2018 Thursday Meetups

If you're looking for community, solidarity, collective brain-power, or resource-sharing, Thursday Meetups are for you.

About Thursday Meetups
On the first day of the Third Coast Conference, attendees gather in community-driven Meetups to have discussions and learn collectively.

Led by facilitators, these meetups do not have an "audience" and a "presenter." Instead, facilitators provide questions and resources to spark conversations, but you - the participants - decide where the conversation goes!

Thursday Meetups are an opportunity to get to know other attendees, share resources & knowledge, and spark ideas & questions to carry forward into the rest of the weekend.

2018 Thursday Meetups

Audio Educators Assembly: Kill the Workshop!
Okay, not really. But workshops modeled after professional group-edits sometimes result in student work that is sure-handed and... kind of blah. What are some other ways in? Sarah will present some high-risk/low-stakes audio exercises influenced by oral history, creative writing, and performance—and talk about how those lessons translate to documentary work. Plus, plenty of time for attendees to share their own strategies for helping students find their distinctive voices.
Facilitated by Sarah Geis (independent, Love Me, Radio Residency co-creator)

Using Audio Archives to Enhance Your Storytelling
Hit a roadblock while creating your latest podcast episode? Find out about the bounty of archival resources with content ready for mining. Come speak to archivists who can give you tips on audio archival navigation.
Facilitated by Allison Schein Holmes (Studs Terkel Archive, WFMT) and Leigh Armstrong (Armstrong-Johnston).

Queering the Mainstream
For radio producers & queer-identified facilitators Arwen & James: "everything I do is queer because I am never not queer. So every podcast I make is queer even if it has nothing to do with sexual identity." With this in mind, queering the mainstream means their queerness is a part of all their work even if wouldn't be categorized as part of the LGBTQI podcast playlist during gay pride. This meetup values queer space and queer visibility, and is a time to hear about what “Queering the Mainstream” means to all queer-identified audio producers/artists - how can we value queer space and visibility in our work? How can we create connections to amplify queer voices throughout the industry?
Facilitated by Arwen Nicks (KPCC) and James Kim (KPCC)

You Should Be Talking About How Much Money You Make: A Discussion For Audio Producers of Color
This meetup convenes audio produce of color to address the elephant in all rooms: money. How do you negotiate your pay when you're hired into a newsroom (or freelancing)? What can you do when you find a pay inequity — and how can you support (or seek support from) your colleagues in these situations?
Facilitated by Jenny Casas ( USA Today, Radio Residency'18) and Nishat Kurwa (Vox Media, Radio Residency Mentor '16, '17 & '18)

Interplanetary Storytelling
Putting the “international” in Third Coast International Audio Festival, this meetup is for all the fearless producers working outside the US, internationally across borders and universes.
Facilitated by Mariano Pagella (Argentina) & Jonathan Zenti (Italy).

Pop Up Radio Club
Never been to a Radio Club? Bring a 2-3 minute clip of what you’re working on or inspired by! We'll get to as many as we can, and get to know each other through our work.
Facilitated by Isabel Vazquez (Third Coast).

Dumbledore's Army
As a producer at a public radio member station, here are a few things you might overhear: “We don’t have the resources.” “We’re not WNYC.” “Broadcast is our bread and butter.” Sound familiar? Then this meetup is for you! Join the growing army of member station producers who are establishing a new playbook for podcast success. p.s. If you don't get the "Dumbledore's Army" thing, Google it! And read Harry Potter!
Facilitated by Sandhya Dirks (KQED) and Maureen McMurray (NHPR)

Branded Content: Not So Scary After All
The popularity of podcasts has created a whole new market for branded content. Come together with other makers to learn strategies and tackle challenges of working with advertisers and other clients. This meetup will get into how to write targeted pitches, build functional relationships with clients, and get paid like the boss you are.
Facilitated by Nicole Wong (Gimlet Creative) and Frances Harlow (independent).