BEHIND THE SCENES: PODCASTING COURSE (FUNDED BY MAES)

It has been a busy fortnight at Reform, with us having a full house of participants for our Podcasting Course. Funded by MAES, our attendees have been led through the likes of production, scripting and editing. To complete the project, they have each designed, recorded and produced their own podcast to be played on the Reform Radio airwaves.

We chatted to two of our participants, Ruby and Dove, to hear about what they got up to on the programme. They also chatted about what they’ve learnt and developed from joining us on the course.

Introduce your name, pronouns and what you get up to in your free time

R: Hi, I’m Ruby. My pronouns are she/her. In my free time I do a lot of media and art. I love spending time with my friends and I also do gig photography.

D: My name is Dove and my pronouns are she/her. My hobbies include gardening, foraging, meditating, yoga and reading.

Describe yourself in 3 words

R: I would say caring, funny and weird.

D: Neurodivergent, intuitive and humanitarian.

If you had to recommend a podcast to someone who’s never listened to a podcast before, what would it be and why?

R: I’ve got to say the ‘My Dad Wrote a Porno’ podcast because it’s hilarious and flows really well. I often find myself listening to it on public transport, laughing to myself and getting some stares.

D: The ‘Living Myth’ podcast with Michael Meade. He is a mythologist and philosopher. He takes ancient myths, tells their stories, and then connects it with our society today.

If you had to produce a podcast on any topic, what would it be about and why?

R: The podcast I’ve been working on on the course is called ‘Wired Differently’. It is all about neurodivergence and my personal experiences of being autistic and having ADHD. I hope to help other people learn about these subjects, but also use this topic to explore myself.

D: Mental health and the ways we can become better people to improve society. I would do this through sharing my own experiences, how my past self contributed to society and the environment and how I changed myself to help create a better world.

What prompted you to get involved with the Podcasting Course?

R: I’m currently on a gap year right now from my media degree. I wanted to broaden my horizons in this realm.

D: My own desire to create my own podcast. I was really passionate about it but I didn’t know what it actually took to do it. When I saw the course, I was ready to learn.

Did you have much experience in audio/podcasting before? If so, what’s your favourite thing about it?

R: I have some knowledge in radio and editing. However, I didn’t have direct experience in podcasting. It has been a really fun opportunity to delve into this more. My favourite thing about it has been getting into the routine of recording, producing and editing. I love the journey of creating a piece of audio work and exploring each stage of the process.

D: It was quite new; I am more into blogging via YouTube. I listen to some podcasts and some of my friends also do podcasting but I had never done it myself. My favourite thing about trying it for the first time has been the freedom it has given me to speak my truth. It’s really nice to speak freely in this form.

Let’s throw it back to your first day at Reform versus now, tell me a bit about your first impressions/feelings/emotions in comparison to how you feel now. What has changed? 

R: I definitely feel a lot more confident in the area of podcasting. To begin with, I was shaking in my boots at working with a new group of people and trying something new. Fast forward to now and I will be sad to finish the course. I have loved meeting such a range of people and collaborating with them.

D: I have definitely become more authentic and genuine over the course of the project and learnt a lot about compromising and working in a team.

What will you take from the podcasting course moving forward & what are your plans from here onwards?

R: To begin with, I was quite apprehensive to do the course, but I am so glad I did it. So I plan to take this attitude with me and be confident in my creative choices, even when I think I am lacking expertise in certain areas. From here, I hope to continue with my podcast series and take part in more creative projects like this one.

D: I will take all the skills and knowledge I have learnt about editing, scripting, ethical consent and the requirements of different platforms.

To find out about our future projects, please reach out to our Engagement team at projects@reformradio.co.uk.