The Huntsville Festival of the Arts is launching a unique program to train the broadcasters of tomorrow. Radio Kids is an innovative, kid-led radio show for students in Grades 6-8.
“The idea is that the kids will be learning how to tell stories about things that are relevant to their lives and stories that are interesting to them,” says Hannah Naiman, Director of Programs, Education and Outreach. “And this is part of a longer-term plan to have a youth driven radio initiative over at HBR (Hunters Bay Radio) where kids can continue to share their stories and those things on the airwaves.”
In HFA Radio Kids, students will get hands-on experience in both the technical and creative sides of radio broadcasting. They’ll gain valuable experience in writing, recording, and editing content, while also learning about the essential equipment and tools used in radio production. Students will be able to share their stories, opinions, and creativity with a larger audience.
Through this program, students will:
● Develop engaging content for a radio show
● Learn technical skills, including audio recording, editing, and broadcasting
● Build confidence in presenting their ideas and voices
● Collaborate with peers and gain real-world experience in media production
The program evolved from a P.A. Day podcasting camp hosted by radio producer, David Merleau. He says the skills learned in audio production extends into real world experience.
“Being on the radio is a lot of fun,” said David, who will be leading the Radio Kids program. “And it’s also a pretty important skill to be able to speak confidently and also to be able to know enough about yourself to trust yourself on air which is sometimes a rather tricky thing.”
“I don’t think there’s anything quite like it in the Muskoka region for kids,” said Hannah. “And it feels like a good way for kids to enter media arts in a creative way and an artistic way and I can’t think of a better person to lead this program that David Merleau who has extensive experience in radio and podcasting and really interesting media art as well.”
Registration opens on March 5th, but advanced registration for HfA members is available from March 3rd – 4th. The program runs on Wednesdays from April 2nd – April 23rd from 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM. Classes will take place at HfA Studio, 58 Main St. East. The registration fee is $64 for the full 4-session program. To register, head to the Huntsville Festival of the Arts website.
Click on the audio file for our interview with David Merleau about this great initiative.
