Acast launches The Elements podcast hosted by Thredbo landslide survivor Stuart Diver
Stuart Diver fronts a new podcast which explores stories of surviving natural disasters.
Diver himself was the sole survivor of the 1997 Thredbo Landslide, and the podcast, titled The Elements, comes during the tragedy’s 24th anniversary.
The podcast is part of the Acast Creator Network, and is produced by award-winning writer and producer, Tim Russell. Its audio producer and composer is Slade Gibson, who won a Gold Walkley for his work with journalist Hedley Thomas on the international #1 podcast hit, The Teacher’s Pet.
The Elements will use archival audio and immersive soundscapes to bring never-before-told stories to life.
Each episode of season one will focus on one of the elements, and cover an event such as Cyclone Tracy, the Newcastle Earthquake, the 2019/20 Black Summer, and the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Disaster.
Slade Gibson, audio producer of The Elements, said he’s drawn drawn to stories of how people overcome obstacles or traumatic events in their lives.
“It’s that universal idea of finding the strength within that they maybe didn’t know they had. Putting together this series has been incredible in so many ways, but hearing the unique, personal perspective of how these people have survived these events that have affected entire communities creates a real emotional connection to the tragedy.”
Adam Rollo, Acast’s content development manager for Australia and New Zealand, said the podcast’s launched proved the power of the medium.
“The Australian podcast industry is thriving right now, and it really speaks to the strength and appeal of the medium when two highly decorated creatives like Tim and Slade choose podcasting as their next storytelling home.
“Covering these incredible stories of tragedy and heroism with cinematic-like detail offers such a rich and engrossing audio experience for listeners, which really is the first of its kind in Australia. With The Elements now part of our stable of content, and as the home of independent podcasts, the team and I look forward to working alongside Tim, Slade and Pivot Studios to share these important stories.”