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We could all use a hug right about now. It seems like a cruel joke, that now is also a time when we need to be distancing from each other.
In this episode, we explore the importance of physical touch, and lie down with a professional cuddler (back in a time when snuggling up with strangers didn’t mean blatantly disregarding health advice).
‘Hug’ by Cristina Marras
Music: ‘Vibrion Phonetica no.3’ by Max Sergeev, ‘Axanometric’ by Dural
‘What’s up with cuddles?’ by Elsa Silberstein
Who doesn’t love a cuddle? Well, if you think about it, it’s kind of a strange thing for us to do. Two adults, wrapping their bodies in amongst the other, and lying there. In the age of the sanitized hand and the elbow bump, we’re getting less up in each other’s grills. This is the story of the humble cuddle, and why we do it.
This story was made for Elsa Silberstein’s podcast, The Done Thing.
Producer: Elsa Silberstein
Music: ‘Box of Frogs’ by Dave James, ‘Kaleidoscopic Imagination’ by Flouw, ‘Oh Please’ by Matt Goodman, Kate Rawlings and Tom Leigh
‘My Pre-COVID Cuddle’ by Lee Robinson
The lockdown rules in Victoria have left many feeling disconnected and devoid of physical contact. Now more than ever, some Victorians just want a hug.
Before COVID was a thing, Lee Robinson paid a visit to cuddle therapist Sarah Belle to explore the benefits of platonic touch in a 1-on-1 cuddle session.
This story was made as part of a series exploring Australians with interesting jobs, called Do Quit Your Day Job.
Producer: Lee Robinson
Supervising producer: Evrim Şen
Music: ‘Peacoat’, ‘Astrisx’, ‘Slimheart’ and ‘Diatom’ by Blue Dot Sessions
All The Best credits:
Executive Producer: Ryan Pemberton
Victorian State Coordinator: Mell Chun
Host: Maddy Macquine
Episode mix and compile: Julian Wan
Community Coordinators: Chloe Gillespie and Danni Stewart
SYN Community Coordinator: Lee Robinson
Social Media Producers: Matilda Fay and Angela Moran