21 year old Bea Harmston, born and raised in West Sussex, is a third year student from the University of Birmingham. She studies Liberal Arts and is currently on her exchange year in the Netherlands. Here she writes about the new podcast series she has embarked on.

“What began as a blog written by sixteen year old me who was adamant she would never attach her face to her words, has now become a fully-fledged podcast, promoted visually and proudly.

The podcast, named ‘that is the question’ was, and continues to be, about encouraging empathy and curiosity. (Find the podcast HERE)

Platforming the voices of others was my primary incentive. Selfishly, so that I could learn and expand my awareness by speaking with guests. When I’m listening to my interviewee respond to a question I often find myself filled with a level of excitement and inspiration which can only be described as awe.

Communication is the bedrock of society. It allows us to access knowledge, intimacy, connection and community. If I can reach even a handful of people and give them access to the same feeling of inspiration I experience, I have achieved my goal.

So in 2023, with the initial motivational nudge from my Dad who bought me a microphone, I threw myself into creating the podcast with the mindset that if I was passionate enough about my why I could figure the rest out on the job. And I have undoubtedly done a lot of figuring out in the last two and a half years!

My podcast platforms discussions about social and political issues through the gaze of a young feminist.

We are so impatient in the way we consume media, conduct our relationships, and go about day to day tasks. I am frequently guilty of wanting to do things quickly and efficiently before moving onto the next task on my list. Therefore, with my interview episodes, I invite listeners to sit with ideas that may take longer to develop, that require contemplation because of their complexity. I want people to flirt with the idea of engaging with different possibilities and perspectives.

We are in danger of becoming so caught up in our independent spheres of reference that we lose sight of the bigger picture and the things which unite us. I think life is about compassion, connection, and community. And in a deeply troubling political climate, it is of paramount importance that we listen, we take the time to engage, and we attempt to empathise with those who have different experiences to us.

With this growing sense of my mission with the podcast, two months ago I decided to create a mini series of solo episodes. These shorter episodes delve into a question or topic area which my audience have contributed to, where I engage with their ideas before complimenting them with my own.

These episodes have explored themes including; micro acts of feminism, toxic masculinity, female safety, sex myths, and the controversy of cosmetic procedures. Set up in my university bedroom with a cushion on the floor, my microphone attached to my bedside table, and laptop on the bed, I have found myself marginally surprised by how easy it is to have a conversation with myself for thirty minutes every week, even when the washing machine threatens to disrupt the flow by loudly reverberating through the flat.

I am optimistic about 2026 as a year for further growth and expansion of this project which I am so passionate about. Social change, after all, begins with conversation.”