Director Diaries
from Petersfield Shakespeare Festival
Taking local arts to a wider audience
Petersfield Shakespeare Festival is a highlight of our town’s cultural calendar.
Within the ground of Bedales Schoo, the 2019 festival staged three productions to critical acclaim.
One of our objectives at Petersfield Community Radio is to open the town’s creative arts to a wider audience and amplify its impact in the town.
In a series of nine ‘Director Diaries’ listeners could go behind the scenes of the festival in sound for the first time.
Through this unique collection of audio, discover how theatre professionals and members of the local community brought the festival to life and hear the thoughts of the creative teams as their opening nights approached.
Director Diaries audio
Help Shine Radio raise money for local charities
Shine Radio volunteers are taking part in the Beacon of Peace charity walk and you can help raise money for local organisations.
Fundraising is under way for people affected by the Lavant Street fire
Linda Kirkbride has organised the collection via an online crowdfunder site.
Roaming Wild: The founding of Compassion in World Farming
Listen as Emma Silverthorn talks to Theodora Eleni about how global farming has changed to incorporate more compassionate methodology and how her grandparents Anna and Peter Roberts were instrumental in bringing about that change from the modest back room of their Hampshire home.
Crossover Youth Centre Liss Hampshire – Its Work Past and Present
https://omny.fm/shows/petersfieldstories/crossover-youth-centre-liss-hampshire-its-work-pas
Bordon & Whitehill Voluntary Car Service
Bordon & Whitehill Voluntary Car Service
Liphook Day Centre 6th June 2023 D-Day Landings Commemoration Sing Song
Clients at Liphook Day care centre singing along to WW2 songs to remember the D-Day Landings in 1944
Petersfield Infant School Association appeals for local support
Can you help?
Trudy Baxendale from the Petersfield Infant School Association appeals to the local community and businesses for gifts, raffle prizes and fund matching for its summer fair . Trudy tells Theodora Eleni why the school needs the funds and how much they hope to raise.
Dr Paul O’Halloran talks about the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes
Do you know your risk? Dr Paul O’Halloran and Theodora Eleni talk about the risks associated with Type 2 Diabetes and how
early testing and diet can help prevent you from being diagnosed with the illness.
Meet the beagles!
This episode of Dogs with Jobs features a lively pack of working beagles.
Kennel huntsman Danny Allen describes the daily working lives of his characterful charges to Kate Fairweather. Recorded at the Alresford Show 2022.
Meet E.T. the military assistance dog
This month, Kate Fairweather stays very local, visiting Ramsdean to meet E.T., a talented young labrador retriever with big paw prints to fill. He’s the third in a line of exceptional assistance dogs owned by Allen Parton, disabled ex-Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer and the founder of Hounds for Heroes, the assistance dog charity.
Meet Daisy, the autism assistance dog
Meet Daisy, who works with a non-verbal autistic teenager.
She gives him confidence and security. She gives his parents an early warning of impending meltdown. Hear how this wonderful dog has transformed the lives of the entire family.
Off The Record Show 59 Sat 29 Aug 2026 Movies Week 1 Hour 1
Off The Record Show 59 Sat 29 Aug 2026 Movies Week 1 Hour 2
Petersfield Twinning Association welcomes Warendorf visitors
Members of Petersfield’s Twinning Association recently welcomed friends from Warendorf, Germany. It was a time to strengthen longstanding ties between the two communities through a programme of friendship, cultural exchange and shared activities.
Museum Brick Appeal raises £11,000
The Museum held a ‘thank you’ event for all those who bought an engraved brick laid in front of the museum. And a reminder that Daniel Day Lewis is a patron and the story of some missing wedding photos.
Meet Jenny from the crop
Jenny Ellis grew up on Slade Lane. Nobody gets closer to Rogate’s famous asparagus crop. The area is where most of her immediate family lived and live on today.
Being a success in the pub trade needs hard work and help from community events
Jen is 28 and manager of the Black Sheep Pub just off the square where she wants to prove a success. and, she says, a bar like this provides an important listening ear.
Breast (and testicular) Cancer Awareness Cakes at Petersfield Railway station
They’re raising awareness and support for Breast Cancer awareness month at Petersfield Railway Station on Tuesday 25 August … cakes, coffee, community and chat.
‘Yours’ magazine features Petersfield’s Town Crier Couple
Our Town Criers are featured in the latest Yours Magazine. Faye and Martin tell us all about it and the town they promote officially and voluntarily.
We R Electric – an Oasis tribute band with a difference
Local man creates Oasis tribute band to raise money for MND.
Liphook mum’s parent-and-baby group celebrates first year of support and friendship
A local mum who created a parent-and-baby group — and a listening ear for other parents — celebrates its first year in Liphook. Families with little ones and local businesses in the ‘baby space’ are invited to a summer picnic celebrating a year of friendship, support, community and connections. A surprise story time will be happening too!
Cold coffee / Холодна кава – Ukrainian Independence Day in the UK
What does it feel like to feel connected to home while being thousands of kilometers away? In the third episode of the Cold Coffee podcast, we go to celebrate Ukrainian Independence Day 24 August.
How do Ukrainians maintain their identity while building a new life in the United Kingdom? It’s more than just a holiday—it’s a powerful statement of resilience, unity, and the deep bond between our two nations.
Another successful summer fete at Downs House and all to support local dementia
Downs House opened their doors to friends and family once again to help raise awareness and funds for Dementia Friendly Petersfield.
It was a very hot August Saturday afternoon, but this didn’t stop the steady flow of relatives and supporters coming along to join in with the fun.
Jake Smith
As Artistic Director of the Petersfield Shakespeare Festival, Jake has led its creative development since 2015.
He began his career at Hull Truck Theatre as a Creative Learning Facilitator and he has since been Resident Director at the Almeida Theatre, Trainee Director at Chichester Festival Theatre and trained on the National Theatre Directors’ Programme.
Jake serves on the advisory board for Petersfield Community Radio where his role is to help the project amplify the town’s creative arts through radio.
Holly Stevens
Radio producer
The audio from Petersfield Shakespeare Festival was produced by Petersfield student Holly Stevens.
Holly is from Buriton and studies Production Arts in Stage and Screen at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
She has previously been involved in writing short radio plays and podcasting as well as behind-the-scenes work and prop-making for several Bristol Old Vic performances.
After her studies, Holly plans to pursue a career in radio and film production.