Is it time we took a breather? New Somerset House podcast investigates “soft living”

Somerset House has launched a new podcast exploring the growing trend of soft living as an antithesis to hustle culture. The project comes at a key moment in the UK, with reports surfacing of artists being routinely underpaid and creatives teetering on the edge of burnout. Amidst this landscape, Soft Life will talk to creators and thinkers from Somerset House’s network who are exploring new ways of working and being.

Each episode of the four-part limited podcast series will also function as “sonic sanctuary”, says Somerset House, offering an immersive opportunity for listeners to take a moment away from the pace of modern life. The podcast is produced by Alannah Chance and Axel Kacoutié, with sound design also by Axel Kacoutié, and features beautiful 3D typography by Studio Koseda.

Alongside posing the benefits of soft living, the podcast will also present its potential impact on our collective future and the climate crisis. Each episode is split into a core theme. Episode one, for example, will focus on rest with the likes of Black Power Naps, a creative project from Navild Acosta and Sosa which investigates the “sleep gap” that exists between Black and white Americans.

Other featured creatives include artist Shenece Oretha, who will explore time, specifically how our experience of it can be transformed through listening, and Sam Williams, who will discuss the invisible labour of the earthworm.

Readers can find Soft Life at Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts and also take a look at It’s Nice That’s Lazy Report, which advocates for kicking back to aid creativity.