Creating Portraits of Prosperity with Thriving
With Technical.ly Media, we produced 10 audio documentary profiles featuring a diverse group of Philadelphians carving out their own paths to prosperity. Lead reporter Nichole Currie followed each person for a year, reporting on what obstacles and opportunities they confronted while attempting to economically thrive.
Client
Technical.ly Media
Distributor
Technical.ly Media
Services
Audio Storytelling / Research & Reporting / Field & Studio Recording / Mixing & Mastering / Sound Design
Overview
Technical.ly Media had been working on Thriving — a multi-year initiative aimed at centering and collecting the lived experiences of Philadelphians, a project backed by the William Penn Foundation and Pew Charitable Trusts. The goal of which was to generate insights about the economic opportunities and obstacles along their journeys to financial security and freedom.
While the data they were collecting was hugely important, they wanted to create a centerpiece for the project that would combine powerful storytelling with their research and statistics. So, in 2022, Technical.ly CEO Christopher Wink reached out to us with an exciting and ambitious project proposal: Would we want to follow 10 individuals over the course of a year with the goal of creating intimate audio documentary profiles? We jumped at the opportunity.
EPISODE 1: Afghan refugee Ghulam Danish (left) and family | Photo by Dominique Nichole
EPISODE 9: Lead Reporter, Nichole Currie, interviewing childcare worker, Linda Hines | Photo by Dominique Nichole
Our lead reporter Nichole Currie found 10 Philadelphians who matched the featured characteristics of key demographic groups defined by the Technical.ly team. Some of these folks included a recent refugee from Afghanistan trying to make a home in Philly for his family, an urban farmer trying to scale her business, and a clown hoping to elevate his show to the next level.
Hosted by Nichole Currie, each documentary profile dives deep into each person’s life, their paths to economic success, and their hopes and dreams for the future. Technical.ly’s research is also embedded in each episode of the podcast via interviews with their reporters. This rich and layered series features vivid scenes, sound design, and excellent reporting and writing. It’s one of our most ambitious projects to date and we hope it inspires change for years to come.
EPISODE 10: Farmer Jawn founder Christina Barfield | Photo by Dominique Nichole
The Process
Thriving is a narrative podcast series that combines reporting and interviews that took place over a year with field recordings and sound design. Featured guests include Farmer Jawn founder Christina Barfield, restaurant owner Gisselle Poveda, professional clown Quan Fields, and more!
The stories of 10 remarkable Philadelphians — aimed at centering and collecting their lived experiences to generate insights about the economic opportunities and obstacles along their journeys
