Source to Sea

THREE MESMERISING SCOTTISH JOURNEYS with Lee Craigie and Jenny Graham

Client: Adventure Syndicate with support of the Audio Content Fund

Brief: Series of podcasts to reflect the exploits and thoughts of two Scottish endurance cyclists as they travel by bike and raft down three Scottish rivers, enhanced by new songs from folk singer Julie Fowlis

Tandem process: Created a timeline and overall plan for the series. Provided equipment, plans and questions for Lee and Jenny. Commissioned folk singer Julie Fowlis to write songs for the series. Edited and mixed the podcasts. Set up broadcasts on local radio stations in Scotland and online delivery.

Project

The not-for-profit Adventure Syndicate uses the inspiring stories of women adventuring by bike to encourage people to push their perceived limitations. Supported by the Audio Content Fund, Tandem devised a series of short podcasts with the title Source to Sea, to be broadcast on local and community radio stations in Scotland, and then to be made available to all via digital platforms. 

The podcasts followed endurance cyclists Lee Craigie and Jenny Graham as they made their way slowly on bikes and with pack rafts and tents down the course of three Scottish rivers, the Dee, the Tay and the Clyde, ending up at the Cop 26 conference in Glasgow.

After planning the series with Lee and Jenny, covering in detail where they were going and who they were likely to meet along the way, Tandem kitted them out with appropriate gear for on- location recording and instructions on how to use it. The equipment had to be robust and weatherproof as Lee and Jenny were going to be out in the countryside, on bikes and on the river on small packrafts. 

We then commissioned the award-winning folk singer and songwriter Julie Fowlis to write and record three new songs that reflected the three river journeys. 

The content was edited into 15 short episodes, tied together with links from Lee and Jenny. We also created 3 longer episodes, each representing one river journey. The podcasts were broadcast on a range of local and community radio stations in Scotland and are hosted on various digital platforms.