About the Studio

*** Watch this space. Soon to announce – two new studios in 2025

In 2020 Arts Nexus established a community-access digital recording studio for our members and the broader community, to record stories, aural histories, language documentation, podcasts and promotions.  This has been a creative response to a world pandemic that thrust the arts sector into evaluating new ways to share our expression to new audiences.  A social enterprise, this program is not fully funded and relies on studio hires and fee-for-service production services.

Following on from the success of the TAPESTRY OF YARNS in 2023, we have attracted over 40 people of all ages (up to 75 years) to participate in a 6 month podcast training program that included online delivery, mentoring, production support, recording first pilots and advice on how to progress their series, we are looking to continue this momentum and expand the program into 2024.  This will provide the next wave of TAPESTRY OF YARNS participants an opportunity to gain skills and to increase skill levels of those that have already begun their journey. 

In 2025 we plan on having two studios – one in the CBD of Cairns and another in the region of Far North Queensland. We will also be running “Tapestry of Yarns #2”. If you are interested in being involved, email us at admin@artsnexus.com.au

We believe our studio is unique as it attracts creatives with a story to share.  Many come to us with an idea and low experience of technology.  Through our tailored training program, we support people to access online open-source programs, gain confidence in the use of technology and setting up their own domestic studios.  By taking people through the entire process from concept, designing their own promotional elements, recording in a studio with a producer and then uploading to online platforms, our participants can realise their dream and have a real experience, in real time of what it takes to produce a podcast series. 

We believe this Studio is a first of its kind in the region, with unique stories being told from creatives, writers, performers, historians, full of history, intrigue, and colourful regional characters.  Our core audience is targeting regional Far North Queensland, arts, culture and creative industry practitioners, general public and inter cultural new residents.  We believe it is also unique nationally, being dedicated to podcasts with 24/7 access for community.  The studio has been set up to be accessible for the novice and useful to the experienced.  Providing descent, high end equipment to produce high resolution recordings – both audio and video, in a gentle, creative atmosphere, enticing older people to share as well as those not so acquainted with technical environments.  The vision has been an easy-tech with high resolution to ensure everyone can record their story.

With the evolution of our unique partnership between Arts Nexus and 4EB RADIO (Brisbane), we have increased the backend ability to upload an estimated 50 podcast episodes via the 4EB DAB+ platform Global Digital and broadcast across podcast sites like GooglePlay and Spotify.   This has provided access to technology for our network, and podcast content for the radio network.

It is not just the participation in the recording, the one on one mentoring in the production of their episodes, it is the final recorded and uploaded podcasts that fully demonstrate the success of this program.  And now with a waiting list for the next series and interest in the studio gathering momentum, the success of this project will be in the uploaded outcomes.  We also survey (through online platforms) people along the way to gauge their satisfaction levels match their original expectations.  These responses then guide us to continue shaping the training.  We have direct contact with all participants that receive a weekly email throughout the process, updating them with logistics and providing inspirational hints and referrals to other podcasts and websites of interest.  Fortnightly online “MeetUPS” (via Zoom) are held in the early stages of the program, to ramp everyone up to be ready for the formal training, discussing concepts, sharing ideas and guiding us to facilitate the most appropriate delivery.

Now that the studio has been operating over four years with over 350 people accessing the facilities, it is time to upgrade them to be sure we have the most up to date, appropriate equipment.  We will also develop our website so that we can host the catalogue of podcasts that have been produced, with an easy to use web page.  We will extend our training and podcast production, to support our existing alumni to go to the next level of production and support a new wave of podcasters in our next intake.  This will support people to uptake digital platforms and programs, increasing their skills and ensuring they access the internet to its fullest capacity. 

This is creative approach to a community challenge, the Digital Recording Studio was set up to support Creatives to continue to thrive post-CoVID, share their stories and promote their work. The training supports capacity building and encourages diverse participation through a tailored, mentoring approach. contributing to the national Arts ecology and online digital content available to global audiences.