A former University of Sunderland student has used his own lockdown experiences to help children with their mental health.
Stuart Russell has struggled to live alone during the pandemic, feeling lonely and isolated from his family and friends.
But the 27-year-old graduate channelled his negative thoughts into something positive and created a storytelling podcast for children.
Stuart, who graduated with a masters degree in radio in 2018, said: "The podcast follows characters who feel like objects in a void.
"They are all experiencing loneliness in different ways and I think many of us can relate to that.
"Living alone during the pandemic, cut off from everyone I know, has been hard and I wanted to turn those negative feelings into something positive and creative.
"I also hope to show that through imagination, there are still adventures to be had, despite these challenging times."
Stuart's podcast, The Nut Owl, follows the adventures of a magical nut carved to resemble an owl who seeks purpose in a strange and lively universe.
The passionate graduate hopes The Nut Owl will provide entertainment and encourage both children and adults to think about their own mental wellbeing during this time.
Each episode contains original poetry produced by Stuart and features original music and sound by award-winning composer, Peter Baumann.
The series is also peppered with artwork by Gabriele Gikyte and includes a star contribution from ITV/Amazon series, Vanity Fair actress, Madeleine Hyland.
Episode one is out now, and new episodes will be released fortnightly.
To listen to the podcast follow this link. : https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-nut-owl/id1529962917
