Floating Space Wins International Women’s Podcast Award

Sometimes, the good guys do win. Creativity wins out over artistic pandering and network-supported copycatting. This is one of those times. 

We'll let Katie Stokes, creator/host of Floating Space, tell you herself. 

Katie exclaims: "

I can’t believe I get to say this…Floating Space just won an International Women’s Podcast Award." 

Katie continues: "I’m still in disbelief, especially to have won alongside Kill List by Caroline Thornham
and Amalie Sortland. THANK YOU to all the judges that listened to my work, and immense gratitude to Naomi Mellor and Jennie Becker for creating such an exciting, supportive, and inclusive space for podcasters to share their work."

Katie relates the origin story of her award-winning podcast. 

"A year ago, I pitched this podcast from a place of loneliness, and last night I got to spotlight the wonderful people that opened their doors to Floating Space and celebrate with the brilliant audio community. Big love to fellow nominee Marnie Duke and judge Verity de Cala for all the support last night – if you’re itching for more Transmission Roundhouse, their work is just brilliant!"

For those not familiar yet with the podcast, let me refresh your memory. 

In her own words, freelance audio producer, podcaster, podcast host, writer, and educator Katie Stokes explains the origin of her new podcast, Floating Space. 

Katie shares: "The theme really came from my own loneliness, moving to London as a remote worker and feeling quite overwhelmed by building community as a working adult."

Katie's work explores mental health, social relationships, and identity, and her exploration has taken the form of Floating Space, powered by Transmission Roundhouse.

 

You must understand a bit of Katie's life journey to comprehend Floating Space.

"I'm from Hong Kong – born and raised there until I moved to the U.K. in 2017 to study Psychology. I was working as an editor for an education publisher through Covid when I really fell in love with podcasts and audio art."

Like many indie podcasters, Katie began with an audio project she was passionate about.

Katie explains: "I decided I wanted to give it a go and developed my first podcast Re:Mind The Podcast, looking at how small things impact our mental health in a big way, as a passion project. From there, I took short courses on podcasting at UCL and Roundhouse, spent a lot of time self-teaching audio production, and developed Floating Space with Transmission Roundhouse."

 

 Floating Space debuted on May 1. She begins the podcast by asking, "Do you know what a third place is?" Katie then posits that we are meant to have three places in our lives.

"Home, work, and a third place where you belong," Katie explains in the podcast. "That third place is where you exist."

 

In the show, Katie asks, "What happens when the place you live becomes the place where you work?"

 

Her answer is one that should concern us. "It's when your life becomes a lot smaller." 

In episode one, Katie introduced herself to listeners. "Hi, I'm Katie. I'm 25. I live in London, and I'm lonely."

Katie continues: "As I say in episode one, my social media algorithm laid the concept of third places at my feet, and the podcast helped facilitate my mission to make friends and find my own third place. Studying psychology and being mixed race growing up in Hong Kong has really informed a lot of my work in exploring identity and belonging, so that was definitely a driving factor for this show, at least on a subconscious level."

Listeners should join host Katie Stokes as she searches for the third places we belong. The entire sonic experience feels somewhat ethereal, with Stokes amplifying that sensory notion through her deliberate, breathless delivery. 

Stokes is an ideal sonic tour guide to that elusive third place, and I urge you to follow her on her quest by listening to Floating Space.

 

Congratulations Katie. It's an award well-deserved, and it validates the work you've done so far and what you will accomplish in the future.