2005 Burnt Islands Community Media Workshops
The Burnt Islands Sharing Our Future Community Media Youth project begins its third phase in 2005.
Vicki Harris is coordinator and the community media interns are Savannah and Jessica Billard.
The workshops are typically facilitated on a weekend. However, each workshop requires preparation and followup activity, both by the community group and the facilitator. It is expected that each workshop will include a community media event..
This series of workshops focuses on the transference of skills to the youth participants. Specific skill sets will extracted from the content areas. Tests will be prepared and students will receive community media certificates for each skill mastered..
The local coordinator will also report on the participation of the youth..
The workshops will emphasize the interaction of the youth with the community. Regular community media programming is important. In addition, the workshops will be consistent with the community interest in local history encouraged by the new interpretation centre. Youth participants will be taught interview skills and asked to collect stories using audio-visual equipment..
1. Introductory workshop: The focus is on "training the trainers". The local coordinator will learn about job expectations and pedagogical techniques for community media. Online learning/communication will be stressed, as well as reporting. This workshop will include the first community media event..
2. Community reporting workshop: Youth will learn skills required for community reporting, with an emphasis on video and community television. The local coordinator will be given specific skill exercises so participating youth can be tested at the following workshop. The second community media event will be aired on community television..
3. Production workshop: The focus is on video editing and audio editing for community media. In addition, video production will be stressed as a means of income generation for community groups (utilizing the online course). Students will produce a third community media event. Tests will be conducted for community reporting skills..
4. Publicity workshop: Youth will learn methods and skills necessary to promote the community and its activities. Focus areas will include grassroots posters; brochures; newsletters; press releases and the internet. Tests will be conducted for production skills and students will produce a fourth community media event..
5. Popular theatre/video workshop: This workshop addresses a need identified by the community to build on an initiative of the 2002/2003 Sharing Our Future program. A local theatre group would enhance the attraction of the local interpretation centre. Theatre is a natural component of community media and is integrated with video skills. This workshop will be co-facilitated and result in a community television programs. Skill tests will continue in this workshop..
6. Community radio workshop: The community has been following up on a initiative to sponsor its own community radio station. The local coordinator and participants will utilize an online course to prepare for the workshop which will be a live, on air broadcast. There will be emphasis on using the audio components of the community television studio in order to establish a familiar "front-end" for the community radio station. This workshop will include tests and evaluation..
Note: The facilitation of these workshops will continue to examine the sustainability of the program, as well as liaison with educational institutions such as the College of the North Atlantic and Sir Wilfred Grenfell College.
Online workshop tutorials on preparing and implementing an FM radio special event project.