Introducing the VOICEBOX podcast. 

Bold, fearless conversations where arts, culture and the issues that matter collide. 
The big sibling that listens and never judges.  

Watch the VOICEBOX podcast trailer here 

Press materials available here 

Now more than ever, young people need spaces to connect, be heard and engage with the issues that matter to them. That’s where the VOICEBOX  podcast comes in.  
Co-hosted by BBC 1Xtra host Fee Mak and presenter Gaby Mendes, VOICEBOX brings arts, culture and big ideas together, offering bold, fearless and relevant perspectives on the issues impacting all of us.  

With youth services under pressure and underfunded, dropping by 10% in 2024/25 alone – the lowest in nearly a decade – and social media replacing traditional news for the majority of the UK’s 16–24-year-olds, VOICEBOX responds to this gap with a vital space for young voices at a time when they’re needed most.  

From what we can do to combat climate change to tackling misogyny online and knowing your rights, VOICEBOX is here to show the challenges facing the next generation are not just theirs alone: the decisions, policies and cultural shifts in our everyday lives shape the world we all share. 

Recorded at The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival in 2025, the podcast grew from the VOICEBOX platform, a free, inclusive and live event space created by arts charity Cheltenham Festivals in 2021. 

In its first season, listeners will hear from creatives and changemakersshaping the conversation on urgent challenges facing our world, featuring:  

• Award-winning women’s rights campaigner Patsy Stevenson,reflecting on life after going viral and why underrepresented voices are vital to creating sustainable and ethical tech and AI.
• ‘Barrister of the Year’, Christian Weaver on understanding your rights in  
  post-Stephen Lawrence Britain, access to justice, and how law can empower marginalised communities.
• Poets Hollie McNish and Laurie Bolger on how poetry isn't just for expression; it's a safe space to express and create community through art and explore typically ‘taboo’ topics.
• Climate campaigner, scholar and educator Joycelyn Longdon on connecting climate, culture and justice, and inspiring young people to act for the planet.
• All Tangled Up author and #iwill ambassador Charli Clement on growing up neurodivergent, navigating healthcare and education, and championing queer and inclusive spaces.
• Writer and LGBTQ+ campaigner Ellen Jones on disability justice, queer and trans inclusion, and how culture and publishing shape whose voices are heard and protected. 

The first episode of the VOICEBOX podcast with host Gaby Mendes and guest Patsy Stevenson will be available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube from Tuesday 10 March.  

Interviews with founder Emma Whittle and hosts Gaby Mendes and Fee Mak are available by request. 

For further information please contact Jade Beard, PR & Communications Manager at [email protected]