Vectis Radio, the Island’s community radio station makes it to BBC1 South. Last year Solent University spent days filming 4Ps students Ophelia, Jasper, Robert, Finley, Hannah and Station Manager Ian Mac as well as fellow director Kelvin Currie.
The 4Ps project helps young people from a variety of schools including St George’s School, for the courses it runs Mondays to Fridays. On Saturdays the station runs the Short Breaks Radio Course hosted by Vectis Radio director Kelvin Currie which features twins Ophelia and Jasper who are part of the programme due to be screened on March 2nd on BBC One’s programme Inside Out, The film captures the amazing way Ophelia takes control of the Vectis Radio studio desk for the first time under Kelvin’s professional tutorage.
Ian says, “It’s been a great achievement just to be on the air for 10 years and get to FM in our eighth year; but the biggest achievements have been able to help 250+ young people with confidence and communication on the 4PS radio project. The project uses the main ingredients of radio which are presenting, producing, podcasting and promotion, and by doing all of that young people get increased confidence and communication skills.”
“It really does work and it’s the most fantastic feeling when you watch a young person turn up for the first session and struggle to have a conversation, or look you in the eye, then after a couple of sessions, that young person is holding a proper conversation and having a go at Radio. Nine times out of 10 they make a good job of it too. It’s amazing to see.
”We hope that when they see it for themselves on the big screen it will mean we will gain support from the relevant people so that more funds are made available to us. We can then help even more young people with their confidence and communication and really make a difference in our community.”
Vectis Radio recently celebrated their 10th birthday and have cemented their place in the radio industry with recent successes at the National Community Radio Awards, gaining two bronzes and a silver for the work they do with young people aged 11 up to 19 and up to 25 with additional needs and difficulties.
The film also follows the progress of Robert Chip Clark and Hannah Banana Barker. Everyone at Vectis Radio gets a nickname and they both appear on the radio every week.
Co-Producer and Director of the film Tony Steyger said “It was a privilege to work with Ian and the 4P’s students as well as their families. Seeing young people grow in confidence on camera before our eyes was remarkable. These individual stories helped shape the film and I hope others will be inspired by witnessing the power of radio to transform lives.”
The 8 minute film can be seen on Monday the 2nd March as part of the BBC South programme Inside Out and filmed by students from Solent University.
Kate O’Driscoll, Senior Lecturer at Solent and Co-Producer and Director said “The Vectis film was produced by staff, graduates and current students from the TV Production and Post Production courses at Solent University, Southampton. Our crew spent the summer of 2019 following a number of young people taking part in the 4P’s learning programme. Through the lens of our camera we saw the powerful journey these youngsters went on, increasing in confidence and self belief as they learnt the skills required to work in radio. Ian Mac and his team at Vectis offer a truly life changing opportunity and we were delighted to be able to capture this on film.”
