A new podcast exploring the voices and identity of the Midlands is in production – and two episodes are being recorded live in Coventry, the UK City of Culture.
Made In The Midlands is being made by independent production company Loftus Media and will be fronted by well-known Midlands broadcaster Adrian Goldberg and produced by Andrew Smith, from South Derbyshire.
The live recordings are part of the Coventry City of Culture Trust’s Festival of Ideas and include interviews with two hugely successful film directors from the region.
The first will take place on Wednesday, July 28 at Coventry Cathedral and will see Ken Loach interviewed in front of a live audience just six weeks after celebrating his 85th birthday.
Tickets for the live event with Nuneaton-born Loach, who directed highly-acclaimed Kes and I, Daniel Blake among many other films, are priced at £15.
Then, on August 27, attention will turn to Bafta and Emmy-award winning writer and director Debbie Isitt – this time at the Assembly Festival Garden.
Tickets to attend the event with the director of the Coventry-set Nativity movies are priced at £10. Details for further events and guests will be released in due course.
Chenine Bhathena, Creative Director of Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “Our UK City of Culture is well and truly underway. People are seeing a really diverse mix of events and artworks right across the city – ranging from family fun through to challenging and thought-proving work.
“The Made In The Midlands podcast is a real exploration of the region, its identity and some of the voices of people have helped to put the Midlands on the map.
“We are very pleased to be supporting the podcast and that these episodes are going to be recorded live here in the UK City if Culture 2021.
“It just so happens that the first two guests are amazing film directors and both will provide a fascinating insight into their work and the part this region has played in helping to shape them.”
Presenter Adrian Goldberg said: “Our Loftus team are all proud Midlanders who feel the region is often misunderstood. To Northerners we’re Southerners, and to Southerners, we’re Northerners. As identity becomes a bigger part of public life, what better time to launch a podcast on what it means to be Made in the Midlands? We are very grateful to the Coventry UK City of Culture for supporting us to get the venture off the ground. We have already recorded an edition with novelist Lee Child and we’re thrilled that Ken Loach and Debbie Isitt have agreed to be our first live guests.”
For more information or to book tickets go to coventry2021.co.uk/what-s-on