bettyball

How can you capture the mood of a country at war in a documentary?

With a uniquely poetical, musical filmmaking style, artist and filmmaker Prof. Esther Johnson was commissioned by 14-18 Now to create "Asunder" - a uniquely moving and vibrant documentary which interweaves narratives from conflict overseas with characters in the North East.

"Asunder tells the story of what happened to an English town during the First World War, with almost all of its men abroad fighting and its women and children left behind. The North East was in the front line, thanks to its shipyards and munitions factories."

Our host Betty Ball meets Esther to hear all about the process of creating Asunder - poring over a hundred sources of archive material, working with renowned presenters Kate Adie and Alun Armstrong, and the composition of original music which makes Asunder such a distinctive WW1 documentary.

Featuring original music from the soundtrack composed by Sunderland’s Mercury-nominated Field Music and Newcastle’s Warm Digits, performed with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and The Cornshed Sisters.

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Speak Up Sunderland is a podcast proudly produced in Sunderland, for Sunderland.

This episode was hosted by Betty Ball, and produced by Jay Sykes.

Our music was created by Timecrawler 82, and our logo and branding by Jorge Vinicio.

Join us on our journey:

Our website - SpeakUpSunderland.com Twitter - @SpeakUpSun Instagram - @SpeakUpSun or join us on our Facebook and YouTube!

"Oh my God. OH MY GOD! It's Betty and Stevie!! [Unintelligible.]"

From across the pond, living in Traverse City, Michigan, meet Mark Whitley - the self-proclaimed number one fan of Speak Up Sunderland. He's listened to every episode of Speak Up Sunderland. No, but for real, every. Single. Episode.

We wanted to surprise him with a video chat.  (In fact, everyone was surprised.  Betty was still in her dressing gown, bless!)

We reflected on some of our “favorite” moments throughout the series, and just why Mark loves podcasts!

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Speak Up Sunderland is a podcast proudly produced in Sunderland, for Sunderland.

Our hosts Betty Ball and Stevie B, and our producer is Jay Sykes.

Our music was created by Timecrawler 82, and our new logo and branding by Jorge Vinicio.

Join us on our journey:

Our website - SpeakUpSunderland.com Twitter - @SpeakUpSun Instagram - @SpeakUpSun or join us on our Facebook and YouTube!

Meet "Wor Vera", a.k.a. singer Deborah Taylor-Smith, who's donating her time and her voice by performing songs from throughout the decades outside care home residents across the North East.

As care homes across the country are losing lives to COVID-19, Deb, who's studying BA Performing Arts at the University of Sunderland, is lifting spirits for residents when they're in need of positivity more than ever.

"I have to hold back tears. A lot of the places I go to, the care homes, people are living with dementia. They can't remember that they've just had food before the show, they don't remember what happened five minutes ago.

"But as soon as I start singing these songs, they light up, they wave flags, they're dancing. It's overwhelming."

Join us as hosts Betty Ball & Stevie B meet Deborah back at the last Speak Up Sunderland Live before the COVID-19 outbreak began, at the Fire Station in Sunderland.

Hear about her journey; from gaining confidence and realising her talent, to beginning singing in public, booking gigs, and making a successful living from singing.

Featuring Abbie Bianchi, and Angie Cumerford.

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We want to be your platform if you have anything to share with us - how you're feeling, how you've been affected, or your family, your business, your wellbeing - absolutely anything.

Please send us a voice recording as a private message on our Facebook - we'll be using content in our upcoming episodes.

--- --- ---

Speak Up Sunderland is a podcast proudly produced in Sunderland, for Sunderland.

Our hosts Betty Ball and Stevie B, and our producer is Jay Sykes.

Our music (heavily butchered this episode!) was created by Timecrawler 82, and our new logo and branding by Jorge Vinicio.

Join us on our journey:

Our website - SpeakUpSunderland.com Twitter - @SpeakUpSun Instagram - @SpeakUpSun or join us on Facebook!

Our hosts Betty Ball and Stevie B get together for a call after a really intense week.

Now with his job as a deep cleaner classifying him as a "key worker", Stevie B shares his experience of deep cleaning tower blocks of COVD-19.

It's not all doom and gloom - Betty gets sloshed in the bath, and we learn the etiquette of proper underwear.

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We want to be your platform if you have anything to share with us - how you're feeling, how you've been affected, or your family, your business, your wellbeing - absolutely anything.

Please send us a voice recording as a private message on our Facebook - we'll be using content in our upcoming episodes.

--- --- ---

Speak Up Sunderland is a podcast proudly produced in Sunderland, for Sunderland.

Our hosts Betty Ball and Stevie B, and our producer is Jay Sykes.

Our music (heavily butchered this episode!) was created by Timecrawler 82, and our new logo and branding by Jorge Vinicio.

Join us on our journey:

Our website - SpeakUpSunderland.com Twitter - @SpeakUpSun Instagram - @SpeakUpSun or join us on Facebook!

Red Riding Blood.  Witches put to trial.  The monsters behind the screen.  This is the Speak Up Sunderland Halloween Special.

Spooky stories for Halloween, read by 6 members of Spectral Visions Press, a publishing house based at the University of Sunderland who focus on the gothic, horror, and macabre.

Joining us live to share stories at the Fire Station in Sunderland were Spectral Visions' two founders:

• Dr. Alison Younger - Programme Leader, MA English Studies
• Colin Younger - Senior Lecturer, English and Creative Writing

"Gothic is sexy, gothic is everything. Our students loved it, so we set Spectral Visions up so they had somewhere to publish it. It's not just students - we encourage anyone from Sunderland to submit work."

"When students leave university, they don't just leave with a degree, but they leave with work experience from a publishing house, and with published writing. So it's a good first step on the ladder."

And with poetry / creative writing readings from:

• Carolyn Thomas
• Rubin Blue
• Lizzy Hergraves
• Anthony Anderson

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Speak Up Sunderland is a podcast proudly produced in Sunderland, for Sunderland.

Our hosts Betty Ball and Stevie B, and our producer is Jay Sykes.

Our music (heavily butchered this episode!) was created by Timecrawler 82, and our new logo and branding by Jorge Vinicio.

Join us on our journey:

Our website - SpeakUpSunderland.com Twitter - @SpeakUpSun Instagram - @SpeakUpSun or join us on Facebook!

Work on a £11million new music venue in Sunderland's city centre has just begun, alongside the redeveloped Fire Station.

When it opens in 2021, the "Auditorium" promises to be Sunderland's answer to mid-size venues - a 450-seater venue with music and theatre performances around the year. It's part of the MAC Trust's continued plans to develop a cultural quarter in Sunderland.

Rebecca Ball, Creative Director of Sunderland Culture, joins hosts Betty Ball and Stevie B to share the latest developments in Sunderland.

Click here for a full transcript of this episode.

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Speak Up Sunderland is a podcast proudly produced in Sunderland, for Sunderland.

Our hosts Betty Ball and Stevie B, and our producer is Jay Sykes.

Our music was created by Timecrawler 82, and our new logo and branding by Jorge Vinicio.

Join us on our journey:

Our website - SpeakUpSunderland.com Twitter - @SpeakUpSun Instagram - @SpeakUpSun or join us on Facebook!

40 days at sea.  6 metre waves.  A diet of 10,000 calories a day.  And four men in a rowing boat, battling all kinds of waves, wind and weather to cross the Atlantic.

Meet John Adams - he's taking on a fierce competition called the "Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge". Along with three other crew mates, Derek Spence, John Ford, and Colin Corfield, John will be testing his endurance and his limits.

It's all in aid of raising money for the Scots Guards Charity, supporting serving and retired soldiers, and their families.  Find more about their campaign Row 4 Heroes, including how you can help support the charity.

Hear Betty probe John about how he's going to go to the bathroom, how long dairy products are going to last, and so much more.

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Speak Up Sunderland is a podcast proudly produced in Sunderland, for Sunderland.

Our hosts Betty Ball and Stevie B, and our producer is Jay Sykes.

Our music was created by Timecrawler 82, and our new logo and branding by Jorge Rodrigues.

Join us on our journey:

Our website - SpeakUpSunderland.com Twitter - @SpeakUpSun Instagram - @SpeakUpSun or join us on Facebook!

Cut the cake, put on a "cheap and nasty tat" foam hat, and celebrate our first birthday with us! ONE YEAR OLD, BABY!

Betty, Stevie, and a gathering of local listeners at the Fire Station in Sunderland, reflect back on the first season of the podcast.

We share some of the first season highlights, some success stories that have emerged from bringing Sunderland residents together, and our hosts' recent trip across the Atlantic to New York.

Speak Up Sunderland is a finalist in the New York Festivals Radio Awards 2019 - Best Podcast: Arts & Culture.

We are endlessly grateful to financial support from Sunderland City Council. It's because of you that Betty and Stevie were able to visit New York to collect their certificate.

We are so proud of this city, and we're thrilled to have represented you in New York!

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Speak Up Sunderland is a podcast proudly produced in Sunderland, for Sunderland.

Our hosts Betty Ball and Stevie B, and our producer is Jay Sykes.

With music by Timecrawler 82, and our new logo and branding is made by Jorge Rodrigues.

Join us on our journey:

Our website - SpeakUpSunderland.com Twitter - @SpeakUpSun Instagram - @SpeakUpSun or join us on Facebook!