Story Islands Podcast

As our fourth episode of Story Islands (Season 2), we welcome Baroness Martha Lane Fox — entrepreneur, co-founder of lastminute.com, and one of the UK’s most influential voices on responsible technology and digital inclusion. This podcast episode is also available as an interactive experience 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/c4ec05c4   From the early days of the internet to shaping public digital services and advocating for a more human-centred tech culture, Martha’s career has been defined by innovation — and by a deep belief that opportunity and environment shape who we become. In this episode she shares her five Story Islands: My mum’s hotline for mums, Reading William Godwin, Learning about the internet at 21, Learning to walk again, and Reading War & Peace — as we explore resilience, leadership, and building a fairer future. We talk about: How our upbringing and context shape our values The early internet — and being a young woman in tech in 1994 What resilience really means after learning to walk again Why leadership must create hope, not just noise The power of books, big ideas, and multiple perspectives 🎵 Featured song Judy Garland — Get Happy Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/1wptnduBZppNvRHzR4SHI8 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. Who this episode is for If you’re interested in: Technology, inclusion, and responsible innovation Leadership and resilience in uncertain times The future of the internet and digital society New formats for podcasts, interviews and storytelling …this episode — and its interactive version — is designed for you. #StoryIslands #MarthaLaneFox #InteractivePodcast #ResponsibleTech #DigitalInclusion #NonlinearThinking

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

As our very special second episode of Story Islands (season 2), we welcome one of the most recognisable voices in British broadcasting — journalist, documentary-maker and broadcaster David Dimbleby. A conversation about curiosity, questioning, public trust and why asking the right questions has never mattered more — especially in a world saturated with certainty, data and noise. This 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/1d99a292 From BBC election nights and Question Time to long-form documentaries on democracy, monarchy and power, David Dimbleby’s career spans more than five decades of British media history. In this episode, he shares seven Story Islands — moments, places and turning points rather than neat chapters — as we explore how empathy, listening and discomfort shape meaningful journalism and storytelling. We talk about: • Why good interviewing is about listening, not performance • How empathy helps uncover uncomfortable truths • What live audiences bring to political debate • How trust between media and the public has shifted • Why curiosity — even about unpopular ideas — still matters   🎵 Featured song Béla Bartók — Unaccompanied Violin Sonata Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/3KWq1RIXAGe8avaGBwBngr?si=6b2b6629e32f4065   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: • Journalism, media trust and public discourse • How to ask better questions — professionally or personally • Long-form storytelling and documentary practice • New formats for podcasts, interviews and conversation …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 #DavidDimbleby #InteractivePodcast #Journalism #Curiosity #MediaTrust #NonLinearThinking  

As our inaugural episode, we welcome our very first guest to Story Islands (season 2): writer, broadcaster and former CEO Margaret Heffernan — a conversation about curiosity, uncertainty, collaboration and why artists may be better equipped than executives to lead us through a volatile world. This 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/0f9bf0e1 From BBC radio to Silicon Valley boardrooms, Margaret’s career has crossed media, technology, theatre and business. In this episode she shares her five Story Islands — Home, Business, Creative, Social and Desert — as we explore how imagination, solitude and non-linear thinking shape everything from leadership to innovation. We talk about: Why modern organisations are stuck in the “status quo trap” How walking, wandering and “deep hanging out” fuel creativity What artists understand about risk that businesses don’t Why curiosity is more important than efficiency • How collaboration is built on trust before results   🎵 Featured song Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/4k9zrWf9AExRYK6VatMIXi?si=1a4a86c6999645ee&nd=1&dlsi=ab012447dd044b8d   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: • Creative leadership and decision-making under uncertainty • The future of work, collaboration and trust • How artists think differently from institutions • 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 #MargaretHeffernan #InteractivePodcast #CreativeLeadership #NonlinearThinking

In this final episode in the series, founders Kate, Ru and CMO Natasha Mckenzie discuss the last year of innovation in Adaptive Media.  The technology and trends behind the surge in adoption and the potential for the media makers of the future.

In this episode, we talk to Nick Handley about his interactive trade show experience, made with tech agency, CyberTheory, and how interactive stands at trade shows can result in more leads and more engagement when promoting products and services.

In this episode, we talk to Paul Brennan about his interactive behavioural simulations for Virgin Media O2, teaching their field engineers and sales representatives about interacting with real life customers, and how a blend of interactive and traditional training can lead to game changing results.

In this episode, we talk to Paul Mallaghan from Tilt about their drink drive interactive awareness campaign they made for drinks company, Diageo. We also speak to Paul about how interactive campaigns can encourage behaviour and attitude change surrounding important social issues.

In this episode we talk to BAFTA and Webbie award winning director Martin Percy about his interactive training films, starting with Lifesaver - his powerful CPR campaign that has literally saved lives - along with the power of giving your audience agency and what he sees as the future of combining digital interactive experiences with in person training.

In this episode, we talk in-depth with Living Security's Director of Content Operations, Morgan Obregon, about their interactive past, present and future, as well as Living Security's latest production, Masquerade, an interactive, murder-mystery-style adventure.

In this episode we talk to BAFTA Cymru Award Nominee, Paul Rashcid, about the different stages of producing and delivering an interactive film, notably for Paul’s live viewings of these experiences. We also dive into the power of easter eggs in branching narratives, and where the merging of video games and films could take us.

Co-Founders Kate Dimbleby and Ru Howe speak with their CMO, Natasha McKenzie, about the origins of Stornaway.io and the world of interactive and immersive media.   This episode was recorded as an interactive video blog.  To see the full video version go to www.stornaway.io