Behind the success of the Prison Radio Association is our dedicated, hardworking staff team who make the world of prison radio in England and Wales tick. Here, we get to know them and spotlight their experience of working for the Prison Radio Association.
Arthur is our Head of Content Innovation. This year, alongside presenter Lady Unchained, he won Gold for Best Specialist Music Show for Free Flow at the 2024 ARIAS – the Oscars of the radio industry. Here is his story:
How long have you been working at the Prison Radio Association? What were you doing before?
Before working for Prison Radio Association, I was at University studying Photojournalism.
My final year project was investigating how community radio stations like National Prison Radio can support marginalised groups of people. It was only meant to be a day’s photography at National Prison Radio, but I’m still here 10 years later!
I mainly produce audio now, but you can still see some of my old University photographs on National Prison Radio promotional material.
What does a typical day at work look like for you?
A typical day at work for me might involve hitting the road to record a ‘Takeover Day‘ at one of the 100+ prisons across England and Wales. In this weekly series, National Prison Radio hands over the mic to a different prison, to shine a light on inspirational stories, rehabilitative courses and life-changing support. All of the interviews we record are broadcast in a special series of shows, hosted by prisoners in that establishment.
I also produce Free Flow, the award-winning rap instrumental show where Lady Unchained plays the beat twice so you can get your bars right. Free Flow is made in partnership with the reading charity Shannon Trust and was recently profiled in The Guardian by journalist Ciaran Thapar.
Alongside this I also collaborate with Prison Radio Association colleagues to develop new programme formats and ideas.
What is the best thing about working at the Prison Radio Association?
The best thing about working at the Prison Radio Association is the relationship we have with our listeners. It’s always incredible when someone approaches you on a prison visit to tell you about how they’ve been inspired to make a change by something they’ve heard on National Prison Radio. Many people are keen to share that story into our microphone, and so the cycle of inspiration continues.
Knowing that the audio we’re producing might be reaching someone in the darkest moment of their life is a big responsibility that everyone at the charity takes very seriously.
What is something you wish everybody understood about the realities of working in prison?
The thing I wish more people knew about prison is how many prisoners have experienced some kind of life-changing trauma or disadvantage in their early years. Addressing this would probably reduce the amount of prisoners and victims of crime.
What is your favourite podcast or radio show currently?
My favourite radio show at the moment is the R4 documentary ‘Ballad of The Alcohol Tag’, created by former National Prison Radio presenter Scout Bolton, and Prison Radio Association colleagues Andrew Wilkie/Ellen Orchard. It’s a rollercoaster ride through mental health, alcohol addiction and prison, woven together by Scout’s touching poetry and Andrew’s immersive sound design. Scout is an amazing storyteller and I was lucky enough to take her portrait for the BBC Sounds page.
What is the song that you would use to sum up your time working at the Prison Radio Association?
The song I would use to sum up my time at Prison Radio Association is anything titled ‘New Monkey’ on YouTube. The New Monkey was a legendary North-East nightclub that showcased a mix of upbeat Hard Trance and Makina. The club closed years ago, but people will still ask us to find specific songs that feature on random occasions, like a set from Halloween 2004. Tracking down the tunes can be hard, but I’m happy to be able to bring that small bit of joy to someone… especially if it keeps them listening to our talk shows!
If you’d like to stay up to speed with what’s going on with the Prison Radio Association you can follow us on:
X – @prisonradiouk
Instagram – @prisonradiouk
TikTok – @prisonradiouk
Facebook – Prison Radio Association
LinkedIn – Prison Radio Association
National Prison Radio is the world’s first national radio station for people in prison. It’s available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on in-cell TV. National Prison Radio and reaches over 80,000 people behind bars across England and Wales.
National Prison Radio was founded by the Prison Radio Association – a registered charity. Shows like Takeover Tuesdays and Free Flow help people to cope with life inside prison and thrive on release. If you would like to support our work, and enhance the futures of people in prison across the UK you can make a donation at prison.radio/donate.
