Everyone Else

"It's just what happens in life...If I had the lever to pull, I don't think that I would change it"After setting out on a road trip to celebrate their birthdays, two friends slowly realise their adventure will not turn out as they plannedPhoto by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"We used to joke when she was a baby that she would murder us...She'd kill us with a knife and say 'Oh, but I love my mummy'"A mother shares what life has been like bringing up an autistic daughter, talks about the taboos that still exist around having a child with a disability and discusses the lack of support offered to her throughout the yearsPhoto by Saesha Ward See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"It was such widespread starvation that some strange people on the street used to sell 'beef-burgers' between bombings...It was human flesh" A man shares his childhood memories of the Battle of Stalingrad, fleeing the besieged city on a raft with his family and his worries about war todayPhoto by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"In terms of ritual, I need to dig in the soil and I need to bury some intention"A woman discusses religion, spirituality and the value of an open-minded approach to lifePhoto by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"I was thrilled - it was a very exciting thing to go through, to think, 'God, he could be alive and I could fill in this picture'"After getting hold of an old newspaper clipping, a young man goes on the search for his long lost grandfather in order to solve a family mysteryPhoto by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"There are so many bad things in life and if you've experienced them, it makes you a more understanding person to your fellow human beings"About to turn 70, a woman reflects on the experience of being married to an alcoholic and the importance of familyPhoto by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"I've been in this shop since I was five years old. My uncle started it when he was seventeen"Fifty years into the job, a tailor takes us on a tour of his shop, shares his simple life pleasures and considers what lies ahead for himPhoto by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"I'm that little person on the corner, fighting that battle saying, 'Please, please take a little bit of me as well'" A mother relays the predicaments of bringing up a child straddling two cultures See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"All the trees fell, and, after the big eruption of the Karangetang volcano, it looked like hell was coming out"A Siau man shares what it's like to live and raise a family under the world's most active volcano and relays the Indonesian island's mystical beliefs See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"My friends were saying to me, 'You need to accept this is your life, you have to get this 'western-girl' mentality out of your head'"A woman caught between two cultures shares the story of her hard-won journey to becoming the British kickboxing and Muay Thai boxing championPhoto by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"There's a spark to life when you're meeting your friends in the nude that just isn't there when everyone has their clothes on"A man explains how he became a nudist, what happens and doesn't happen in nudist clubs and how non-nudists misinterpret the lifestylePhoto by Caroline Tompkins See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"I actually can't fix this by myself, there is something fundamentally wrong with my brain that isn't to do with the circumstances of my life"A woman talks about her depression, her recent decision to medicate it and realising the importance of talking to those around herPhoto by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"He told me that the spirit of the jaguar had told him that a very spiritual person was going to go with this group of people"Having decided to embark on a creative journey through the jungle of Colombia, a man recalls a conversation he had with a local villager and how it affected his mindset on lifePhoto by Alaric MacDonald See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"I'm still processing if I want to go back down that road or if it was just a beautiful experience and that it should stay as a good memory"A teenager shares her experience of first love, the impact of the breakup and what she wants from her life and future relationships as a consequencePhoto by Alaric MacDonald See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"To what extent should you change yourself to appease other people? I thought, 'Yeah, maybe I should just say that I'm pretentious and live as a pretentious person'" A 17 year old talks about his love of art, the misconceptions around it and the creative aspirations he holds for his futurePhoto by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"I was locked in a psychiatric ward, which was a really scary place and Michelle came every day"A woman recounts the abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother as a child and how salvation came when she made a new friend at secondary schoolPhoto by Gray Brame See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"When you help someone, you help yourself"An 11 year old boy talks about how art and singing allowed him to cope with being bullied and how his experiences have led him to want to help othersPhoto by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"One of the biggest barriers is being told you're special, because you're not"A woman talks about the social value in being open to strangers, the need for mixing cultures and learning to approach those we don't know with understandingPhoto by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"I became disabled in 1993. In 2003 I heard the words 'Second Life'. I had no information about it at all, just those two words and I thought, 'That's exactly what I need - a second life'"A man describes how he found a new lease of life on the virtual world 'Second Life', where he set up a LGBT+ haven that hosts dance parties and sees 2000 participants at it's annual Fantasy Gay Pride celebrations See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"More than anything, more than wishing to get cured, I would like not to have fear. I would like courage - more than healing"Having been diagnosed with cancer, a father and husband weighs up his treatment options, what kind of time they will allow him with his family and the process of facing up to his own mortalityPhoto by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"All my life I've been in politics. I used to go to where the fascists went, they'd stand on a box and we'd shout them down"A woman of 100 recalls marching against Mosley, the social and economic climate of the 30s and the realities of life during the war See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"While I felt like I was part of their transformation and their fantasy, they were also giving me the same back - they were seeing me and helping me figure out what was important" A man who decided to advertise himself as a naked cleaner on Craigslist talks about his motivations, the strangers who hired him and the unexpected moments of vulnerability, understanding and compassion they sharedPhoto by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"I will be glad to see you if you come to Rochester, let me know in detail...You are sane aren't you? Regards, Louise Brooks" A man recalls the summer of 1965 when he decided to track down and write to an iconic flapper and actress of the 1920s, after reading her article in a magazinePhoto by Gray Brame See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"It takes a long time to work out what does matter" A jeweller discusses how the death of her brother has impacted her work and changed her perspective on what is meaningful in life Photo by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"My parent's invited me to a party to which I didn't want to go. Life" A man defends his right to be pessimistic and explains his unconventional stance on life Photo by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"I remember the exam invigilator saying, 'It's 9 o clock and you have 1hr 30mins, start your paper'. I thought to myself, 'My Dad tried to kill himself last night" A young woman relives the realities and repercussions of her mum abandoning her family many years ago and how, despite the odds, positives have been drawn from what happened Photo by Gray Brame See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"There was an unwritten rule that as a newcomer you had to perform - à la Fight Club - you didn't have a choice. The ones that didn't had to impersonate animals of the room's choosing" Plans don't go to plan for a man who decides to embark on trip from London to Cape Town by motorbike, when he finds himself first in prison and then on the run in Ethiopia Photo by Matt Coats See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"I won the spot dance, I won everything there. Then I had to take my shoes off because my heels were too high I had to do it in bare feet" A woman shares her story of finding a husband whilst dancing disco in 1970s Zimbabwe, a love of all things glamorous and forging new friendships in later life Photo by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"I've always liked the bush and I hopefully think it's coming back...I think the bush is coming back" A woman talks about her persona as a stripper, the relationships between girls and customers and the changing face of strip bars in London Photo by Giles Smith See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"I was a bit like a boy that was going through the orchard looking for the best apple and I got to the end with nothing - I ended up losing both of them. What a fool was I" A man relays how his life has been utterly shaped by his love of David Bowie and his music, influencing his personal relationships, his family and his lot in later life Photo by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"I don't think people think enough what it is like for children and teenagers. Adults always think about what it was like for them and they think that it was the same, but we have very different experiences" A teenager reflects on the world that she knows, the life that she sees before her and the extent to which she feels she feels she has influence over either Photo by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"We didn't know what to call ourselves and we thought, 'Well, we could be dead in the future', so Future Dead became the club's name" Having set up a bike club with his friends before serving in the Falklands War together, a man talks about sense of solace and brotherhood it has served him in good times and bad Photo by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"At the moment I'm reflecting a lot on what I haven't done ... change the world, be an activist, make money, organise a techno party" A woman talks about coming to terms with a challenging time in her life and considers what she wants and needs to do next Photo by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"As I was running, I felt something go "Bam!" on my shoulder. It felt like a bat had hit me - it was actually a small pick-axe" A 25 year old man recounts his story of becoming embroiled in gang culture, the difficult circumstances that lead him there and turning his back on his former life Photo by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"I went to clown school in Paris, I found it so hard because I wasn't funny. Now, doing drag I feel like I've found my clown" Having recently started performing on the drag scene, Gingzilla talks about having child bearing hips, fighting preconceptions and blowing glitter at the British stiff upper lip Photo by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"From the first day I did meditation I never touched drugs again, even though it had almost been an addiction" A yogic monk talks about the accidental interactions in his youth that determined the path he took in life and caused him to reassess his priorities Photo by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"It felt like I was being my more authentic self - that's my true colour. Now I'm showing that to the world" A woman talks about making the decision to say "Fuck that!" to dying her grey hair and how she has experienced being her natural self since Photo by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"I was standing there for a couple of minutes and everybody was shagging. Then my Dad turned around and he said, 'You'd better go upstairs'" Having been brought up by what he called a crooked dad, a man talks about his influence on living a life free from conventional cares Photo by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"Not necessarily embarrassed, but sometimes I would be scared to say that I am Christian" A teenager explains how rap has allowed him to worship his own way See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"It felt like I was really putting myself out there and opening myself up to mockery from people. That just wasn't true" Ten years on from her father's death, a young woman speaks about the importance of grieving privately and openly Photo by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"I was 65 when I got married to a Thai girl. Rumtip her name was - I met her on a website called 'Thai Love Links'" A man talks about learning to smoke in 1960s Eastend London, his love of old romantic songs and his journey through love and marriage Photo by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"When I found out that lip reduction was real, I wrote down the price, the age limit and the address of the doctor in London" What is it like to be a black young woman today? A 16 year old speaks about sexism, colourism and becoming a feminist Photo by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"We might be able to fly our Union Jack now" In the wake of June 23rd's referendum, Londoners react to Britain's decision to leave the European Union Photo by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"You get called 'banana', which means yellow on the outside, white on the inside" A British man of Chinese-Malay birth talks about a life straddling different cultures and working with children to overcome their identity issues Photo by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"We did go to bed together, because my motto was, 'What men can do, women can do better'" Looking back on the relationships that shaped her life, an 80 year old woman offers the lessons she has learnt from them Photo by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"When you park people in a cage, they become animals" A man from St. Denis, Paris, talks about the Paris attacks of November 2015 and growing up in the district of the city where the attackers came from Photo by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"The interview is: Can you get to Benghazi?" Having taken a job in Libya during the revolution of 2012, a journalist and his colleague get stopped at a check point shortly after releasing a news piece Photo by Tori Ferenc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"My mum told me I was not stupid or dumb" A girl talks about the difference her Mum is making to her journey through dyslexia See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.