The governing body of Freemasons in England and Wales has launched a new official podcast that gives insight into the ins and outs of Freemasonry, through its young members.
Produced by the United Grand Lodge of England, Craftcast – The Freemasons Podcast is a 10-part podcast series hosted by Freemason members Shaun Butler, James Dalton, and Stephen Whatley in conversation with members and non-members about the fraternal charity organisation.
“We are delighted to be launching this new project,” said Butler. “We will be speaking to a wide variety of guests from across the world of Freemasonry, including the Pro Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England.
“We hope the podcast will educate people about our organisation and encourage them to find out more about Freemasonry.”
The podcast landed in the top 100 list of the Apple Podcasts Great Britain chart within 24 hours of its launch and also ranked at number 13 in the Society and Culture chart. Only one episode is out currently, featuring an interactive element in which the hosts decide on the name of the show through submissions from Freemasons members.
"As we continue to move forward with Freemasonry, we must adapt to new ways of reaching people," one member of the United Grand Lodge of England told PodPod. "Craftcast does a perfect job here of bringing together brethren from different walks of life to discuss and inform people on Freemasonry. This podcast gives an opportunity to discuss our history and current events in a new format, hopefully even attracting some initiates. I look forward to hearing the next episode."
Masonic podcasts have existed in the past including The Freemasons Podcast, featuring members across Connecticut, The Masonic Roundtable, with members around the US, and the Craftsmen Online Podcast, which covers all topics relevant to Freemasonry. However, Craftcast is the first official podcast to come directly from the United Grand Lodge of England.
“The Craftcast aims to address the public perception of Freemasonry by opening up a new channel of communication to talk about Freemasonry with both members and non-members,” it stated in a press release. “In the future, the creators hope that new audiences, of all ages, will engage with Freemasonry and that Craftcast becomes the foremost Freemasonry podcast on the market.”
