2021 Winners
On 23 April the five winners of the Charles Parker Prize were announced by Richard Knight, BBC Radio 4’s Commissioning Editor for Factual Programmes. He was impressed with all the finalists’ features which were ‘compelling stories, well told’ and all gave him ‘something to think about’. But there can only be five winners and his selection, from the 10 finalists nominated by the Charles Parker Prize Judging Panel, has allowed him to spread across the week a series of pieces by New Storytellers that ‘demonstrate a mix of stories and styles, treatments and voices’.
This year the judges were Mair Bosworth, Mukti Jane Campion, Charlotte Runcie, Philip Sellars and Simon Elmes (chair). Here are the results and the judges’ citations for all the nominees.
Gold Award
40 Years On: Remembering the New Cross Fire - Magdalena Moursy, Goldsmiths, University Of London
The judges praised “an extremely moving and well-crafted feature that is true to the spirit of Charles Parker while doing something fresh and entirely its own.” They appreciated the feature’s “utterly compelling storytelling from start to finish with confident interplay of voices and music.” “There are some wonderful voices and moments in this documentary” commented another judge, “the use of poetry and music is incredibly powerful and creates some memorable moments.” “The story unfolds beautifully,” said one juror, “with a broad scope and well-explored context given for racism in Britain, backgrounding a sharp focus on the individual experience.” A third praised the programme’s “beautifully recorded testimonies about a chapter of the UK’s history that deserves to be much better known.” “I loved it.”
Magdalena, in addition to the BBC Radio 4 broadcast receives a professional SADiE Radio Producer editing system and a 2 week placement in the BBC Radio’s Documentaries Unit.
Prizewinners
Read My Lips - Isobel Howe – University of the West of England
The judges liked this ‘beautifully told personal story’ of a woman who was born with a cleft palate. They praised its ‘strong opening’; it was ‘completely absorbing… I liked the arc of the story and what I learned’, ‘a beautifully told personal story which does a good job of broadening out the topic and bringing light and shade.’ It consisted of ‘a touching interview with some visceral and moving moments’; ‘Danielle, the subject and principal speaker, is articulate, funny and open… The programme has very good use of pace and pauses. This is an assured piece.’
The Bathing Place - Hunter Charlton – Goldsmiths, University Of London
The judges very much liked this programme about Oxford’s nude male bathing place, Parson’s Pleasure: ‘a lovely idea, beautifully explored and well told with great use of music;’ a ‘rather nice take’, with a ‘really effective blend of testimonies, archive, texts, sound design and script.’ It was ‘a lovely engrossing listen, with a great mix of oral history, music, poetry and effects. The feature wore its research lightly but was deeply enriched by it.’ ‘It’s witty as well and navigates the history without plodding… Fine work.’
Outsider Sisters - Chantal Herbert – University of Sunderland
‘It had a great flow and groove (excellent use of speech against music) which for me made it a bettter listen than some of the more polished pieces’. They praised its ‘skilled and creative use of medium and vivid contributions… A lovely piece.’
He’s Only A Cleaner - Emma Millen – University of Sunderland
This is a powerful piece of testimony to front-line workers by an articulate industrial cleansing operative. ‘It was a compelling account of working life in the best Charles Parker Radio Ballad tradition and captured the hardship and heartache of this Covid year perfectly’; ‘a refreshing perspective on the role of key workers in the pandemic, and a moving interview very well done’… ‘where the subject opens up and…which the producer has edited well – choosing clips carefully and setting them in an order that unfolds the story and deepens our understanding’; ‘its simplicity is its strength. A very strong entry.’
Other Nominees:
Imad Al-Suliman’s Journey Of Death - Ben Tulloh - Goldsmiths, University Of London
The judges liked this ‘powerful first-person narrative’ of a refugee’s journey to safety in Europe. ‘Sound effects created an eerie sense of liminality and suspense’ … ‘an atmospheric and poetic treatment of an important contemporary story’. ‘Imad has a good warm voice, and his reading is well inflected and powerful’. It was ‘really well made with some great use of subtle sound design and music and well-recorded interview and script.’
Beyond The Cold - Kate White - University of The West of England
This is the story of Rowan, a formerly troubled woman with body-image issues, who found solace in cold-water swimming. This was, according to the judges ‘a contemporary idea developed with a lovely rhythm and sense of poetry and appreciation of sound’; they liked its ‘well recorded actuality…a beautifully mixed piece’; ‘the use of readings about water adds a degree of serenity and otherness…’ with ‘a lovely rhythm and sense of poetry and appreciation of sound.’
A Doctor And A Violin - Mariana Araújo Ramos Maia Gonçalves - Goldsmiths, University Of London
The judges called this ‘an anthem to life’, ‘a beautifully unfolding story with good use of music and sound effects which takes you through the emotional highs and lows of an Intensive Care specialist’s job’. It was, said one, ‘excellent…deserves its place,’ ‘the music is very strong and well-used’ commented another; ‘a simple idea done w ell – good contributor, beautiful music, very well developed and told.’
Finding My Frequency - Shelley Gates - University of Salford
This confidently presented documentary about autism in the media was, according to the judges, a ‘well-told personal story with energy and good pace.’ It was ‘interesting to hear a piece from an autistic person’s perspective, rather than about an autistic person by a neurotypical person. Well scripted and presented with some playful, interesting use of sound.’ They praised its ‘engrossing start, interesting content’; ‘an articulate and punchy professional piece with high production values.’
Make It Happen - Stephen Bissett - University of Sunderland
‘This is in many ways an amazing programme’, commented one judge. “Its central character and narrator, Stephen, is remarkably powerful,’ and, said another, ‘I loved the actuality the producer had captured and thought it was composed in a really interesting, original way that felt true to the spirit of Charles Parker.’ A third called it a ‘very well developed and told story with a lovely pace, sound texture and scope to it, with great use of music, conversation and contributors.’ The sound quality was in places a little poor, but ‘this is a brilliant, if flawed, piece of work.’
