'Let’s Talk About Cough' wins prestigious audio production award

The innovative project 'Let’s Talk About Cough' has been awarded the Grassroots Production Award at the 2024 Audio Production Awards.

The award celebrates the project’s groundbreaking audio work, One in Ten, an immersive experience that shares the voices of people affected by chronic cough and explores the complex nature of this often misunderstood condition. The winners of the Audio Production Awards were announced at an awards ceremony on 20 November.

The Let’s Talk About Cough project was developed through a collaboration between researchers and clinicians from the National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) at Imperial, the University of Manchester, and individuals who experience chronic cough. Their goal is to bring public awareness and empathy to a condition that impacts around one in 10 people in the UK, with symptoms that can persist for decades and significantly disrupt lives. Through moving personal stories and soundscapes, One in Ten captures the realities faced by those who endure chronic cough – including social isolation, physical pain, and emotional stress.

"We really hope that winning this award will encourage more people to listen to One in Ten and gain a deeper understanding of chronic cough and its impact on people’s lives." Ellen Dowell Creative Producer

The project, funded by Wellcome, has garnered significant praise for its approach. The immersive experience takes listeners on a journey into the everyday challenges of living with chronic cough, as well as the research behind it.

Through powerful audio storytelling, One in Ten helps listeners understand what it’s like to navigate a condition that is not only physically painful but socially alienating, especially in post-COVID times where public coughing can be met with suspicion and fear.

Creative Producer Ellen Dowell said, “Let’s Talk About Cough involves an amazing team of participants and creative collaborators who have worked together for more than three years to share experiences of chronic cough in creative ways.

It is the stories and voices of these amazing people that feature in One in Ten, the immersive audio experience that we created together. We really hope that winning this award will encourage more people to listen to One in Ten and gain a deeper understanding of chronic cough and its impact on people’s lives.”

The entire Let’s Talk About Cough team hopes that this recognition will inspire more people to listen to One in Ten and develop empathy for those living with chronic cough. The team remains optimistic about the potential for One in Ten to continue making waves in the world of audio storytelling and health advocacy.