BEHIND THE SCENES: RADIO COURSE (FUNDED BY MAES)

It is as busy as ever over here at Reform Radio, with us running a whole exciting array of courses to kickstart 2025. Today, we are throwing it back to our most recent Radio Course in November, funded by MAES. Throughout the two week course, our participants delved into scriptwriting, presenting, and radio production. To close the course, our attendees went live on the airwaves to broadcast their very own show. Listen back to the show below.

We caught up with Amanda and Dylan about their time on the programme and their plans from here. Read the full interview below.

Please can you introduce your name, and pronouns, and tell us a bit about what you like getting up to in your free time?

A: I’m Amanda, my pronouns are she/her. I go out a lot; Manchester is a great city if you like going out. I also like acting and filmmaking.

D: My name is Dylan and my pronouns are he/him. In my free time, I like listening to and playing instruments, and I’m also in a band.

Describe yourself in three words.

A: Curious, emotional and friendly.

D: I’m quiet, curious and laid-back.

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

A: No, I didn’t have any experience at all. I have had experience with acting and performing in some capacity. The thing I like, in comparison to acting, is that you’re speaking your truth. You have more creative freedom, and there are so many different elements you can get involved in. It has been eye-opening to understand how many jobs there are within the radio sector.

D: Similar to Amanda, I had no direct experience in radio either. At university, we had to make a radio play and, coming from a music production background, I had some an understanding of producing. However, I was keen to understand what went into producing a live radio show. Like Amanda said, it’s just been great to see how much work goes into the sector.

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

A: I realised that radio would be a good industry for me as it encompasses a lot of the things I am interested in. Then I was chatting to a friend who recommended Reform Radio to me and I was ready to try something new as well. I wasn’t sure what to do after leaving uni so this gave me some direction and routine.

D: I didn’t realise these courses existed, but my connection with the Job Centre led me to them. When I read about them, they sounded really decent so I thought I’d get involved.

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?

A: Dylan and I are working on the same segment of the show, which is looking into our experiences within the Manchester music scene. The whole group has different music styles and preferences so there are lots of different perspectives to discuss. The whole show is delving into different topics surrounding Manchester, some segment subjects include dating, football and more.

D: Yes, it’s been great because even though we have that common umbrella of the fact that all of us are from Manchester, we’ve still been able to see everyone’s personalities coming out in their segments.

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?

A: Aside from learning practical skills, one of the things I have taken from this course has been meeting new people. I’ve met people, like Dylan, who have different interests to me, and they have opened me up to new interests of theirs. That’s a cool thing about the creative industries – you never know things exist until you meet someone that exists in those spaces.

D: Definitely. One of the other participants is running an event tonight and some of us are just heading down to support him. It’s nice to have met people I’m not directly similar to, but then to have found ways we are connected.

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

A: Because I grew up listening to Nick Grimshaw on the radio, I think it would be funny and a real ‘I made it’ moment if Nick Grimshaw was a guest on my show.

D: It would have to be someone like John Lennon or Jimi Hendrix – one of the musical greats – to pick their brains.

What’s your go-to radio station to lock into?

A: I love a bit of Radio 6, especially when I’m in the car; there’s a lot of variety on that station, too. Also, I listen to NTS a lot because there’s so much choice and you can try listening to new sounds. The breakfast shows are so easy to listen to as well.

D: I used to love listening to things like Kerrang! and Planet Rock. Now, I really like Guy Garvey’s and Radcliffe & Maconie’s slots on 6 Music.

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

A: I am doing the DJ course with Reform soon so I’m excited to have even more skills to take moving forward. Afterwards, I am going to look for experience in the creative industries to continue trying new things and developing new skills. The best thing about being creative is you can do lots of different things at once.

D: Obviously, I was looking forward to the course but I didn’t really consider having a career in radio. However, following the project, I am now really interested in a radio career. I plan to get in touch with some community stations to look into volunteering with them and see where it goes from there.

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