Rebecca Atkinson on Disability, Imagination & Building New Worlds | Story Islands S2E3

As our third episode of Story Islands (Season 2), we welcome writer, producer and disability innovator Rebecca Atkinson - a conversation about imagination, representation, creativity, and building new worlds when life refuses to follow a straight line. 🏆 Mixmups recognition: Rebecca’s series Mixmups has been selected as a finalist for the Prix Jeunesse International 2026 in the Fiction category for the episode “The Hurry Up Sandwich,” showcasing Ultra Access® technology and over 4,000 ways to watch. 🎥 Watch the The Hurry Up Sandwich interactive episode here: https://player.stornaway.io/embed/e46e9c5d This podcast episode is also available as an interactive podcast in Stornaway, where you can choose which Story Island to visit in any order. 🎥 Watch the interactive podcast version here: https://player.stornaway.io/embed/6bd0551c From children’s television at the BBC to creating Mixmups — a TV series where disabled characters exist naturally, not as “issues” — Rebecca’s work has transformed how disability is seen in childhood culture. In this episode she shares her five Story Islands: Blue Peter, My Step-sister, My Diagnosis at 17, Birkbeck University, and Tinkerbell — as we explore how creativity, solitude, and unexpected collisions shape innovation. We talk about: What happens when your life begins to “zigzag” instead of moving in a straight line Why children “fill in the blanks” when representation is missing How Toy Like Me went viral with one tiny pink cochlear implant on Tinkerbell How disability and imagination collide to create new cultural aesthetics Why creativity often comes from uncertainty, not efficiency 🎵 Featured song Dire Straits — Brothers in Arms Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/5t3ClpjiJUTCHKODTPrW8i About Stornaway.io Stornaway is the way to build interactive experiences that are smart and personalised – whether you’re in marketing, learning, communications or content production. Stornaway’s modular “Story Map” flowchart editor is an interactive video builder that enables you to: Guide your audiences down different routes with personalised content Track engagement and insight, without tech headaches Get up and running in minutes Find out more and get started now at www.stornaway.io Why this podcast is interactive Story Islands is designed as a non-linear podcast experience. Instead of listening from start to finish, you can explore ideas as places — jumping between themes, revisiting moments, and choosing your own route through the conversation. This episode uses interactive video to turn a long-form interview into something closer to a landscape of ideas — reflecting how creative thinking actually works: associative, exploratory and personal. Who this episode is for If you’re interested in: Disability, storytelling and representation in childhood culture Creative leadership shaped by lived experience Innovation born from imagination and constraint New formats for podcasts, interviews and storytelling …this episode — and its interactive version — is designed for you. About interactive podcasts Interactive podcasts combine video, structure and choice to let audiences explore conversations in their own way. Rather than a single linear narrative, they offer multiple entry points and paths — making complex ideas easier to navigate and revisit. Story Islands is built using Stornaway’s interactive content tools, allowing creators to design conversations as experiences, not just recordings. #StoryIslands #RebeccaAtkinson #InteractivePodcast #DisabilityRepresentation #Mixmups #NonlinearThinking