Radiocracy: local radio & democracy
Photos
It is evident that the young people from all three countries share ideas and opinions that cross national boundaries. It seems that the preoccupations of young people are the same in England, France and Cyprus and probably throughout Europe. During the first encounter it was clear that this consciousness of their similarities created a sense of cohesion in the group. It was a source of some surprise to the participants that they shared such similar opinions and attitudes.
Key Competence Cultural expression "Definition: appreciation of the importance of the creative expression of ideas, experiences and emotions in a range of media, including music, performing arts, literature, and the visual arts."
During the week participants gained more understanding of political systems in each country. The French and British participants were particularly surprised by what they learned about the situation in Cyprus. At the beginning of the project a large percentage of the participants had never voted and did not feel concerned by the political process. At the end of the week in France most participants intended to vote in the next elections
la Couronne is right by the sea and although the building is a bit dilapidated the situation is beautiful. We appreciated a walk along the coast to clear our heads after all that thinking
The experience of a European exchange is often surprising for young people who come from ethnic backgrounds that experience racism in their home country. When they meet with young people from other countries their ethnic background is forgotten and they are treated simply as French, English or Cypriot and in a wider vie, European. This increases their sense of self esteem.
Getting to know other cultures is the first step in the fight against xenophobia and racism. The young people passing time together, working together and playing music together creates links and social cohesion.
Communication and particularly verbal communication is at the heart of this project. Radio is a media which requires the participants to communicate clearly and to organize the con-tent into a structured format. It requires an interaction between two people in an interview situation. The work resulted in improved communication abilities.
Participants had to learn how to handle microphones and hand-held recorders Small lapel microphones were used for certain interviews with local councillors and large microphones were used in the radio studio. Radio content was uploaded to computers for editing into a suitable format for radio broadcasts. Editing programs were used to create interesting radio broadcasts and podcasts.
Getting to know each other: a radio interview game Participants interviewed each other asking questions about the backgrounds and interests of each person. This meant that everyone got to know the other participants
The radio techniques gave the participants a lot of confidence: in practical terms they were obliged to prepare thoroughly for interviews, note questions and also follow up questions when they had an answer. They had to “think on their feet” and be creative in conducting the interviews.
One of the spin-offs from the project was a musical creation: a number of the participants were musicians and leisure time was often spent jamming and making music. A new project was developed around a song that was composed during the exchange in France and participants plan to meet up in England and create a clip around the music using the theme of intercultural awareness.
The information in the presentations was complemented by an afternoon in Marseille and a guided visit to the Maison de la Région.