‘Untold Stories’: a collaborative project between local charities and MA students in the School of Media, Film and Music, University of Sussex.
Untold Stories is a project run and funded by the University of Sussex’s School of Media, Film and Music.
Untold Stories aims to help local charities to raise their profile by
- giving them in insight into how the media/journalism work
- producing high quality web content in the form of an audio podcast. This is their ‘untold story’ – a human interest story that encapsulates the work the charity is doing in Sussex or illustrates an issue facing that charity.
The approach for these recordings is journalistic. The recordings will bring the charity’s work to life through the voices of frontline staff, volunteers or the people who use its services.
By producing a podcast to professional standards, the students will gain valuable work experience and Sussex charities will benefit from a podcast which they can use as they wish (website, training, funding bids etc), at no cost. You can listen to last year’s podcasts here: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/mediaandfilm/showcase/studentwork/untoldstories
Between now and the beginning of May, Miranda Birch will be looking for charities who are interested in taking part in this pilot and which meet thefollowing criteria:
- Participating charities will be based in Brighton and Hove actively working in Sussex.
- They will have no full time PR/media support of their own and will have limited experience of the media.
- They are happy to work with the students and supervisor, Miranda Birch, to find contributors who are comfortable telling their ‘frontline story’.
- They must be a charity registered in the UK.
If you would like more information, please contact Miranda Birch as soon as possible at Miranda@mirandabirchmedia.co.uk. Mobile 07456 416 475.
Timetable for the project:
April – early May 2014: Charities invited to put themselves forward for the Untold Stories project. Charities can have an initial chat with Miranda, who will talk to the charities about their work in Sussex and possible stories for an audio podcast. Plans will be tentative at this stage because the students will not be selected until mid May.
By the end of May 2014: confirmation on which students and charities have been selected.
June 2014: students will make contact with their charities and record and edit the interviews for their podcast.
About the supervisor: Miranda Birch worked for the BBC for 24 years and has varied journalistic, scripting and presentation experience on BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 4 Extra and BBC Local Radio. Her background includes fourteen years on BBC national radio, producing Radio 4 programmes such as Desert Island Discs and Woman’s Hour and working alongside the editors of programmes such as Start the Week, Midweek and Front Row to co-ordinate the coverage of major guests and arts events on BBC Radio 4.
Miranda now draws on her interviewing skills to find stories hidden in companies and charities, turning them into content that will inspire their target audiences.
A graduate of the University of Sussex, she has lived in the county for nearly thirty years and is very keen to support students and charities in this collaborative project with the School of Media, Film and Music at the University.