Scene is in conversation with Andrew Flewitt, who is used to being interviewer rather than interviewee. Andrew is here to tell us about his new Podcast series, Queer I Am, which is launching at the Queens Arms in Brighton on Saturday, July 2.
You’re a relative new kid on the Brighton & Hove block. How did that happen, and what do you think to us, your new community?
I moved here in November 2021, and I have been blown away by how amazing our city is. Being in a place where there is so much queer visibility is incredibly important and something I didn’t realise I was missing until I got this in my life.
Can you tell us a bit more about Queer I Am, and what you aim to do with the brand?
Queer I Am for me is a longer-term project encompassing the podcast, vlogs, live interviews, writing and hopefully more.
It has always been a dream for me to be a broadcaster and work in television and radio. Making the podcast has been more than I could have hoped for. Since moving here, I have been lucky to meet some amazing people within the queer community and have been having conversations which have been refreshing and long overdue.
Queer I Am is about being loud, proud, visible, and living and celebrating who we are as queer people. We all have unique stories to tell, and the aim of the podcast is to inform, educate, and celebrate everyone of us, regardless of where we may be on our journeys.
Talking about journeys, we hear that you already have loads of episodes in the can and are ready to launch the series on July 2. That sounds exhausting. Tell us about how you’ve pulled it all together.
I have been recording the podcast at Church Road Recording Company in Hove and working with a fantastic engineer called Julian Tardo. The process has felt effortless; I think that has a lot to do with the fantastic guests but also that the studio environment is very calm and the perfect place to record these conversations.
There is something magical about sitting in the studio, putting on the headphones and listening to the conversation as it is being recorded. I feel like I am a listener as well as the host, and it is very exciting.
I originally thought that the show would work well on radio, but I decided that the podcast would be far-reaching and as this is my project, I like that I have complete artistic control. The show has a format but isn’t scripted and I love that each guest has honesty, vulnerability and talks about topics that I had no idea we would touch on.
We can see from the pictures you’ve bought along how relaxed the atmosphere is during the recordings. The pictures are also really good. Can you tell us about that?
One of my guests is also a good friend. He’s a photographer called Antony Edwards. He has a photography business under the name of Hey Can I Take Your Picture and has been photographing the conversations.
I love the visual aspect of the conversation that he has captured, and I think you can see how much my guests and I have enjoyed making the podcast from his pictures. You can check out his incredible work by checking out his Instagram @heycanitakeyourpicture.
So we can see some familiar faces in the pictures, including Billie Gold who was a contributor to the magazine for a long time. Can you tell us more about who we can listen to in series one?
Yes, as well as Billie, the femme cabaret performer, and Antony the photographer, there are also episodes with drag royalty Kara Van Park, drag prince and Tinky Winky impersonator Alfie Ordinary, musicians Alan Bonner and Leo Tarring, Daren Kay whose first novel The Brightonians was published last year, legendary radio host Kathy Caton, voiceover artist Jimmy Dean, and creative director at Chalk Productions, Victoria Holden.
There is also a very special guest and honorary Brightonian as my guest for episode 10, the season finale, and I’m keeping their identity under my hat for now!
OK we’ll wait for that reveal. Very exciting. You are launching on July 2, where will we find the Queer I Am podcasts?
Everywhere! Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, Tunein, Google Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, Stitcher, and YouTube.
And where else can we find you, Andrew?
You can follow me Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok; my handle is @fleweyactually.
The great news is, I already have another 10 guests lined up for season 2, which I am aiming to start recording in the summer and the concept for season 3 is already developing in my mind; this will be a different format to the first two seasons, but the conversations I think, will be incredible.
I am keen to work with and collaborate with local queer artists, allies, and companies with the podcast, vlogging, presenting and the Queer I Am brand generally.
Feel free to message me on my social media platforms or email me: queeriamenquires@gmail.com
Now you’ve said that the launch is on July 2, are you doing anything special?
Yes, a launch party! It’s at the Queens Arms, George Street, BN2 1RH from 2 – 5pm and Billie Gold is hosting and performing.
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