Audible invests £40k in West Midlands-based young storytellers
Audible has announced the latest recipients of its Future Stories Fund, investing more than £40,000 in three grassroots organisations across the West Midlands to support young people aged 16 to 25 from historically marginalised communities.
The Future Stories Fund was launched to help unlock the potential of young people whose exclusion from mainstream opportunities has negatively impacted their literacy and aspirations. Through creative projects rooted in storytelling – from poetry and podcasting to theatre and audio production – the fund provides skills, confidence and platforms for young voices to be heard.
The latest West Midlands cohort follows the successful 2024 round in north-west England, where each organisation received up to £15,000 to deliver high-impact projects engaging disadvantaged youth.
Sophie Plateau, community impact manager at Audible, emphasised the programme’s importance: “We are proud to support these projects, which align perfectly with our commitment to amplifying diverse voices in storytelling. The Future Stories Fund is part of Audible’s ongoing social impact work, dedicated to improving literacy and aspirations among young people from disadvantaged and marginalised groups. By investing in these young people, we believe we can foster a new wave of creativity and help build a more inclusive society where every story has the chance to be heard.
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The 2025, West Midlands grantees include Powerhouse, Herefordshire for Amplify, its inaugural six-month storytelling and audio production programme for 50 young people from some of Herefordshire’s most deprived areas. Participants will take part in scriptwriting workshops and produce short-form audio dramas and podcasts based on their lived experiences.
Additionally, Inspire Hub Central will be funded to deliver Beyond the Margins, a new initiative combining poetry, podcasting, theatre and playwriting for 16 to 18 year-olds from Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Somali and other underrepresented backgrounds. Monthly workshops, mentoring and live showcases will explore identity, heritage and self-expression.
Finally, Calathea Arts has been selected as a grantee to launch Street Art Solihull, a creative storytelling programme for neurodiverse young people aged 16 to 25. Through eight workshops in poetry, spoken word and performance, participants will explore and respond to local street art. Interviews with artists and original soundscapes will culminate in a public audio-visual exhibition.
