Stawell Podcast gets into Action
With the rise of the internet, a whole new world of multimedia opportunities has been opened up to the world. Audiences focus less and less on professionally created media as the consumer/producer relationship that dominates today’s world becomes blurred into a network of "prosumers" – people who both produce and consume content.
YouTube and MySpace’s phenomenal successes have shown that amateur content, produced with the aid of digital technology, can indeed gain a global audience.
Numb Productions
In 2004 a group of young people in the town of Stawell decided that no longer would they and their friends spend their holidays in boredom, and Numb Productions was soon founded.
Originally focused on starting up a radio station for the area, with the help of the Central Grampians Local Learning and Employment Network (CGLLEN - new window), an organisation formed to aid in training and education for young people, the group opted for the cheaper and ultimately more effective podcast medium, which at the time was still beginning to emerge.
"The internet is a medium which all young people use," said Belinda Healy, the Manager of DEST Programmes for CGLLEN.
The quest for funding
One huge roadblock was demolished after the first year of Numb's existence, when they were finally able to locate funds from the Federal Government to kick-start the podcast project and its sister project: Technology for Teenagers.
Technology for Teenagers is a program focused at delivering computers to people in disadvantaged situations in the nearby town of Ararat. The funding was provided to support organisations like CGLLEN in starting up projects to encourage enterprising characteristics in young people.
Gaining participants and inspiration over a period of two years, the podcasting project began in earnest in January 2007, producing roughly one podcast a month.
Podcasts so far have included interviews with German exchange students, stories about Landcare, music chosen by the podcasters, and of course the ubiquituous Stawell Gift footrace. The podcasts are archived on the CGLLEN website (new window).
More participants were required, however, and ideally more funding needed to be attracted to ensure the sustainability of the program.
Enter LenZone
During 2007 midyear holidays, LenZone! in Stawell (a branch of the Local Learning and Employment Network) invited young people to come and podcast, as well as participating in Business Skills training (out of which they received two units from a Certificate IV in Business Management).
Georgia, from SYN FM in Melbourne (the Student Youth Network radio station) and Stacey Taig, a Business Skills trainer from the University of Ballarat, helped push the group along for the official launch of Numb Productions on Friday 6 July 2007.
Local media, business owners and councillors were invited to the launch in the hope of attracting funding to the project. Work was demonstrated, the concept of podcasting was explained and, vitally, nibbles were eaten. The launch was a huge success.
"It's not an exclusive club."
As a project led and orchestrated by young people, Numb Productions is targeted at people with an interest in multimedia, IT and production, as well as people who just like to get involved.
"People feel as if they can just drop in and get involved, it’s not an exclusive club. Young people will determine the content and then conduct it [...] - it’s about the process."
Listeners aren’t limited to those who work on the podcast - Numb is steadily growing in popularity. “While getting young people involved and trying not to influence their decisions can be a challenge, it's working and it’s currently sustainable.?
The current government funding runs out in mid-2008, so building sustainability is the current focus of the project, but in the words of Belinda, “with resourceful people, you can always make it work.?
Articles Written by Chris
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