ENABLING indigenous Riverlanders to share stories in a modern way was the aim of a workshop program held recently by a local theatre organisation.
Riverland Youth Theatre (RYT) – in partnership with the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) – earlier this month held a series of podcasting workshops in Renmark for local indigenous residents.
SAFC First Nations industry development executive Nara Wilson said the workshops were run by award-winning Adelaide-based artist Raymond Zada.
“It’s the first time we’ve been in the Riverland delivering a project from the South Australian Film Coroporation, so we were really excited to come here,” Ms Wilson said.
“It’s going really well. Raymond Zada is our leader and facilitating the program, and he’s an absolute legend.
“What they’re learning in such a small amount of time is amazing. There’s the technical components like editing, and we did interview skills.
“It’s all being delivered in three days, which is pretty amazing.”
Ms Wilson said participants were able to develop their own ideas for podcast programs during the workshops.
“Podcasting is more accessible and so much more affordable to get our stories out there,” she said. “It’s the way of the future and another way of storytelling, that’s accessible nationally and internationally, to find an audience and a community.
“There’s so much freedom of creativity you have, in terms of what podcast you want to do.”
Ms Wilson said utilising the podcast medium allowed indigenous Riverlanders to share their culture with a wide audience.
“Telling our old, and current, Aboriginal stories, using new technology gives us so much reach,” she said.
“We’re recording on a smart phone, so we can implement these skills… and once we leave Renmark they have the skills to make podcasts and whatever stories they want to tell.
“It’s absolutely merging the old stories with new technology.”