A Podcast Festival

for
Birmingham

Friday 4th April 2025 11:00 - 6:30 PM
Birmingham City University

Presented by 

Celebrating the super-diversity of Birmingham by platforming diverse voices and growing the podcast eco-system in the West Midlands.

Whether you are already podcasting or if you are thinking to start a podcast, or just curious to find out more, then this is the place to come to learn and be inspired.  

 

Come and join podcasters and audio professionals in the heart of Birmingham city centre, to pick-up podcast skills to jump-start your podcast or to develop your podcast idea.  It’s the ideal place to learn the ‘how to’ of podcasting whether you have a podcast to showcase your expertise and passions, or professionally, to showcase your company or brand. 

Key Partners

Speakers and Special Guests

An incredible line-up of podcasters and industry experts schedule to be announced soon!

Panellists and speakers have been invited from the BBC, PRX, New York Times Audio and more.

Organisers + Advisors

Nina Robinson

Festival Director

As CEO of Birmingham based production company, Soundtruism, Nina has helped establish the Podcasting, Seriously Fund to the UK and brought you the Birmingham Podcast Festival 2023.  


She is a Fellow of the Radio Academy and winner of a Peabody Award.  She worked for the BBC World Service as a documentary maker and correspondent for over 15 years. 

Dylan Hayward

Festival Producer

Dylan is an award-winning journalist and reporter for the Leicester Mercury. He graduated with first-class honours in journalism from Birmingham City University. Since then, he has contributed to a BBC World Service documentary.

 

Dylan works hard behind the scenes to bring you the best line-ups and ensures that the Festival runs smoothly. 

Harshad Mistry

Co-Founder Springboard Pictures

Harshad Mistry has 22 years experience in production at the BBC and is an RTS Award winner through his work executing ideas such as ‘Syria from Space’ , ‘World Cup in my Village’ and ‘One Night in Bhopal’. Springboard Pictures was a recent recipient of Channel 4’s emerging indie fund.  

Sumit Sharma

Executive Audio Producer

Sumit Sharma is an audio producer and podcaster co-host of the rap podcast, Breaking Atoms and has featured in Forbes, The Independent and The Guardian. He has worked on audio projects for Amazon, MTV, and the BBC.  Now based in Wolverhampton, Sumit appeared on a PodFest panel in 2023. 

Marverine Cole

ITV Good Morning Britain Newsreader

Marverine Cole is an award winning journalist and broadcaster who is newsreader for ITV’s Good Morning Britain.  She is also a regular commentator on Channel 4 and has worked as a reporter and broadcaster at Channel 5, Classic FM,  and the BBC.  

Roifield Brown

Executive Podcast Producer

Roifield has 30 years of experience in media and is an experienced teacher and speaker on podcasting.  His podcasts have been downloaded over 5 million times with credits including Audio Up in Los Angeles and The New Statesman.  Roifield put on a workshop at BhamPodFest on connecting audiences. 

What People Say about UniPodFest

Today, UniPodFest in Brum has been the bomb. So many people, so much talent, so glad I was there, privileged to be a part of it. 

A quick email just to offer my hugest of huge congratulations for UniPodFest. You put such a fantastic program together – I learnt so much from the speakers and came away burning with thoughts and ideas. Well done – an amazing job!

Had a great time at #UniPodFest. Great panel discussions and workshops. Overarching themes for podcasting being authenticity, building community, being consistent and knowing who your audience is.

What an inspirational day I had recently at #UniPodFest. The room was packed with independent podcasters who are passionate about sharing the stories they care about, giving diverse voices a platform, plus having great conversations.

Thanks to Nina Robinson and the Soundtruism team for putting together such a thought-provoking event!

Had the most fabulous day at #UniPodFest met some wonderful people who inspired me to get on with my podcast.

Be inspired

Come to meet audio professionals with years in the industry and to listen to insightful panel discussions and podcast craft workshops.

enter the #UniPodFest
podcast award

UniPodFest is pleased to announce a Podcast Competition awarded to the best podcast already published or for an idea for a podcast, yet to be made. If you want to pitch your podcast idea, please write us a paragraph which explains what the idea for the podcast is and what it is about, give it a title and email contact@UniPodFest.co.uk

If you already have a podcast that has been published in the last year and has not been broadcast on a major network (such as the BBC) student radio is fine – then email us the link to be in for a chance to win a great prize.

The prize:

A Podcast Microphone

Development feedback advice from an industry expert. 

#UniPodFest Podcast Award's Terms & Conditions

Only one entry per person is allowed. It is free to enter but you must be in attendance at UniPodFest on Friday 4th April 2025 to be declared the winner and receive the prize. Contact@UniPodFest.co.uk

University Partners

Directions to #UniPodFest

Walking Directions from New Street station: 

Ascend the escalators at the A end of platforms, choose the exit where you see Five Guys and walk outside walking towards Boots. Cross the road at the crossing and walk left. You will walk under an underpass. Cross the road at the end of the underpass and walk left along Moor Street Queensway. Turn right at Clayton Hotel.  Walk around towards Millennium Point building. You will see BCU Parkside as the next building along and Curzon Building is across the road as you continue straight, past Parkside. 

Transport:

By Train:
Birmingham New Street or Moor Street Station.
By Bus:
14, 55, 66, 94 (buses stop on Jennens Road)

schedule + speakers