Sheffield: Podcast City – Dino Sofos on bringing Persephonica Festival and Crossed Wires to the Steel City

Could Sheffield become the capital of British podcasting? There’s absolutely no reason not to, argues Dino Sofos, founder of award-winning podcast production company Persephonica and co-founder of Crossed Wires, the city’s inaugural podcast festival.

“I’ve always felt passionate about the lack of diversity in the media,” says Dino Sofos. “Especially when it comes to socio-economic factors, newsrooms are too full of people who went to public schools, whose parents could pay for them to stay in London while they did work experience, or people who live already in London or nearby. There’s a clear lack of representation of people from places like Sheffield, so it was always in the back of my mind that when we set up a physical base for Persephonica, it should be here.”

After growing up and completing his university education in Sheffield, Sofos ventured to London to pursue a postgraduate degree in journalism. He returned to his hometown for a job at BBC Radio Sheffield, which eventually led to a job offer and basic experience of the multifaceted demands of local radio. With that all-important foot in the door, Dino progressed within the BBC, moving to 5 Live and eventually taking on the role of political producer. His tenure there involved navigating the turbulent landscapes of coalition politics and Brexit, honing his reporting skills amid the chaos of the times.

After leaving radio to work in a social media role for BBC Politics, he began to miss the audio side of the news. This inspired the first official venture into political podcasting, creating a show, Electioncast, covering the 2017 election with Chris Mason, Adam Fleming and Laura Kuenssberg. “It was quite successful and then I switched to Brexitcast, which ended up being commissioned as a TV show on BBC One. At that point podcasting was really starting to take off in the UK and I felt I had found my niche.”

After 14 years at the BBC, Sofos decided to leave and set up his own production company, Persephonica. Since then, he has hosted a series of wildly popular podcasts covering everything from political debates to News agents with Emily Maitlis, Lewis Goodman and Jon Sopel and Political currency with Ed Balls and George Osborne, to star-studded shows like Dua Lipa’s At your disposal and Lily Allen recently launched Miss me?.

It was always in my mind that when I set up a physical base for Persephonica, it should be here.

With Persephonica now firmly established as a leading name in the industry, the next step is to finalize the vision and move the headquarters to Sheffield. “Just talking to people in the industry, you get the sense that everyone is fed up with everything being based in London,” he explains. “In a post-pandemic world, people are working from all over the place and some of our production is produced remotely, so why sit in our co-working spaces and our London offices when we could be creating places of important work elsewhere, working with A roster of globally recognized content talent? There are amazing journalism and media courses on offer at universities and colleges in Sheffield, so you wouldn’t have to commute to Manchester or live in London to get those jobs. Even if it’s just a small amount of jobs we’re offering at first, hopefully we can grow and create more.”

Some Persephonica roles have already been filled by Sheffield candidates and the search for spaces is underway. Sofos spoke to Park Hill owners Warp Films, crediting them as a key inspiration in setting up an internationally acclaimed production company that is “unashamedly Sheffield”.

In fact, he argues that South Yorkshire could be more suited to becoming a national hub for podcasting than people might assume. “This industry is about storytelling, creativity and sound design – all of which are things this city is historically very good at.”

If the appetite for podcast culture outside of London was ever in doubt, the reaction since Sofos, along with co-founders James O’Hara and Alice Levine, unveiled plans for Crossed Wires, the city’s first live podcast festival, has cemented the thesis that Sheffield can serve as a vibrant hub for creators and enthusiasts alike.

From Friday 31 May to Sunday 2 June, the city’s most iconic venues will be packed with blockbuster live shows, exclusive performances, free events and special guests – all hosted by top names in podcasting, spanning comedy, current affairs, culture, sport, family and well-being.

This industry is about storytelling, creativity and sound design – all of which are things this city is historically very good at.

The idea was concocted between Dino’s good friend Alice (a My father wrote a porno fame) and Tramlines founder James for a walk and a curry in the Peak District. “The conversation was basically, ‘Why isn’t there a tram for podcasts – or what would an Edinburgh Fringe for podcasts look like?'”

Before the bill arrived, the concept of Crossed Wires was born. Names in the line-up currently include the likes of Adam Buxton, Self Esteem, Katherine Ryan, Jon Ronson, Russell Tovey, Romesh Ranganathan and many more heading to key stages at Sheffield City Hall, The Crucible and The Lyceum this weekend.

“The conversation was basically, ‘Why isn’t there a streetcar for podcasts?’ Dino Sofos with Crossed Wires co-founders Alice Levine and James O’Hara. Photo: Pedalo Photography

Other exciting developments are underway in the run-up to the main event, as the Crossed Wires team works to secure a venue to serve as the focal point for the festival’s soon-to-be-announced fringe offering. Keep an eye on their social media (@crossedwiresfest) for the latest developments on this front.

“We’re going to be hosting a number of exciting fringe events and live performances, making a really eclectic mix of podcast content available for people to come and experience for free,” says Sofos. “Sheffield will be practically awash with top podcasting talent for the weekend, meaning the city will become the epicenter of podcasting for a few days.”

As our interview draws to a close, Sofos reflects on the diverse range of projects on his increasingly busy slate – from launching new shows and festivals to expanding into the US market with Persephonica. However, despite the hectic nature of his day-to-day, one thing remains clear: for him, the journey to make Sheffield the capital of British podcasting is just beginning.

Crossed Wires Festival takes place from 31st May to 2nd June in Sheffield. Tickets can be purchased at crossedwires.live and you can stay up to date with the latest event announcements by following @crossedwiresfest.

Words: Joseph Food