BEHIND THE SCENES: RADIO COURSE (FUNDED BY MAES)

The Radio Course funded by MAES this February was a blast! We had a group full of creatives combining their ideas to make their radio show: Tea Time. This show consisted of live and recorded original material on all the participants’ interests, from comedy, to good news and music. A big shoutout to Autumn, Les and Tylah, who expertly ran this course. Read below to find out how Maya and Adam found their two weeks here with us.

Please can you introduce your name, and pronouns, and describe yourself in three words?

M: I’m Maya, she/her. I’d say bubbly, vibrant and colourful.

A: and I am Andy, he/him. Creative, determined and confident.

Did either of you have much experience in radio or presenting before, and what has been your favourite thing about it?

M: I was on the podcasting course in October, which was such a lovely time as well. I didn’t have any knowledge of it before, I just always wanted to be on the radio, but it didn’t feel that attainable when I was younger.

A: I’ve done radio before, but not as a presenter. I was a guest being interviewed for my stand up comedy.

What prompted you guys to get involved in the Radio Course?

M: It was a step towards my dream, and also, I’m trying to look after my inner child. I heard about the course and thought, when I see it on Instagram, I’m applying.

A: I’ve never done a radio course before, but I’ve always wanted to do one. I’ve done other courses like journalism, content creation, theatre and podcasting, but just never radio. I wanted to try something new.

You guys have been working on your own show, can you tell us a bit more about what we can expect from it and what it’s been inspired by?

M: So, I am super nostalgic. I like to obviously live in the present, but sometimes looking back into the past and seeing how things inspired you and shaped who you’ve become, and your taste, your morals and your values through music can be heavily impacted. So I wanted to explore that a little bit. Obviously, it was only a short period of time, so there’s only so much that I can say on it, but I would’ve asked a million more questions if I could.

A: Well, for me, I just wanted to do poetry. I just kept it simple and basic and didn’t go over the top with it. I enjoyed putting it all together: the editing and cutting and adding the music and the sound effects. That’s something I really enjoyed doing.

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?

M: When I did the podcasting course in October, I was quite nervous to come in, but I knew it would be fun. But I quickly came to learn how friendly everyone is. No question is a silly question. Coming into this course, I knew what I was getting, but it was even better because I felt like I was welcomed back with open arms.

A: For me, fun came into it, a lot of fun. I also enjoyed meeting the people, the staff and everyone in my group. I like meeting new people and making new friends.

If you could have any guest on your own radio show, who would it be and why?

M: I think it would have to be Antony Bourdain. I’d love to pick his brain. I feel like he is such a soft soul, so gentle. He had this full understanding of people and wanted to explore more about people. I’ve not had the chance to travel too much so I’d want to ask him about his experiences. Ask him what did you see, what shocked you. I feel like even though I keep watching Antony Bourdain stuff, i’ve not seen enough.

A: For me, I would love to interview Robin Williams. If it was someone who was alive, it’d probably be David Attenborough.

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

M: Well, I’m focusing quite a lot on getting my portfolio together. I really do want to see if I can get into radio presenting at some point. Also, I’m a poet, and I’ve given myself the challenge to perform at least once a month.

A: I’ll take all the memories away with me. In terms of the future, I do want to come back here again. I like to do other creative things and hopefully I can get some paid work in the creative industries.

To find out about our future projects at Reform Radio, sign up to our Projects newsletter here.