RUNNING RADIO INITIATION WORKSHOPS – 3h00
By Élan Interculturel.
We have prepared an outline for an introductory radio workshop. In this sequence, participants discover radio practice and are invited to create their own programme in a playful and participatory way. We invite people to collectively debate and share experiences on issues that concern them and that they have chosen. Together, participants and facilitators create a radio programme that reflects their experiences, which they can then share on social networks and with their communities. A minimum of two facilitators is recommended to run this workshop with a group of 10 people.
Please read our handbook “Facilitating radio workshops on the fundamentals of radio” more information on facilitating this type of workshop.
And don’t forget to listen to our podcast, which presents a facilitator’s vision of radio workshop animation.
Still have questions? Don’t hesitate to contact us: infos@elaninterculturel.com
10 min
To begin with, talk about your organisation and introduce yourself as a person. Explain that you are going to offer an introduction to radio practice. Together you will create a radio programme on the topics of your choice! Also say whether the programme will be broadcast and if so on which channels.
For more information, read our recommendations on preparing your launch speech
5 min
Explain that you are going to play a series of games to get to know each other. In order to make people more enthusiastic afterwards, explain why you are proposing this type of exercise. For example, you can say that waking up the body helps attention and concentration. Also, when people are in a new environment, such as a workshop, they may feel stress. Especially when it comes to speaking into a microphone! Stress is a physical reaction that can be effectively reduced by moving the body. After this type of activity, participants feel more comfortable expressing themselves, their voice is also more relaxed and therefore more pleasant for the listener’s ear!
5 min
Energizers: Waking up the body
Wake up the different parts of the body one by one and finish with a “toning shower”.
To see the explanation of the activity, click here
5 min
Icebreakers: Name with style
Remember each other’s names by associating them with short theatrical games.
To see the explanation of this activity, click here
10 min
Icebreakers: Speaking circle
Suggest short bilateral exchanges between participants to get to know each other better.
To see the explanation of this activity, click here
5 min
Security charter
Finally, take some time collectively to set out some rules to ensure a space in which people feel comfortable and safe. In a short workshop, we advise you to pre-write the rules and read them orally.
To see a pre-written charter click here
10 min
Having a common understanding of the concept of radio
Ask people if they listen to the radio and if so what kind of programmes. Then explain in a few sentences what radio is to make sure everyone has the same understanding of the term.
For example:
“Radio can be broadcast live or recorded.
Audio content, such as broadcasts, is traditionally broadcast via electromagnetic waves on a given frequency (as in the case of radios, in the car, etc.). However, sounds can also be broadcast via the Internet, for example on social networks. It is this accessible distribution that gave birth to the word “podcast”: access to free audio content that can be listened to anywhere, anytime. There are several ways to record audio before it is broadcast. You can, for example, record a programme during a meeting between different people in a radio studio. But you can also go off on your own with your microphone and recorder to do interviews and micro-trots. Sound recordings are usually edited (i.e. different elements are put together) on dedicated software. This can be a simple edit (such as removing extraneous noise or lengthy moments) as well as a more complex edit with specific sound design, narration, multiple voices. However, the sound can also be broadcast live, i.e. without editing.”
10 min
Discover the radio studio
Show the participants the radio studio and briefly explain how it works.
To find out what equipment you need to set up an ephemeral radio studio, you can watch our short pedagological video
You can also have a look at our recommendations to create your own portable radio studio at low cost!
20 min
Suggest a warm-up activity so that everyone has the opportunity to speak into the microphone at least once before the radio show. This is also an opportunity to explain to participants how to hold the microphones. Select one of these suggestions, depending on the time available:
A. Radio memory
This activity invites everyone to talk about a memory related to radio.
B. The Story of the Name
This activity invites each person to explain the origin of their first name or to tell an anecdote related to it.
If your workshop is given over a short period of time, you can skip this last step.
To read our tips on how to hold a microphone, click here.
For an explanation of these activities, click here
To see an educational video to facilitate the activity, “The history of the first name”, click here !
10 min
The components of a program
In this activity, participants define the main elements and keys to create a radio program. They will brainstorm as a group and come up with the main components of a radio show. From the roles to more audio and musical aspects, the aim is for participants to become familiar with the vocabulary and realise that they probably already know a lot!
You can find the details of the activity here
20 min
Radio content preparation
Now that the participants are familiar with what a radio show is, they have to write the content. Here, they will organise and write a storyline while choosing the theme. Ask them to write individually the themes they would like to develop, collect the papers and share the ideas to the group. Have them talk about which ones they find inspiring and write them down. Then, invite them to reflect on the steps necessary to explore the chosen theme. They will also have to choose the format of their programme (will it be a debate ? A story ? An interview ?). Think together on the storyline and brainstorm together on the time each element would need.
To better understand how to run this activity you can click here.
10 min
Choosing the title of the show
Ask each participant to write the first word that comes to mind when they think of the theme of the show on a piece of paper. They then share their paper with the person on their right. From the two words, the participants must create a single title. They can change the words as much as they like. The aim here is simply to facilitate the transition to creating the title. As a large group, read out the different titles and write them down on a sheet of flipchart paper. Take a show of hands to select the group’s favourite title. Rework it if necessary.
5 min
Read the script together.
10 min
Rehearse the beginning of the programme together and use this time to make a test recording to check that the equipment is working properly. Silence the phones and turn off any equipment that might make noise (e.g. computer fans, etc.).
5 min
Energizers: Waking up the voice
Through a series of small exercises, awaken the jaw, the zygomatics and the voice. The benefits of this small series of activities include reducing stress and improving speaking skills.
Find the explanation here
30 min
Hush! The show is on! The programme starts.
Recording of the radio programme. During the show, the technique indicates the time that has passed in the studio. You can also put a small clock on the table.
To conclude, make a circle. Ask one person to go to the centre of the circle and say something they liked – or didn’t like – about the workshop. Everyone who agrees is invited to join him or her in the circle. Then everyone returns to their original places. And so on.
You can start by reading this series of sentences in order to value the participants’ achievements:
1. I know the equipment for recording a radio programme.
2. I am more comfortable speaking into a microphone than before.
3. I know the different roles in radio.
4. I have learned how to organise a radio programme thanks to the script.
5. I was a bit intimidated before the show.
6. I liked discovering and listening to the columns.
7. I liked talking on the microphone.
8. I would like to do radio again later!