There and Back Again

This week in our series on We (Who) Voice Learning, "There and Back Again: A British Voice Artist's Unexpected Journey".

When ten-year-old Mia Fothergill was having fun making films with Merchant Ivory and appearing on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company, she couldn't have known she was laying the groundwork for a career that would emerge decades later. "I sometimes feel my whole life was training for a career in voiceover," she reflects, "even when I didn't yet know it."

Her path to becoming a voice artist took some fascinating turns. After her early acting career, including appearances in "A Room with a View" and the BBC One sitcom "Side by Side", Mia found herself working at a London radio production studio, where she first became entranced by the world of voice acting. But it was her subsequent 20-year career as a midwife, across two continents, that truly shaped her approach to voice work.

"As a midwife, I learned how to connect with people in their most vulnerable moments," Mia explains. "Whether I was speaking at midwifery conferences or supporting new parents, I was constantly refining my ability to communicate with authenticity and warmth."

Today, from her studio on the shores of the beautiful Georgian Bay, Ontario, Mia brings her distinctly British voice to a wide variety of projects worldwide. Between recording sessions, she often finds herself distracted by the local wildlife. "Don't be surprised if you get a cool turtle or otter picture along with your audio," she laughs. "It's all part of the service!"

"It felt like coming home again," she says of her return to voice work. "Everything I've done in my life - from acting to midwifery to reading thousands of bedtime stories to my children - has led me to who I am and what I can provide as a voice artist. My children are my strongest critics, and they have taught me well, bless their little cotton socks."

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