PR: Jam Radio Scoops Big Funding for Icons Project

PR: Jam Radio Scoops Big Funding for Cultural Icons Project

In December Jam Radio of Devonport received significant ARST (Arts Regional Services Trust) funding from North Shore City Council to create a series of interviews with iconic New Zealanders who have shaped the Auckland arts and culture scene over many years. The tentatively titled Cultural Icons project will be made over a two year period, with the audio and film from the interviews made accessible online.

Since its establishment Jam Radio has been organising and recording interviews with a number of significant writers, musicians and other local creative characters; Kevin Ireland, Geoff Chapple, Graeme Lay, Shona Koea and in mid 2009 we decided a visual component would add another dimension of interest to the interviews.  Our first filmed interview took place between Hamish Keith and Barry Brickell. As longtime friends, the interview was brimming with warmth, humour, and priceless stories about the arts scene in Auckland, and indeed the development of the two men as artists. This served as the inspiration and impetus for the Cultural Icons project; the provision of accessible archives that capture the ideas, histories and personalities that make up Auckland’s arts scene.

Another aspect of the project will be to make these interviews available for public distribution and to schools, libraries and other learning institutions. Jam Radio has increasingly proved an excellent resource for interviews, easily accessed by on-demand web streaming. And the studio’s location at the Depot Artspace has provides the station with creative people and resources.

Louise Evans, Mark Howden and Linda Blincko of the Depot Artspace are thrilled to receive the funding, which now enables them to further develop the project.

‘We still would have gone ahead with it, but we would have been limited in what we could produce. The funding has given us the freedom to create the series that we’d envisioned.’ says Louise, coordinator of Jam Radio.

Planning is now underway for the lineup for potential interview formats, and ways to increase distribution for the project. It’s anticipated the series will be an invaluable asset to the region’s arts sector, as well as the nation, with accessible, informative and compelling interviews that will resource and inspire generations to come.

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