Armchair Adventures is starting the new year with its biggest creative evolution yet.
The award-winning join-in story podcast for children aged six to eight has launched season six with a year-round publishing schedule, a refined three-part episodic structure, and a spin-off series designed to deepen engagement with young listeners and families.
Produced by Manchester-based participatory arts organisation Made By Mortals, Armchair Adventures has built a strong reputation for social-impact storytelling. Each episode is inspired by and created alongside real older adults, community groups and charity partners.
Since launching during lockdown in 2020, the podcast has been recognised across the industry for its intergenerational approach, blending music, movement and imaginative storytelling with themes including wellbeing, inclusion, health, community and the environment.
From this month onwards, each story will now unfold across three shorter episodes, released fortnightly, offering more flexible listening opportunities for families and educators.
For the first time, Armchair Adventures will also release episodes consistently across the full January to December calendar. This will allow the team to align stories with awareness days, school terms and long-term partnerships, while giving listeners a clearer and more predictable release pattern.
Season six launched with a three-part digital exclusion story titled A Journey Into The Unknown Adventure, with episodes released on 1, 15 and 29 January, followed by a companion Unpacked episode on 12 February.
The new season includes expert input from social-impact and health organisations including NHS Greater Manchester, Parkinson’s UK, Cystic Fibrosis Trust, LifeArc and homelessness charity Groundswell.
These collaborations sit alongside the podcast’s ongoing work with adults aged sixty-five and over, ensuring that each adventure reflects real voices and experiences familiar to children at home, in school and within their local communities.
Alongside the main adventures, the podcast is introducing Unpacked, a fast-paced spin-off series where older “customers” and young listeners take part in creative challenges and imagination games inspired by recent stories.
Hosted by the theatrical Uncle Chris and soundboard character Ziggy, Unpacked adds a game-show-style layer to the Armchair Adventures world while remaining accessible and playful.
Andy Smith, Creative Director at Made By Mortals, said: “Series six is our most ambitious yet. The new structure gives us room to explore bigger ideas while keeping everything fun, musical and accessible, and Unpacked adds a whole new play-along dimension.”
Paul Hine, Director at Made By Mortals, added: “Armchair Adventures works because it’s powered by lived experience. This new year-round model allows us to go further with our partners and reach more families throughout the year.”
