Website Fixt Point Arts & Media
Deadline: November 10, 2023
Gather Oral Histories to Foster Empathy and Build Your Podcasting Skills!
The Empathy Squad is a hands-on, experiential-service-learning opportunity for diverse youth from across Canada aimed at creating meaningful connections and increasing understanding of one another through public engagement, facilitated conversations, active listening and presentation aimed at capturing and preserving our country’s collective community memory for generations to come.
The Empathy Squad program is made possible by the Canada Service Corps.
As a participant, you will:
- Acquire the knowledge and practical skills needed to produce high-quality audio stories: interviewing and recording techniques, audio-editing, narrative shaping, and sound design;
- Volunteer in service of your community, learn about what’s important to them through active listening and help foster empathy for their lived experiences;
- Experience hands-on learning alongside fellow future leaders and from industry professionals across the country.
Program Expectations:
- Have access to a strong internet connection and a laptop available on which you can download and install Slack (Mac OS / Windows OS), Descript (find system requirements here), Google Chrome, Zoom;
- Attend scheduled Zoom sessions that consist of live demonstrations, instructional videos and feedback sharing from facilitators, Guest Artists and peers;
- Apply learnings by conducting interviews, using audio recording equipment, and completing assignments using audio-editing software, Descript;
- Engage with facilitators and peers using program communication platforms (Slack, Zoom, provided Empathy Squad email address);
- Commit 10-12 hours a week, including scheduled Zoom sessions, and work in your own time.
Interested volunteers are asked to fill out an application form here: https://www.fixtpoint.com/empathysquad-apply by November 10, 2023.
The next cohorts of the Empathy Squad program will run from January to March 2024.
As a program funded by the Canada Service Corps, applicants must be aged 18 to 30 years at the start of the program and reside in Canada for the duration of the program.
Other program details:
Meet and learn from our Guest Artists: Industry professionals who will come and talk about their work process and help you in yours!
The program is delivered completely virtually and provides opportunities for developing skills and artistic practice to capture and preserve community stories to be shared with present and future generations, as well as opportunities for improving your communication and self-expression skills!
In our four years of delivering this training program, our applicants have come from many diverse backgrounds and experience levels, in either storytelling, taking this opportunity to expand to a new medium (audio), or in technical skills, and through the program, improved on their interviewing and relational skills.
With over 100 podcast pieces created, you can listen to them here: https://soundcloud.com/fixtpoint/sets/empathy-squad-squadcasts
To apply for this job please visit www.fixtpoint.com.