It’s your turn to speak.
The People's Podium
The Challenge
During the pandemic, people in power stood behind their lecterns to address our nation.
They dominated the headlines with slogans and speeches about where we might be headed next.
At the same time, regular people quietly kept the country going.
The ones who stayed home. The key workers who looked after us. The volunteers who distributed food for their neighbours.
But we rarely heard from them. So we ran an open creative brief with our collective, which asked the following question:
How might we offer ordinary people a chance to speak, at this crucial moment in history?
The Glimpse
Imagine a world where...
everybody could use their voice
The People’s Podium is a platform for hope.
We built a lectern for people to share their hopes and dreams for the future, and visited the Manorfield Primary School in East London.
And with support from the Glimpse Collective, we helped people share their story, before recording their speeches for a short film.
The Impact
People who have never spoken in public stepped up to the podium to deliver heartfelt and inspiring speeches.
The speakers were transformed by the experience, leaving the room feeling powerful and heard.
It was so transformative to see the young students step up to the podium and air their views.
— Paul Jackson, Head teacher, Manorfield Primary School
These students often feel unheard outside of the classroom but this opportunity has really emboldened them.
The experience has inspired us to bring The People’s Podium to a wider audience.
And with help from the National Lottery’s Emerging Futures Fund, we’re taking the podium to three communities in the UK in early 2021.
Visit peoplespodium.uk to find out where the podium might be heading next.
The Team
The People’s Podium is made possible by our wonderful collective of volunteers, including:
Adam Norris, Alex Rawson, Bruno Chiecco, Elle McAll, Harri Kamalanathan, Jens Nielsen, Joe Rea, Josh Birch, Lorenzo Levrini, Nicolas di Matteo, Rachel King, Rafi Spangenthal, Regina Claros-Bolivar, Richard Hewitson, Richard Morgan, Tiphaine Tailleux