About Us

 

Penny Boreham and Caroline Swinburne run the SoundAffects project, which is a registered Charity, SoundAffects the World.

Penny and Caroline have both worked extensively in developing countries as feature makers for the BBC World Service and domestic radio.  They are also both mothers to primary school aged children, and have become increasingly aware of how hard it can be, both for British children like their own, and for children growing up in other cultures, to imagine the reality of life for children in different parts of the world. They soon realised that their own radio and broadcasting skills could provide an invaluable educational tool, giving children the chance to listen to each other¹s voices and concentrate on the meaning of what was actually being said, without the distraction of moving pictures.

SoundAffects uses occasional still images for the children to focus on while they listen to the voices.  They recognise that audio, which is intimate, accessible and powerful fires the imagination of children.

Caroline and Penny believe that through SoundAffects children begin to think about and become more open to difference while becoming more aware of the things they have in common with others. They have seen that the process of taking part in the project enables children to reflect more deeply about their own lives, about the lives of others in different parts of the world and also about the lives of children from different cultures and backgrounds living next to them.

SoundAffects the World