Category: Funders

Our most recent Positive Frequencies course, funded by MAES, drew to a close with an inspiring radio show, Hotel Changing Frequencies. Within this, our participants shared stories of human experience, personal reflections and creative writing they worked on over the duration of the workshops.

Listen to the full show below.

Positive Frequencies is our well-being project, centred around self-expression and using creative outlets as a form of self-care. We chatted to one of our participants, Uyama, about her time on the programme and what they’ll be taking from it moving forward.

Introduce your name, pronouns and hobbies.

My name is Uyama and my pronouns are she/her. Currently, I’m studying English and Maths. Outside the course, I like playing netball for fun, and to help me relax and clear my mind.

How would you describe yourself in three words?

Patient, caring and supportive.

What’s your favourite thing to do to make you feel good or as a form of self-care?

Playing netball!

Did you have much experience of using writing in your well-being practice already? If so, what’s your favourite element of this or what have you enjoyed about trying it for the first time?

I didn’t have much experience, but I really appreciate that I got the opportunity to write something kind about myself at Positive Frequencies. I learnt that you don’t just have to say nice things to other people, but that you can also say these things to yourself.

What prompted you to get involved in our Positive Frequencies course?

I saw a poster and thought I should sign up. I didn’t want to miss it.

Let’s throw it back to your first day on the course versus now, tell me a bit about your first impressions/feelings/emotions in comparison to how you feel now. What has changed?

Again, I genuinely had never thought about saying kind things to myself. This was totally out of my mind and something I had never considered. It showed me you can value, respect and love yourself, and not just other people. This has helped me a lot already and it’s something I will take away with me.

If you had to give a sentence of advice to your younger self, what would it say?

You’re not too late to start anything. You can always restart at any age. 

What will you take from Positive Frequencies moving forward & what are your plans from here onwards?

Aside from a kinder attitude towards myself, I am also looking forward to studying nursing and midwifing in the future. Hopefully, I will be a qualified nurse in two or three years time.

How would you describe the Positive Frequencies course to someone who was thinking of joining us as a participant?

It’s a great course – everybody is patient; there is no pressure and no judgement. I’m not an outspoken person and prefer to listen usually, but Positive Frequencies made me feel welcome and comfortable to share and speak. I would encourage others to take the step to join the course, because it’s a great space where everyone supports each other.

To find out more about our projects, email our Engagement team at projects@reformradio.co.uk.

We hopped into 2024 with another round of our renowned DJ Sessions with our friends Do As You Please, funded by Manchester Adult Education. Over the past two weeks, a group of participants, eager to jump behind the decks, have been learning the ropes of beatmatching, blending and more. Our partners, GigPig, also joined us for a session all about gig-sourcing and self-promotion. Closing the project, our attendees put their new skills to the test in our celebratory showcase.

We caught up with two of our participants, Milo and Suse, to find out more about their time on the course and where they’re heading from here.

Introduce your name, pronouns, and what you’re up to at the moment outside the course.

M: My name’s Milo and my pronouns are he/him. Before Christmas, I was working in a corporate job which I really wasn’t enjoying, so I left and decided I wanted to get stuck into more fulfilling activities I actually wanted to do.

S: Hey, I’m Suse, my pronouns are she/her, and, at the moment, I am working in a club. I love working in a music-immersed environment.

What prompted you to get involved with the DJ Course?

M: I joined the DJ Course on a whim, to be honest. When I left my job, I started looking at creative opportunities I could take up. I was DJing a bit before as a hobby and I wanted to start taking the steps to getting a career in something I am actually passionate about.

S: I had seen one of the Creative Practitioners, Adele, DJing and she’s a huge inspiration to me so I was really keen to work with her on the course. Also, I am Portuguese, and, in my culture, music is so centred around community and acts as a love language we speak. DJing feels so universal to this.

What do you love most about DJing?

M: DJing is such a mindful and therapeutic activity. It’s so nice to lose yourself in it and get in the zone.

S: I really love the techniques and effects you can use when DJing, like blending. It’s training for the brain and I’ve loved picking these up gradually.

Did you have much experience in DJing before? What’s one stand out thing you’ve learnt at Reform?

M: I have a controller at home and me and my friends used to do DJing at home for fun. So, I’ve been mostly self-teaching myself for a while. A stand out thing I’ve learnt is definitely the backspin trick on the decks; I don’t think I would have ever attempted that unless I’d come on the course.

S: In the pandemic, I bought a small DJ deck and thought I’d try it out. I ended up uploading a female drill mix to my Soundcloud. Then I just got super busy with university work and stopped DJing as much. I promised myself I’d get back into it, so I have.

How would you describe a DJ set of yours in three words? 

M: Energising, uplifting, and dancey.

S: Global music, dancey and nostalgic.

Do you have any role models in the music scene that inspire your DJing practice?

M: I have some favourite DJs, of course. But I guess the people that have really inspired my practice have been my friends through university that got me hooked on DJing. The collaborative environment we created allowed us to make mistakes and be really open-minded when it came to our craft.

S: I really love Uncle Waffles, and I grew up listening and taking inspiration from Disclosure – I have always loved house music. I also love DJ Chaise from the local scene. I think Uncle Waffles is probably my biggest role model, however, due to them platforming South African culture and that’s what I hope to do for my culture too.

Let’s throw it back to your first day at Reform versus now, tell me a bit about your first impressions/feelings/emotions in comparison to how you feel now. What has changed? 

M: On the first day of the project, I was really nervous for what was to come – especially finding out we had a showcase ahead in which we’d have to perform in front of people we didn’t know. But now, I feel so much more confident with the support of the Creative Practitioners and my peers. Also, it is so nice to be working in an environment that makes you feel like pursuing your goals is realistic and possible. I actually feel like I could be a DJ now.

S: My first interaction with Reform was at a one-day workshop, but I was super invested in the courses and the work Reform were doing. I was delighted to be able to join the DJ Sessions. From day one, things have been great and insightful. As the course has gone on, I have really felt my skillset grow.

What will you take from the DJ course moving forward & what are your plans from here onwards? 

M: I’m really keen to take the motivation and inspiration I’ve gained through the project with me and really push myself to keep pursuing my hobbies and passions. I’m looking forward to hopefully getting some DJ gigs locked in to play.

S: I’ve been trying different courses and hobbies, but DJing has really stuck with me. I really want to start uploading some of my mixes to social media and get some gigs booked in.

If you could DJ at any festival, event, or place in the world, where would it be and why?

M: I’d have to start here first and play The White Hotel. It’s home, it’s not too big so you’re nice and close to who you’re playing for, and the room is always full of people who are actually there for the music.

S: I would start off with Parklife. I’ve worked there as a bartender over the years, but experiencing that as a performer would be incredible. Of course, it would be amazing to perform in my home country, Portugal, too.

If you could do a b2b DJ set with anyone, who would it be with and why?

M: I would have to say Gerd Janson. I think he’s a really consistent DJ and the Godfather of DJing.

S: I think it would be with DJ Chaise. She is amazing and I feel like we have similar energy so the set would be contagious.

If you want to find out more about our future projects, drop us an email at projects@reformradio.co.uk to get involved.

We’ve wrapped up another two incredible weeks of DJ Sessions at Reform Radio, with our good friends Do As You Please, funded by MAES. Over the course of the project, our participants have been getting hands-on experience in beatmatching, self promotion and more. It’s been a lively time in the space throughout the programme, with all of our participants building their own unique sets and styles behind the decks. The project closed with a brilliant celebratory showcase, for all of the new DJs to share what they’d been working on.

We have already witnessed some remarkable successes from the project’s cohort since they completed this collection of sessions. Our participants have been getting stuck into playing sets around Manchester, with support from our partners GigPig, the city’s live music marketplace app. Meanwhile, we were delighted to hear an individual from the project who had been unemployed for two years, following mental health struggles, neurodiversity access barriers and a history of offending and substance abuse has since been offered a job.

Their support worker stated: “I genuinely believe that without this course, [he] wouldn’t have had the confidence to attend his job interview independently and secure paid employment. It gave him a purpose, got him back into a healthy routine, reduced his social isolation and helped equip him with the necessary skills to succeed in life”. We pass on our huge congratulations to this participant, and we can’t wait to hear where their course-mates end up heading following the course.

In the meantime, we got to know Scott and and Bola who took part in the course to find out their favourite things about DJing and what their plans were moving forward from here.

Tell us your name, pronouns, and what you enjoy getting up to in your free time.

S: My name is Scott, AKA DJ Tez, and my pronouns are he/him. In my free time I play a lot of football as a Manchester United supporter, and I produce and listen to a huge range of music.

B: My performance name is Bolli Bubbles, my pronouns are she/they and I’m non-binary. I love listening to music and I go to the gym a lot.

How would your friends describe you in 3 words?

S: I would say definitely loyal and caring, but I can’t think of a third one!

B: For me, I would say effervescent, uplifting and chaotic.

If you’re heading to a DJ set, what’s your favourite genre to go and see and why?

S: Definitely house music.

B: I love going to see techno, disco, and specifically Italo-disco.

Did you have much experience in DJing before? If so, what’s your favourite thing about it?

S: Most of my experience was computer-based virtual DJing where I was able to do everything automatically behind a keyboard. So this has been a new challenge, learning to do everything myself behind the decks. My favourite thing about DJing is finding new combinations of tracks to blend. I love it when you blend two tracks you’d never think to combine, but then you do and they work amazingly together.

B: I didn’t have any experience directly in DJing, but I spend a lot of time dancing and experiencing music from that point of view. My favourite thing about learning to DJ has been understanding which tracks work together side by side in a set, rather than just playing any songs I like.

What prompted you to get involved with the DJ Course?

S: I wanted to refine the skills I had already built through virtual DJing and be able to translate those into real life. I also have a lot of DJs in my family who inspired me to get involved.

B: I have a lot of experience in dancing, performing and attending and holding events. So the natural progression for me was to learn how to DJ so I have it under my belt for working in this industry.

Let’s throw it back to your first day at Reform versus now, tell me a bit about your first impressions/feelings/emotions in comparison to how you feel now. What has changed? 

S: I’ve learnt so much more about finding the right time to drop the music and feel much more confident performing the skills I would have previously done on my computer automatically.

B: A lot of the things I would do when I dance makes sense now. I’ve really learnt to feel the music, and trust the beat of it to know when to blend.

What will you take from the DJ course moving forward & what are your plans from here onwards? 

S: I can’t wait to apply the practical skills I have built in real life scenarios. Moving forward, I would love to go and play at events as a DJ personality all over the place. I don’t want to based in one city; I’d love to get to a point where I get invited to specific locations to play.

B: I really want to keep people moving and play sets that get people dancing. I am super eager to travel with my work and experience new places through my DJ practice.

Do you have any role models on the DJ/music scene that inspire your practice and why?

S: In terms of the way he manages the crowd and the decks, I would have to say James Hype.

B: DJ Paulette, for sure. I also am a big fan of a DJ called LEXII, who always dresses incredibly and is a model come DJ.

What’s your favourite tune to close a set with?

S: I don’t think I could choose a singular song because it depends so much on the crowd and how they’re feeling. It’s impossible to choose one record – there’s so many I love.

B: Right now there’s a song I’m loving, it’s a Brazilian remix of a disco song and I’m hoping to close my set at the showcase with this track.

Who would your dream B2B be with? 

S: Either James Hype or The Martinez Brothers.

B: I recently saw a DJ in Berlin and he closed the Horsemeat Disco. It was jivey, loud, bangy disco tunes and I was thinking how insane it would be to do a B2B set with him.

Find out about our future projects here. If you like the look of any of them, drop our lovely Engagement team an email at projects@reformradio.co.uk.

For the past two weeks, we’ve had a group of participants completing our Podcasting Course in the space, from learning how to script write, all the way to hosting their own live show on Reform Radio which showcased their five minute podcast pieces. You can listen back to the full show below.

We caught up with participants, Tagan and Huma, to hear about their experiences on the project and to hear what they’ll be taking from it moving forward.

What are your names, pronouns, and what you’re getting up to at the moment outside the course?

H: I’m Huma, my pronouns are she/her, and I work for a charity which supports victims of domestic abuse.

T: My name is Tagan, my pronouns are he/him, and I’m currently exploring new hobbies in my free time and trying to get more creative.

Describe yourself in 3 words

H: Kind, empathetic, and a good listener

T: Compassionate, determined and loving

If you had to recommend a podcast to someone who’s never listened to a podcast before, what would it be and why?

H: I would recommend a podcast to people in relationships who are questioning whether their relationship is healthy. The podcast is called ‘I’m Not In An Abusive Relationship’, and it’s about the early signs of abuse and neglect. It’s informative and could be really important to people who are unsure of the signs.

T: I would recommend the ‘Inspired Unemployed’ podcast. It’s a bunch of lads having fun behind the mic and creating content and it’s just good fun.

What prompted you to get involved with the Podcasting Course?

H: For me, I attended to simply explore. I wasn’t a massive podcast fan before taking on the course but I came just to give it a go.

T: I was in a similar place, I didn’t have a major expectation of the course. However, I tried the taster session and was instantly drawn into it and knew I needed to complete the rest of it.

What’s become your favourite thing about podcasting and audio through completing the course?

H: I’ve really enjoyed the thought process of writing a script. I can’t say I enjoyed the editing aspect too much, however, and listening to myself back! But the process of writing was so creative and it made me really consider the layout of podcasting.

T: For me I just loved the whole creative aspect to audio, and achieving things I didn’t think I was capable of. Being in the studio was also great as it pushed me out my comfort zone and taught me loads of new skills.

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Let’s throw it back to your first day at Reform versus now, tell me a bit about your first impressions/emotions in comparison to how you feel now. What has changed? 

H: My impressions have changed hugely. I didn’t know anything about Reform Radio at all and was quite apprehensive about what we were going to experience and do on the course. But I ended up looking forward to it every morning and feeling so motivated to come along.

T: I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did and I didn’t think I’d be as committed as I have been about turning up everyday. I’m really grateful for the opportunity which Reform has given me to meet such a collective of kind people who support you by setting high standards and supporting your work. I think the main thing I’ll take with me is the confidence I’ve grown in developing audio and media skills, but also generally within life.

What will you take from the podcasting course moving forward & what are your plans from here onwards? 

H: I think I definitely feel more open to getting out of my comfort zone and trying new things in life. It’s taught me to go for things I wouldn’t usually try. I would love to continue building the podcast idea I formulated through the course and create a larger series. I feel like creating this podcast will support my work with victims and survivors of domestic abuse.

T: I will definitely take new-found confidence from the Podcasting Course, I feel like it’s really built my self-esteem. I will be taking a lot of new friendships with like-minded creatives from the course, also.

If you could have anyone on your own podcast as a guest, who would it be and why?

H: For me, it would Yasmin Mogahed, a specialist in spirituality, psychology, and personal development.

T: I don’t have anyone specific I’d ask. It would be fun to have someone totally random to discuss random subject like conspiracy theories or psychology to hear a unique point of view.

Come join us at our future courses! If you’d like to get involved or find out more about any of our projects, please drop us an email at projects@reformradio.co.uk.