Second Workshop | 2024
Second Workshop 2024 – How to teach podcasting II
- 6th to 10th of June
- Nairobi/Hybrid
Thanks to our amazing partners, music production association Santuri East Africa, podcast incubator Semabox, and mapping experts Ushahidi, Aswatona got amazing connections, exchanges, and local stakeholders to share and discuss the challenges of podcast training in WANA and East Africa. Aswatona was able to build bridges beyond WANA.
Thanks to Santuri and the experienced Aswatona team, the whole event was possible in a professional hybrid quality to fulfill the needs of our 13 participants on site and two online – thank you very much.
Day 1
On the first day, Stella Saliari and Carlotta Hack facilitated a reconnection process for the group who met for the first time in person. By talking about the fears and insecurities that we all face in our work as trainers and about how to deal with them, Aswatona created a foundation of trust on which to build. In addition, we followed up on our practice of Feeback of Care, which we established in the Aswatona Network, and which is a combination of systemic approaches and feminist values.
In addition, Stella Saliari provided the group with some inspiring questions and ideas about how feminist perspectives shape our approaches to training and being a trainer.
In the evening, Aswatona had the pleasure to exchange with Santuri’s Training of Trainers program about our beliefs on education that societies taught us. Aswatona and Santuri trainers discussed how to shape them today in our practice as audio production trainers.
Day 2
The second day started with an interactive exercise on how to deal with challenging participants in a training session with Rula Asad.
Immediately afterwards, Rula gave the group an input on how critical discourse is important to consider when you’re a trainer and providing people with tools, theories, and methods for podcasting. Because teaching and podcasting can promote empowering voices and question perspectives and assumptions.
In the afternoon, the group started with a task to prepare teaser trainings on podcast scripting and podcast marketing. The training was to be based on a coherent needs assessment with a hybrid facilitation and a lot of interactivity to get people hooked on the topics.
After all these practical and theoretical reflections on how to teach podcasting, Aswatona had the pleasure of hosting three great local podcasting experts: Doris Onyango from Semabox (podcast incubator), Wanjiru Ngihu from Baraza Media Lab (media and podcast researcher) and Kevin Brown from the podcast platform Afripod. The discussion, moderated by podcast consultant Rasha Aldeeb, focused on the challenges of podcasting between East Africa and WANA, such as sustainability and monetization.
Day 3
The cohort of trainers now focused on preparing their training sessions. The task was to design a coherent workshop flow, well thought out content and methods; by exchanging experiences and developing some new methods together.
In the afternoon, the data expert Nancy Muthony from SheHacksKen gave an input on how to consider data security as a podcast trainer.
The day ended with a feminist sharing session on self-care strategies, facilitated by Rula Asad, Stella Saliari, and Carlotta Hack.
Day 4
To learn more about the local challenges of podcasting and feminist podcasters, Aswatona had the pleasure of being invited to Mathare by @Usawa Inc who produces the Swaiba podcast on reproductive justice and feminist perspectives on Kenyan society. Mathare is an informal settlement that has been hit hard by this year’s floods, evictions, and lack of support for displaced people. Grassroots initiatives such as CGHRD (Coalition for grassroots human rights defenders) are organizing a local support system for those affected. We visited a feminist group from Mathare, a very strong and impressive bunch of people, who organizes the feminist pussy power festival every November for self-empowerment and to share their experiences.
Day 5
The last day was the facilitation day of a hybrid training! Podcast marketing and podcast scripting were taught by the Aswatona podcast trainer collective in an innovative way to a hybrid audience.
The technique of a “reflecting team” was used to reflect on the collective experience. This technique aims to collectivize feedback and to decrease hierarchies between feedback requesting and feedback deliverer. The feedback here is intended to be a tool for growing together as individual trainers and as a trainer collective. The trainers should be even more empowered for future podcast trainings. If you’re looking for some good trainers – just get in touch with Aswatona!
After the evaluation, some closing moments, and reflections, the group celebrated their great success with a nice dinner.
A big thank you to everyone who made these amazing days possible!