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Thoughts on the International Women’s Podcast Festival 2022

Published on June 22, 2022

Hot on the tail on The Podcast Show, the International Women’s Podcast Festival from Content Is Queen took place in Kings Place last Saturday. Of course, I jumped at the chance to be there!

“Festivals like this are great for discovering new shows, and finding people to collaborate with. Audio still has a male bias as an industry – but that is changing, and many of the changemakers will be at the Women’s Podcast Festival!”
– Me!

The day was filled with talks, panels and workshops for and by female innovators and leaders in podcasting, audio and radio. Subjects included turning your podcast into a book with Rosie Wilby, podcasting to combat climate change, valuing and pitching your podcast, accessibility, creator burnout, marketing and much more.

Content is Queen, Women’s podcast festival @ King’s Place

I was able to attend three of the sessions myself:

This Just In – this panel featured Gemma Ware, Jude Kelly, Ellie Clifford and Nosheen Iqbal talking about how and what news is covered in podcasts. It was the perfect start for me personally wanting to get more into this area.

Is It Legal? workshop – Sandhiya Sophie Argent, a media content lawyer who works with Paper & Chain, shared useful legal advice for podcasters (I think half the people listening breathed a sigh of relief and the rest were left in a panic about contempt of court!)

Interview Techniques – Mai Davies, Roshan Roberts, Lucia Scazzocchio, and Jo Youle gave me great techniques to elevate interviews beyond basic conversations. Mai Davies in particular blew my mind with some super specific tips for being a good interviewer!

Press Panel, Content is Queen, Women’s podcast festival @ King’s Place

The other session I witnessed was the Press Panel, with Angelica Malin, Miranda Sawyer, Clare Wright and me! I actually pitched this idea to the Content Is Queen team because I know how nice it is to get press coverage for your podcast. I get very excited whenever I see my own podcasts in newsletters and blogs (and yes, Pod Bible included!). But I also know that from the outside, many people don’t know where to start when it comes to pitching your podcast.

“I think everyone who loves podcasts or has an interest in audio needs to be at this festival, it’s a great opportunity to connect and celebrate with women who come from different backgrounds. It’s not your average podcast event.”
– Roshan Roberts

Alongside the practical advice, there was a chance to celebrate some amazing women in podcasting with a number of live shows. Masala Podcast, Baggage Reclaim Sessions and Beyond The Self.

And the Festival was truly international – as well as the event at Kings Place, there was a Global Voices stage online. It featured Global Keynote Speakers from India, Argentina, Kenya, Nigeria, USA and Taiwan.

Leanne Alie, Content is Queen, Women’s podcast festival @ King’s Place

The last session I saw before heading home was the keynote from Leanne Alie. It was great to hear how she got to be a Commissioning Producer for BBC Sounds Audio Lab, and she was transparent about the details behind creating her passion project, Coiled. But more than anything else, her talk was a affirmation to be true to yourself, and to build each other up.