#Chances4Children: Care leaver launches podcast exploring history of care
Thursday, April 8, 2021
A 20-year-old care leaver has launched a podcast exploring the depiction of children in care through the ages.
Julian Brown has launched Foundling: Found, a new fortnightly podcast series in partnership with the UK’s oldest children’s charity Coram.
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Alongside guests including author of the Tracy Beaker and Hetty Feather books, Dame Jacqueline Wilson, founding director of social enterprise Madlug, Dave Linton, historian Lucinda Hawksley, and young people with experience of the care system, Brown looks at stories of care dating back as far as the 1700s over 12 fortnightly programmes.
It comes as part of Coram’s new four-year programme, Voices Through Time: The Story of Care, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The programme will see the digitisation of Coram’s archive dating back to when it was established as the Foundling Hospital in 1739, alongside a series of creative projects with care-experienced young people, enabling them to explore the past and present of care and effect change for the future.
Episode 3, 2 days to go
— Foundling:Found (@FoundFoundling) April 7, 2021
“No child should carry their life in a plastic shopping bag” Dave Linton founder of @wearemadlug
.@FoundFoundling a podcast series that focusses on the stigma .vs. #therealstoriesofcare hosted by @julianbr231 and supported by @Coram
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Inspired by Brown’s involvement in the programme so far, Foundling: Found will explore parallels between the experiences of Foundling Hospital pupils and those in the modern-day care system.
The podcast series is one of the pieces of creative content being produced by young people that are being shared as part of the programme’s #RealStoriesOfCare campaign.
Brown said: "I’m interested in politics and the future of the care system: how present and past perceptions of those in care has an impact on how society as a whole has a view on young people in care.
“Also, how living in care affects the rest of your life in different aspects and how the journey of care can affect your life. I have found the process of creating the podcast very interesting. It is giving me the opportunity to learn different skills and express how I truly feel.”
Amy Cotterill, programme manager of the Story of Care campaign, added: “Julian's profound insights into the care experience and thoughtful interviews with guests make for compelling listening. We are proud to have supported him in his exploration of real stories of care.”
The first two episodes of Foundling: Found are now available on Spotify, Amazon Music, and Audible. Find out more at coramstory.org.uk/explore/content/blog/foundling-found-a-new-podcast-series/