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First episodes of the ACTF’s Even More Than This teen podcast available now

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What does it mean to be an adolescent today? Is it the same for everyone? Is it challenging, fulfilling, complicated, or all of these things?

The ACTF, in collaboration with Queer Town, has produced a brand-new teen podcast exploring the complicated journey of teenage life through the hit television series, More Than This.

More Than This is an authentic exploration of adolescence in Australia, written and created by teen Olivia Deeble. The podcast further explores the characters and storylines from the television show, creating a safe and collaborative space for teens to reflect and discuss how being a teen in this day and age is challenging, but nonetheless gratifying.

Co-hosted by young adults Anika and Kien-Ling, the show unpacks finding the right friendships, navigating sexuality, managing peer pressures and understanding mental health. Anika and Kien-Ling share their own thoughtful observations of the television show and invite the voices of other young Australians to join the conversation each episode.

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Even More Than This sits alongside the More Than This Learning Resource created for Years 9-12. Learning tasks encourage students to reflect on the television series in a way that is modelled by Anika and Kien-Ling in the podcast. The podcast supports secondary students to think about their own place in the world and what being an adolescent means. For teachers and parents, the podcasts provides an insight into the lives of young people and acts as an example of how to have difficult conversations in the classroom and at home.

The short form podcast series features six episodes, each reflecting on an episode of the More Than This television series, and a bonus interview with co-creators Olivia Deeble and Luka Gracie. The series will be released over four weeks in November 2022 with the first two episodes released today. Even More Than This will be available wherever you find your podcasts and on the ACTF website.

We asked the co-hosts and producers what it was like being a part of the creation of this podcast. Here’s what they had to say:

“Being a part of this podcast was like therapy! Honestly, it was so therapeutic being able to chat about experiences that young people (like myself) encounter in such a supportive and nurturing environment! I feel so grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside incredible organisations such as Queer Town and the ACTF, and am certain that this is a project that I will forever be able to come back to as a reflection of life and growth. I really do hope that it connects with people of all ages, and any walk of life!” - Anika (she/her), Even More Than This Podcast Host

“Even More Than This was such an amazing, irreplaceable experience. Everything about it was remarkable: the content, the show, and especially the people. I am incredibly grateful to the people I worked alongside in this project because they created such a safe space to discuss topics that are so important to me and people my age. Working in this environment allowed me to truly reflect on my life and I hope this reflection extends to our listeners and even to those who watched the extraordinary show!” - Kien-Ling (she/they), Even More Than This Podcast Host

“Navigating our teenage years can be one of the most challenging times in our lives. In particular, it can be an incredibly isolating and confusing experience. What's so special about the podcast, Even More Than This, is that no matter who you are or where you live, you have two other young Australians right there on the journey with you, unpacking the day-to-day challenges of being an adolescent. You'll laugh, you'll cringe, you'll feel connected to something and most importantly, you'll get a little bit closer to figuring out what being a teenager means to you. Queer Town is proud to have supported the development of such a meaningful project.” - Archie Beetle (they/them), Even More Than This Producer, Founder & Director, Queer Town

“I have learnt so much from Kien-Ling and Anika while producing Even More Than This. Their care in speaking about challenging topics, the respect they have for each other and the process, and the meaningful discussions they are engaged in both in and out of the studio are inspiring. If these thoughtful and considered voices are the decision makers of the future then it will be one where everyone thrives.” - Bridget Hanna (she/her), Even More Than This Producer & Editor, Creative Learning Manager, ACTF