Young Fishers Podcast

We are excited to announce a new audio project: Young Fishers. This podcast series raises up and celebrates the voices of young fishers in Cornwall and Scotland who are at the forefront of the vast changes facing the industry. We know coastal fishing communities are at the brunt of economic, social and climate impacts. We are looking for young people from all walks of life with experience of the fishing industry to be interviewed for a brand new podcast series. If you’ve something to share of fishing past, present and future – in your words, we want to hear from you.

We are looking for: 

Young people (16-35) in Cornwall and Scotland with: 

Experience of the fishing industry  

Family connection to fishing  

And/or with a passion for fishing/the ocean and its future  

And  

Who’ve got something they’d like to share, about the present, the past or future. 

What story do you want to tell? We will work with you to record a story in your own words, taking the listeners on a journey into the lives of young fishers at opposite ends of the UK. This will also open a dialogue between the two locations. 

You will need: 
To be available for an online meeting (up to 1 hour) with the artists plus one in-person interview (a few hours). 

Timescale: 
This recording stage is taking place January 2024 – April 2024. 

Recording fee: 
It’s important to recognise your time and creative input – thus, on completion of a full recording, you will be paid £150 fee for your time and contribution to the project. 

Ethics of recording: 
As participatory artists it’s vital to us that you consent to any material we release to the public. We will ask you to sign a consent form for the recording. This includes that you will have the opportunity to review the podcast before its release, and we will not use anything that you don’t want us to. 

About the Project 

For a long time, Fishing communities in the UK have been at the brunt of social, economic and climate impacts. Many dub the fishing industry as dying out, and former fishing boom areas have been ignored, leaving communities economically destitute. Young people growing up in these “left behind” coastal communities deal with the inheritance of climate change, the geopolitical fishing politics, and a burgeoning need for more locally produced food, with little economic or social recognition. 

The average age of a fisher in the UK is 58, but young people are still choosing to fish. Why? How do young people carry the heritage of a once vastly successful fishing industry that now sits with them to stop it vanishing? And what can we learn from young fishers about the future of our oceans? This project aims to raise up and celebrate the voices of young fishers in Cornwall and Scotland who are at the forefront of these vast changes. This project creates a platform for them to tell the stories that need to be told right now, in their own words. It explores what drives them to do it, what the biggest challenges are and what the future is they want to build. At this pivotal moment in time for our planet, and our islands, it’s vital we hear from these future sea cultivators. 

Who we are: 
We are Hannah and Emer, two theatre artists who have been working together for over 10 years, as femme duo And What. Since 2021 Emer has been working on oceans justice and a just transition for coastal communities, particularly working with fishers and coastal communities on the Scottish East Coast. Emer’s written and produced a number of audio theatre projects and plays. Hannah grew up in rural Cornwall, she’s experienced the vast changes, and the impact on young people – including opportunities for income and housing. Hannah’s worked extensively with young people in Cornwall, and is an Associate Director: youth and community at Miracle.

The contact form is open until 24th of January, so get in touch below.

Get in Touch