfortable.
If you’re going to build this skill set and take action, it’s going to feel risky at times. You might feel scared or unsure. In our research, fear is the biggest barrier to men stepping in. That’s understandable given the current climate, but fear can also be a signal to act. Today’s discomfort becomes tomorrow’s growth.
It’s important for men to see that allyship is a beneficial skill to build and to understand the potential personal benefits over time. That perspective can help turn discomfort into growth. While that might sound transactional or self, centered at first, we’ve seen that men who sustain their allyship journey often don’t know the benefits at the start, they discover them gradually, and that keeps them engaged.
Tony: Can you tell us more about the report you’ve been working on?
Lee: Our social impact work as a company includes working with boys in schools. We’re passionate about that, because many of them are not far from entering the workplace themselves, a workplace that’s increasingly volatile, dynamic, and, at times, really challenging.
It’s a very different environment compared to the education system. These young boys have grown up in a fascinating but complex world. They’ve had a digital, first existence; social media has been present in their lives from the day they were born. Many of them have never experienced living on a street where they know all the neighbours, people of different ages, cultures, and political affiliations, and sharing those everyday connections, like a garden party. They haven’t had that exposure to difference.
Instead, they’re often algorithmically pulled into echo chambers of people who think and act exactly like them, manipulated, shaped, moved around, and sold to, growing into future consumers. At the same time, they’re living in a world where masculinity is unclear. The way it used to be isn’t how it will be in the future, but there’s no clear definition of what it is now. Many young boys are searching for answers during that crucial adolescent period, trying to figure out who they are.
We wanted to understand what it’s like to be a boy between 12 and 15 in the UK today. So we spoke to over a thousand boys, asking their perspectives on education, the future, technology, masculinity, and femininity, just to understand how they see these things. Our upcoming report will bring their voices to life, sharing their views directly, in their own words.
Ultimately, they too will benefit from building the skills of allyship in a world of disinformation and moral outrage, where they’re often told they’re hard done by. And yes, economically, it will be difficult for many young men to achieve what their parents did, given the current economic cycle.
But I take a lot of hope from speaking to them. They’re insightful, and I think we often undervalue their perspectives. More than ever, it’s a challenging time for them, but if we can support them through it, they can help us understand the world they want to live in. That’s why we need to work together across generations, something we haven’t always been very good at.
Tony: That’s amazing, when does it go live?
Lee: It’s going live on the 30th of October. We’ve got a launch event at the House of Commons.
Tony: That’s awesome. Will it be available to the public?
Lee: Yes, there’ll be an accessible version available, which will be downloadable after the event.
Tony: How can businesses or potential employers get involved with Male Allies UK?
Lee: The best thing to do is connect with us on LinkedIn, where we share a lot of resources and perspectives. You can also visit our website, maleallies.co.uk, which has a range of resources.
Engage with us, because the most valuable thing we do is speak with people. We work across 13 different industries, so we see a wide range of perspectives, commonalities, and sector, specific challenges. Everything we do starts with a conversation.
We don’t gatekeep our lessons or knowledge, because we want companies to make this work relatable to them. The key is for us to connect and follow each other’s journeys. There might be a point where you’re looking to engage more men, or when allyship skills could benefit your culture, and at that point, we can partner and do something more formal.
Until then, it’s just good to be connected, to understand the work, and to know you’re not on the journey alone. This is meaningful work, and in these uncertain times, coming together is more important than ever.
Tony: Thank you so much, Lee. I’ve really enjoyed chatting to you and there are so many takeaways. Best of luck with everything and I look forward to reading the report when it’s live.
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Male Allies UK is on a mission to normalise active allyship and cultivate gender equity within organisations and communities.
If you are a part of an initiative, brand or company that proactively champions diversity and would like to be featured as part of the “True Diversity” series please get in touch with Tony.
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This blog previously appeared on the ADLIB Blog.
About ‘True Diversity’ by ADLIB:
Our series, True Diversity, is dedicated to featuring the people, organisations, and initiatives that truly understand why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (EDI) matter.
We spotlight who they are, what they do, and why their work is important. Through their stories, we explore how they’re driving meaningful change and how businesses and potential employers can get involved in building a more inclusive future.
It’s no secret that creatives thrive on collaboration, culture, and team spirit. But when it comes to socials, too many of us fall back on the same old routine – a quick drink at the pub. Fun, sure. But does it really reflect the creativity and originality our teams live and breathe every day?
That’s where Yuup comes in. As a Bristol-based marketplace for local experiences, Yuup connects teams with independent hosts offering unique activities right here in our city. From hands-on workshops to unforgettable evenings out, Yuup makes it easy to plan socials that are as inspiring as the work your agency creates.
Here are 10 fresh ideas to inspire your next agency get-together:
Working with clay is hands-on, playful, and grounding – the opposite of digital screen time. For creatives, it taps into the joy of making, sparks conversation, and encourages collaboration in a calm, open setting.
Cooking together builds collaboration under pressure while leaving room for fun and improvisation. For agency teams, it mirrors the creative process: ideas, execution, and presentation – with the added reward of sharing a meal together.
Escaping the city resets creative energy and helps teams see each other outside of daily routines. Fresh air and shared discovery are powerful for agency teams who thrive on new perspectives and storytelling.
This hands-on workshop encourages teamwork through creativity, patience, and shared discovery. From kombucha to kimchi, teams will learn ancient techniques with a modern twist, sparking conversations about flavour, culture, and process. Just like agency work, it’s about experimenting, refining, and enjoying the results together.
Removing sight forces teams to rely on other senses – and each other. It’s an exercise in trust, problem-solving, and adaptability, making it a uniquely bonding experience for teams used to thinking outside the box.
Guided by an expert, teams explore local landscapes while learning to identify edible plants and herbs. It’s mindful, surprising, and deeply grounding – a perfect antidote to screen time. For creative teams, it offers fresh perspectives and inspiration drawn directly from nature.
A relaxed, low-pressure space to sketch, laugh, and share ideas. For creative teams, it encourages vulnerability (nobody expects perfection), which builds trust and sparks new conversations beyond project briefs.
Printmaking celebrates experimentation and bold expression – perfect for teams who work with design and ideas daily. It encourages individuals to create side by side, with instant visual results that celebrate group creativity.
It’s playful, surprising, and guaranteed to make people smile. For creatives, this light-hearted experience breaks down barriers, reduces stress, and encourages teams to see the world (and each other) differently.
Exploring the city’s independent food scene gives teams the chance to connect socially while discovering new stories and flavours. It’s an experience rooted in place and culture – something every creative agency can appreciate.
The right social can do more than fill a calendar slot. It can spark ideas, strengthen culture, and remind your team why they love working together. Whether it’s creating, cooking, exploring, or simply laughing side by side, these experiences go far beyond a night at the pub.
Explore Yuup’s Made for Teams and plan a social your agency will talk about long after the night is over.
A groundbreaking new festival is set to transform Bristol into an international beacon for technology, creativity and culture this October.
Taking place from from 6-11 October 2025 in and around Bristol’s Old City, BTF+ will offer an accessible and impactful experience for founders, technologists, creatives, investors and culture-makers.
The festival, curated by techSPARK in collaboration with Bristol Creative Industries and MyWorld plus headline partner Ghyston, will feature bold keynotes and panels alongside breakthrough tech demonstrations in several venues. They range from the prestigious Bristol Beacon and Bristol Old Vic to more intimate locations.
Attendees will experience cutting-edge tech showcases, immersive performances, live music and future-facing learning opportunities. Businesses involved will be able to speak, raise their profile and connect with potential partners and investors.
Inspired by legendary festivals like South by Southwest in Austin, BTF+, an evolution of the much-loved Bristol Technology Festival, is designed for start-ups, scale-ups, creators, storytellers, founders, technologists and anyone with curiosity about what’s next.
Whether attendees work in film or fintech, programming or performance, strategy or software, the festival provides a platform to grow businesses, launch ideas, discover emerging trends and help shape the future of their industries.
All profits from the festival will be reinvested into supporting local talent, start-ups and communities. It has been created with inclusivity and accessibility at its heart, through low-cost tickets and many free events to ensure broad participation reflecting Bristol’s spirit.
BTF+ is being brought to the South West with the intention of further cementing the region’s reputation as one of the most exciting and innovative not just in the UK, but in Europe. The event will look to drive growth, investment, and job creation across the region, emulating the impact seen from SXSW in Austin, Texas.
The compact city setting allows people and ideas to move freely, encouraging discovery and purposeful connections. Days will feature talks and workshops from regional talent across tech, creativity and culture, alongside national-level speakers sharing inspiration and insights. As evening falls, music and networking events will provide opportunities for attendees to connect, share experiences and celebrate together.
Confirmed speakers so far include:
Ben Shorrock, co-founder of BTF+, said:
“BTF+ represents an exciting evolution for Bristol’s tech and creative communities. This festival embodies everything that makes our city and wider region special – the collision of technology, creativity and culture in a place that excels at all three.
“The event will be a platform where breakthrough innovations meet artistic expression, where established corporations can connect with emerging talent, and where the brightest minds come together to build the future.”
For our involvement in BTF+, we’ll be running an exciting two days of events on 7 and 8 October, with some high profile and inspiring speakers from across the creative industries. Look out for announcements over the coming weeks.
Early bird tickets for the BFT+ Summit which takes place on 6-10 October, and tickets to free events during the festival are available now. Find out more here.
One of the most common mistakes we see in immersive experience design is this: all spectacle, no soul. The lights are dazzling, the environment is beautiful, the tech is impressive. But something’s missing.
That something is story.
At Immersive Ideas, we believe narrative is the beating heart of a powerful experience. Whether it’s a theatrical show, a brand activation, a festival space, or an interactive exhibition, people need to know:
Why am I here? What is this world? What am I supposed to do with it?
Without those answers, even the most stunning environments can fall flat.
In traditional theatre, the story is front and centre. In immersive work, the story often surrounds you instead. But that doesn’t mean it should disappear. In fact, it becomes even more important, because the audience is no longer just watching, they’re in it.
A strong narrative:
Grounds people in the world you’ve created
Helps them understand their role or perspective
Guides behaviour and encourages meaningful interaction
Creates emotional connection and long-term impact
And here’s the key part: even if your audience never fully sees or understands the story, you and your creative team still need to know it inside out.
The internal logic of the world, the backstory, the rules, all of it matters. It acts as an invisible backbone. When everyone designing, performing, or producing knows why things are the way they are, the experience becomes richer, more coherent, more alive.
Audiences might not be able to articulate the story, but they’ll feel it. They’ll sense that this world makes sense. They’ll trust it. They’ll lean in.
In experiential marketing, the term immersive gets used a lot. But too often, what’s actually being built is just a visually impressive space or activation, cool, yes, but sometimes a lil shallow. A brand might commission an activation with high production values and creative flair, super photogenic, but if there’s no narrative underpinning it, audiences walk away remembering the look, not the feeling.
Immersion isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about emotional logic. If a guest walks into your space and doesn’t understand why they’re there, or what they’re part of, the moment doesn’t land. It becomes a photo op instead of an experience.
Narrative in this context doesn’t mean writing a script. It means understanding the purpose, perspective, and emotional arc of the guest. It means layering in meaning and intention. A well-designed brand experience should tell a story through its structure, its pacing, its language, its atmosphere. It should feel like stepping into a world that has depth, even if that depth is only hinted at.
When narrative is an afterthought, audiences feel unanchored. They start asking questions that pull them out of the moment.
Am I allowed to touch this? Should I be doing something? Is this just for looking? Who am I meant to be?
This creates hesitation, not curiosity. Confusion, not wonder. It turns a space that should feel magical into one that feels awkward or unfinished.
We’ve worked on experiences that were visually stunning but emotionally hollow… until we added just a few layers of story. Suddenly, everything clicked. Audiences relaxed, interacted, cared. Because they understood their purpose in the space.
It’s tempting to lead with the big ideas, the set piece, the wow moment, the cool tech. But those should always serve the story, not the other way round. We always ask our clients the same three questions at the start of a project:
Why are people here?
What world are they in?
What do we want them to feel when they leave?
Those answers shape everything else. From the layout of the space to the way performers interact, from sound design to signage.
Whether you’re producing a theatre piece or a branded experience, story creates meaning and meaning is what makes people remember.
A well-crafted narrative doesn’t just support an immersive experience. It is the experience. It’s the glue that holds it all together. It turns audiences into participants, spaces into worlds, and moments into memories.
If you’re building an experience and want to get the story right from the start, let’s talk. We’ll help you craft a world that feels real, purposeful, and impossible to forget, whether you’re making a new experience, launching a product, or creating a space your audience will genuinely connect with.
Sarah Morris – Immersive Ideas Ltd
Bristol’s culture sector generated £892.9m in economic impact in 2023/24.
The figure was revealed by Bristol City Council’s first culture impact survey, which said the findings demonstrate the vital role culture plays in the city’s development and growth.
Part of the impact was £122.4m in social value (benefits to wellbeing, education, employment, and environmental sustainability).
Other findings were:
The council said the data will be used to support the development of a new cultural strategy and action plan for Bristol, and provide organisations with individual impact data to support funding bids, partnerships and long-term sustainability.
Helen Godwin, mayor of the West of England, said:
“I promised to work with the government and invest in the West. To have our creative industries recognised with this funding is a real vote of confidence in our region. People are drawn here from all over the world, whether it’s for our balloons and street art or the city so historic that UNESCO listed it twice. Creativity in the West knows few limits – or equals.
“Culture is part of who we are, whether it’s Oscar-collecting Aardman Animations or treble-winning Bath Rugby. It’s also a big part of the West of England’s economy, and it’s growing. Now we can invest in the future through the industrial strategy: helping businesses to grow, bringing through the next generation of creatives, and driving economic growth.”
As part of the government’s industrial strategy and creative industries sector plan, the West of England gets a share of £150m to support creative organisations and businesses.
Philip Walker, head of culture at Bristol City Council, said:
“The findings of this first culture impact survey highlight what many of us in the sector have long known – Bristol’s cultural offer is rich, diverse, and deeply embedded in the life of our city. From grassroots initiatives to world-class institutions, culture is a vital part of how we live, connect, and grow.
“This impact is only possible through the strength of our partnerships – between artists, organisations, communities, funders, our regional partners and the public sector. Together, we are building a cultural ecosystem that not only drives economic value but also fosters inclusion, wellbeing, and pride across Bristol and the wider region.”
We are proud to have several cultural businesses and organisations as Bristol Creative Industries members. They include:
Design West | Watershed | Bristol Beacon | Curzon Cinema & Arts | St George’s Bristol | Bristol Cathedral | We The Curious | Tobacco Factory Theatres | The Bakehouse Factory | Aardman Animations | Wake The Tiger
Culture will also be part of BTF+, The Bristol Festival of Tech, Creativity & Culture, on 6-11 October. Led by Techspark, Bristol Creative Industries and MyWorld, the week-long festival will celebrate technology, creativity and culture with a huge programme of events. Find out more here.
Culture is vital to our region. Let’s keep supporting it.
Safe to say, the past year or so has been an era of change.
Our new-look board has bedded in. We’ve won some exciting new clients.
And, most recently, we’ve given ourselves a subtle-but-thorough branding refresh.
From a refocused strategy to a tweaked tone of voice, an updated identity to a brand spanking new website. It’s been an exercise in consolidation, clarity and the kind of brutal single-mindedness that we find ourselves forever reminding our clients to follow – but can prove so tricky to do when the tables are turned.
But all that effort and energy, blood, sweat and spreadsheets has got us to a point where every inch of our brand now has our essence imbued within it.
Naturally, we started with our strategy. Putting people first has been a mantra that we’ve lived by for years – and that wasn’t about to change. But it did need defining. We’re certainly not the only agency that claims to put people at the heart of their creative, but the reality is, we do so much more than that. We dig deep. We delve into their lives to discover what they truly love. What they truly hate. Their ambitions, their anxieties, their desires, their doubts, their dreams.
And that’s how we make brands matter… We craft creative that connects.
We build brands that build bonds.
As Alex Murrell, our Strategy Director puts it,
“In an industry so often characterised by ego and bravado, ‘putting people first’ has been our subtle but strong rally cry. It’s not about us. It’s about the brands we build and the people they serve. With our new positioning, we’ve taken this one step further. We’ve articulated the ultimate benefit, for our clients, of this approach.”
Once we’d ironed that out, our strategy was set.
To better reflect our new emphasis on connection, we wanted every element of our brand identity to communicate closeness, warmth and real, raw, human emotion – the highs, the lows, and everything in between. From our TOV to our photography, our palettes to our assets, wherever people encounter us, we want them to genuinely feel something. More than recognition, we want resonance.
In the words of Creative Director Vix Hansard,
“We get people. We truly connect with them. We take the time to listen, to observe, to understand not just what they do, but why they do it. And it’s only by understanding this behaviour, that we can build creative work that truly resonates. And it’s this idea that lives in the soul of our new brand identity.”
Our website has always been simple.
A contact page if you want to want to work with us, and one for if you want to work for us. With the support of fellow local agency Fiasco, we created a new site that stays true to that simplicity but with a little more to delve into. Now featuring a handful of recent projects that have proven to have connected with consumers and the key info about our Epoch Academy (our commitment to bringing the next generation of talent into the industry) – it’s single-minded, focussed and free of any unnecessary fluff.
We practice what we preach.
Anyone that’s ever worked in branding will tell you that the hardest job is branding yourself. Upholding objectivity. Sticking to self-imposed deadlines. Allowing yourself to let go. And as we found – all of that is true. But as we also know, when you build your brand from a strategic starting point – a core purpose – it makes all that follows ‘make sense’.
From the amazing team that we’ve built up over the past 33 years to all the incredible work that we deliver. Creating meaningful connections is at the core of everything.
Earlier this year, Bristol Surf Cinema launched its very first event – a night dedicated to celebrating surf storytelling on the big screen. What started as a small, DIY project to bring people together around meaningful surf films quickly grew into something bigger, with almost 250 people buying for the inaugural screening in April.
The idea was simple: create a space to showcase surf films that go beyond the highlight reels, beyond the big brand edits – stories that dig into the social, political, and environmental threads woven through surf culture.
As a camera assistant working in film and TV and a lifelong surfer, I (Theo) set out to build something that connected those two worlds. In a time when the industry was unusually quiet, Bristol Surf Cinema gave me a creative project to get stuck into and a chance to pour energy into something that mattered. It was also a way to genuinely support filmmakers, every film we screen is fully licensed and paid for, and £1 from every ticket is donated to The Wave Project to help fund surf therapy for young people in the UK.
But perhaps what stood out most from the first event was how the Bristol surf community (and the wider ocean-loving crowd) showed up. Feedback from the night wasn’t just about the films, it was about the feeling in the room. People supported the event and made it clear they would like to see more. They wanted a space where all surf stories could be told, with better representation, better balance, and an even stronger connection to the community.
That’s where our second event comes in. On Saturday 12th July at Watershed Bristol, Bristol Surf Cinema returns with a matinee screening of Point of Change, a powerful documentary by acclaimed director Rebecca Coley. The film tells the story of Nias, Indonesia – a surf paradise that was ‘discovered’ in the 1970s and the environmental and cultural impact that unfolded for the local community as surf tourism in that area grew.
It’s a film that makes you think about the consequences of surf tourism — and we’re lucky to have Rebecca joining us on the day for a Q&A to explore those themes in more depth. Rebecca will be answering questions on her filmmaking process, handling delicate themes within documentary and the impact of tourism on the earth and native communities.
Alongside the feature, we’ll also be screening two UK-made short films:
Surfaced by Paul Stevenson, telling the story of Nick Corkill’s journey through addiction and mental health, and the grounding role that surfing and photography play in that journey.
Seb: A Surf Therapy Journey by Matilda Thompson, a beautifully observed short following a young surfer with ADHD and autism as he experiences surf therapy with The Wave Project Bristol.
For those who can’t make the main event, we’ll also be running a catch-up screening on Wednesday 16th July — same films, just without the Q&A.
Both events will offer the opportunity for networking and drinks at the Watershed bar after the event so you can minglew with like-minded film or ocean enthusiasts.
Bristol Surf Cinema was never meant to be a one-off. The ambition is to keep this platform going – to continue curating thoughtful, story-first surf films and to keep building a space where filmmakers feel supported and audiences feel connected.
Looking ahead, there are exciting plans for a national tour to bring these kinds of surf screenings to other UK cities and coastal towns. The vision is to grow Bristol Surf Cinema into a national platform, while always staying true to the ethos: supporting independent surf filmmaking, elevating underrepresented voices, and creating community-led spaces where ocean & surf centred stories, of all kinds, can be seen, heard, and shared.
Want to come along?
Tickets for the July screenings are available now via the Watershed website: https://www.watershed.co.uk/whatson/13320/bristol-surf-cinema-point-of-change
To stay up to date with future screenings or to get involved, follow @bristolsurfcinema on Instagram.
Bristol-made podcast, High Notes, returns on Monday 30th June, as it continues conversations around the art and business of voice, featuring the voice actors, directors and creatives who make it all happen.
Host Melissa Thom brings insightful conversations, illuminating perspectives and plenty of behind the scenes moments from the worlds of gaming and animation.
With six new episodes dropping every week, each lasting around thirty minutes, the podcast shines a light on the world of voice acting, for anyone who is already working in, hoping to break into, or simply fascinated by the business. The new series features professionals working in high level casting, voice acting and directing across AAA games.
Melissa Thom is an acclaimed voice actor with decades of experience voicing projects including Grand Theft Auto V for Rockstar Games, Elder Scrolls for Zenimax, LL COOL J, Google, Amazon, Nike and many more.
Melissa is also the Founder and CEO of BRAVA, and has trained thousands of people in voice from the UK and beyond – from rappers and reverends to ad creatives and countesses.
The first episode of the new season kicks off with a conversation with Kate Hansen-Birnbaum, Casting Director at Pixar, whose credits include animated films including Inside Out 2, Soul, Elemental and Luca.
Kate shares her unconventional path into casting, which began at a San Francisco talent agency under the mentorship of seasoned actors. She offers a rare look inside Pixar’s intricate casting process, highlighting the value placed on authenticity, natural vocal tone and the ability to truly inspire the animation team. The conversation touches on Pixar’s commitment to diverse and inclusive casting, including their practice of anonymised auditions to help reduce unconscious bias.
The full line up of episodes and release dates are as follows:
30/06/2025 – The Magic of Pixar: Voice Casting with Kate Hansen-Birnbaum
Kate brings memorable stories from her career – particularly the joy of working on Elemental – and shares thoughtful advice for aspiring voice actors.
07/07/2025 – Vocal Shapeshifting: Acting for Video Games with Andrew Whieldon Dennis
Andrew reflects on his expansive career as a voice actor in the videogame industry, from indie projects to AAA blockbusters.
14/07/2025 – Inside Aardman: Bringing Clay to Life – Characters, Voice & Performance with Merlin Crossingham, Creative Director for Wallace and Gromit at Aardman Animations
Merlin shares some surprising stories from his childhood that led him onto a very specific career path in animation, as well as thoughts on the timeless appeal of Wallace and Gromit.
21/07/2025 – Casting for Mocap, Games & Animation with Jessica Jefferies
Melissa sits down with Jessica Jefferies, a casting director who specialises in motion and performance capture for video games.
28/07/2025 – Directing Performance for Epic Games with Tom Keegan
Melissa talks to Tom Keegan, an acclaimed performance director behind major AAA titles such as Jedi: Fallen Order, Wolfenstein, Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and more.
04/08/2025 – Bob Bergen: The voice behind Star Wars, Spirited Away and Looney Tunes
Melissa is joined by five-time Emmy-nominated voice actor Bob Bergen, best known as the voice of Porky Pig – a role he’s brought to life for over 30 years.
Melissa Thom, High Notes’ host, said: “This season we’ll be lifting the curtain to reveal the reality of working within gaming and animation. Some key players in the business have shared their perspectives and experience to help the next generation of voice acting talent to break through. The voice acting world can seem like a mysterious closed shop, but the aim of High Notes is to demystify and remove barriers for those who would love to know more about this fascinating business.”
High Notes can be found at www.brava.uk.com/podcast and on all major podcast platforms.
Season 3 will be released later in 2025 and will focus on BRAVA Business and its corporate offering – how professionals can use their voice for impactful communication in the workplace and beyond.
Bristol Creative Industries was delighted to be part of the Culture and Creative Industries Summit organised by the University of the West of England at Bristol Beacon. The event brought together people from cultural and creative businesses and organisations from across the region to discuss the government’s UK creative sector plan which will be published soon.
Officials from Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Sir Peter Bazalgette, co-chair of the Creative Industries Council which advises the government, set the scene including outlining how the West of England is one of the government’s priority areas for the creative industries.
A panel (Ben Shorrock from techSPARK, Charlotte Geeves from Bristol Old Vic, Fiona Matthews from Super Culture, and Nimesh Joshi from ITV News West Country, chaired by Annabel Smith from Centre for Progressive Policy) then discussed the key issues, before, grouped into tables, delegates discussed ideas for strengthening the economy in the west.
The conversations have been summarised into the brilliant list of ideas below. It has been shared with DCMS and West of England Combined Mayoral Authority.
Regional Production Fund and screen agency: Establish a dedicated fund and agency to match creative funding levels in other UK nations. Functions include soft money support, local employment stimulation, retention of post-production services, and enabling regional intellectual property (IP) ownership.
Addressing funding gaps: Ensure long-term, strategic investment to overcome inconsistencies and short-termism in current funding models.
Public-private partnerships: Promote and expand collaborative investment models, taking cues from Creative Wales. Encourage cross-sector funding initiatives.
Bristol Music Fund: Introduce a regionally managed fund sourced from a small percentage of ticket sales to bolster the music sector.
Creative tech investment: Develop a sustainable, large-scale funding pipeline for creative technology ventures beyond the pilot stage.
Cross-sector collaboration: Encourage stronger relationships among creative organisations, universities, local governments, and adjacent sectors.
Higher education partnerships: Foster collaborative projects between higher education institutions and the creative industries, overcoming resistance to commercial partnerships.
Shared data strategy: Develop coordinated, standardised data collection and impact measurement across the sector.
Creative cluster hub: Create a physical and strategic hub to promote connectivity, knowledge-sharing, and sector resilience.
Creative education reform: Advocate for more modular, skills-based learning at further and higher education levels, with links to primary/secondary outcomes.
Freelancer support: Fund paid development and training opportunities to support freelance creatives.
Film/TV entry pathways: Clarify and promote inclusive, sustainable pathways into screen industries.
Talent retention: Tackle affordability and infrastructure issues to retain local talent.
Place-based storytelling: Highlight regional strengths such as the BBC Natural History Unit, social innovation legacy, and cultural diversity.
Unified regional narrative: Promote a cohesive story across urban, coastal, and rural areas to avoid intra-regional competition.
Valuing creative process: Emphasise the importance of creative processes and R&D alongside final products.
Global positioning: Market the region internationally as a cultural hub with strong geopolitical and creative links.
Creative innovation culture: Elevate visibility of values-driven, socially-conscious innovation. Align with broader innovation strategies.
Creative health: Support initiatives at the intersection of arts, health, and policy for societal benefit.
Cultural placemaking: Embed creatives in city planning and infrastructure development.
Creative tech coordination: Improve storytelling, infrastructure, and investment strategies to scale regional creative tech.
Sustained leadership: Build consistent leadership in both civic and business sectors to guide long-term cultural strategy.
Regional coalitions: Establish strategic alliances across key geographic hubs like Bristol, Cardiff, and Cheltenham.
Devolved powers: Advocate for devolved powers in cultural development to local and combined authorities.
Civic engagement: Pilot a Citizen’s Assembly for Culture as a model for inclusive, democratic cultural strategy-making.
Funding complexity: Simplify access to funding, reduce reporting burdens, and diversify beyond dominant bodies like Arts Council England (ACE).
Inclusion gaps: Prioritise equity-focused strategies to support underrepresented groups.
Leadership fatigue: Address burnout and recruitment issues within the creative sector.
Infrastructure deficits: Invest in new and upgraded venues, studios, and support spaces.
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