Episode Title: Hire the voice. Not the birth date.

Summary:In today's episode, I’m sharing a personal story about a recent casting experience - and a broader reflection on how voice work is often misunderstood.

When we hire based on numbers instead of nuance, we miss the real magic: the ability of a voice to embody character, emotion, and story, far beyond traditional labels like age.

A professional voice actor is trained to adapt — to sound younger, older, sicker, sexier, cooler — to be whatever the story needs.

This episode is a reminder that in voice acting, the voice itself is the instrument. Not the birthdate behind it.

In this episode:

Why age shouldn't define casting decisions

How trained voice actors shape-shift vocally

The importance of focusing on performance, character, and storytelling

A gentle call to rethink how we cast voices in creative work...

🎧 Bonus for paid subscribers:Paid subscribers get exclusive access to bonus content, where I dive deeper and share a story about one of the most bizarre things a client ever said to me.

Thank you for listening and supporting my work!If you enjoyed today’s episode, feel free to share it or leave a comment — I love hearing your thoughts.

Here's my Substack: https://ebclarke.substack.com

Here's my website: https://emmaclarke.com/

I’m making something new…

I’ve just launched a new feature for paid subscribers called Radar Pings - short weekly voice notes sharing what’s pinging on my creative radar.

* Cool stuff I’ve discovered - music, books, podcasts, random curios…

* Intriguing questions I’m mulling over

* Creative struggles - when the stuff I’m making just isn’t working

* What I’m trying to do better - I mean, like, everything…

* Unexpected moments of joy, wonder, fear…

* …and so on…

🎧 Have a listen to the first FREE Radar Ping at the top of the page. 🎧

🔥 Paid subscribers get other exclusive, bonus stuff too! 🔥

🐣 And until 21st April, you can get 20% of annual subscriptions - that works out at 92p per week!

Think of Radar Pings as audio postcards from my studio. It’s another way of connecting for those who want deeper glimpses into the work I do.

Want in?

📣 Upgrade to paid to receive your first Radar Ping this week. 📣

Thank you, as always, for being here. Whether you’re reading, listening, supporting, or silently cheering - it means the world.

PS. 🐣 Don’t forget, my Easter Annual Subscription Sale is on until 21st April. Get 20% off for 1 year - that’s just £3.66 per month…£0.92 per week!

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🔥 Paid subscribers get additional content. 🔥

🎙️ So We're Now In A Global Trade War

Emergency Weather Report: Surviving the Creative Storm

Welcome to this emergency episode of The Weather Report — a regular podcast feature on my Substack for creatives navigating the shifting skies of art, culture, and self-expression.

I’m Emma Clarke: artist, broadcaster, voice actor, and creative strategist. Think of this as part forecast, part dispatch, always grounded in lived experience.

In this episode, I share an Emergency Weather Report for April 2025.

With a global trade war brewing and creative freelancers caught in the crosswinds, I unpack what it means — and how we can respond.

You’ll hear:

Why this isn’t collapse, but recalibration

The five things freelancers need to do now to adapt and stay visible

A call to create the kind of work this moment demands: steadying, strange, truthful

This episode is part strategy, part survival kit.

🔒 For paid subscribers:

The Extended ForecastYou’ll also receive:

🎧 Open Studio Tape — an unscripted audio reflection on how I weather creative turbulence in my own practice

To access this, upgrade to a paid subscription — and support independent, interdisciplinary work in the process.

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You can find out more about me and my work on my personal website: https://emmaclarke.com/