An account of a Youth Production course with Margate Radio
by Matilda McPherson

For eight weeks, over June and July, behind the doors of WhereElse, Margate, the sound of snacking, chatting and most importantly, background noise of the recording studio could be heard. This, the eight-week radio production course for young people ages 16-24, keen to develop their radio skills. Whether that was DJing, producing, podcasting, researching or presenting, there was plenty of opportunity to do all. Our aim, to come up with, record and finally air our own radio show, on Margate radio, in chosen groups.

As the weeks progressed these groups morphed into four main prospective shows, covering a surprising range of topics; Music that resurfaces the nostalgia of childhood, morning motivation and music, facts about Margate and its role in today’s world, and a look to mythology to explore Thanet's place in folklore, in the nicknamed ‘Death show.’ The suggested stories and ideas spanned so much further and it’s almost a wonder it was possible to condense them into only four categories and only four twenty-minute shows.

The start of every session was ‘circle-time’, the time to forget our worries, get to know each other and reduce stress. This could be shouting someone else’s name whilst walking toward them and waving your arms in the air, wiggling our limbs about with controlled breathing, or singing about various fruits. Once over, and reenergized, we were ready to get cracking (and in some cases, snacking too).

The first few weeks of the course started with talks from some inspiring industry guests. We were host to broadcasters, producers, technicians, and the founder of Margate radio, Paul Camo. All were ready and helpful to share how they got into radio, its meaning to them and why they valued community, rather than major, radio. After bombarding them with questions, we split into groups to brainstorm our own ideas and influences, jotting down every word onto old posters, (ignoring the fact they would have to be neatly categorised later). And from these scrawls came the bases of our pieces.

Once everyone had chosen the title that interested them most, and with much deliberation, on my part at least, we immediately got to planning.
I had no idea how much there was to cover. Or how much maths. With a 20-minute timeslot to fill, there was a lot to consider. For the nostalgic music, a calculator was even whipped out to see just how many tracks, down to the second, could be squeezed into those minutes. In my group, the ‘Death show,’ it was being able to condense the large amount of information into a manageable chunk, as well as planning the format, how we would tell the story, background music, conversation prompts and general research. The list also somehow included resisting the temptation to talk about Scooby-Doo. Each time someone came out of the booth, having finished their part, and in some cases successfully battled their nerves, a round of applause sounded, and congratulations were given at their work having finally paid off.

Thanks to the supportive leadership of the course, the radio studio became a very comfortable and welcoming place to be. Whilst we were all there for a look into radio, and having that shared interest was a great link between us, it also did allow the opportunity to speak about and discover things we may not have known otherwise, and through this we could all celebrate in each other's achievements.

This warmth and connection certainly helped boosting confidence, particularly when trying something new. Almost everybody paled when it was their turn to enter the booth for the first time, timidly looking over the vast number of buttons, sliders and dials, that were at that point, completely alien. Of course, it would've been impossible to have all the workings figured out over the course, especially as much of it was group work rather than recording, however, I can say that it felt much less daunting once I had practiced a few times. This helped by the feeling that everybody was in the same boat in terms of experience, and that really, nothing could at all go wrong (apart from an unlikely and nightmarish damaging of equipment somehow, which of course didn't happen). Really, no stress was logical, because it was just a few buttons to press, and talking into a microphone and not at a face. This additionally meant the opportunity to learn some new skills that I absolutely never would have picked up otherwise, and I think we are all grateful of the chance.

Finally I think it only fitting to end on a word of thanks for everyone who helped run the course, using their time every week, not just for the two hours. And those who came and visited us to help us with that insider view of radio, providing fuel for our creative potential, on what was a thoroughly enjoyable and valuable experience of a course.

Words by Matilda McPherson, Photos by Jason Evans

Margate Radio Youth Production course