Background
In this blog post, we meet a group of four undergraduate students from the University of York’s BA (Hons) History programme who have recently launched a new podcast. ‘The On History Podcast’, is a student-led project aimed at making academic history more accessible to a wider audience. Faced with common questions like “What does a historian actually do?”, the students decided to break down barriers between academia and the public through weekly podcast episodes. Each instalment features a York history professor discussing their research and interests, offering unique insights that often go beyond the traditional curriculum. “It’s been a fantastic venture and great for us even as history students to find out more beyond the curriculum!” says Callie.
Support from the Creativity Lab
The idea first emerged during a Public History module, where the Creativity Lab delivered embedded teaching to guide the cohort through the process of creating a podcast. This hands-on approach encouraged them to explore and experiment with creative technologies. Enthusiastic about the process, the group decided to produce their own podcast. To make it happen, they returned to the Creativity Lab using it as a launchpad to turn ideas into a reality. “The Creativity Lab is fantastic,” Callie shares. “The team walked us through all the technology – which we definitely needed as four humanities students!” The Creativity Lab provided end-to-end support throughout the podcast’s development. The students took part in an initial induction session where they were introduced to podcasting equipment and software.
Impact
The support of the Creativity Lab was instrumental in bringing The On History Podcast to life. “I am almost certain that the podcast would not have come to fruition without the Creativity Lab. We don’t monetise the podcast, so hiring a studio regularly would have been impossible on a student budget.”
The accessibility of the Lab’s facilities and expertise allowed the students to continue to produce high-quality content on a regular basis. “We would have struggled massively without a helping hand just down the corridor or at the end of an email,” shares Callie.
The ‘On History’ Podcast is now available on Spotify, offering listeners an engaging look at the world of history research at York.Head to the Creativity Lab’s podcast webpage for more information on how to get started on your own podcast journey.