Title: Warwick History Hour

Department: History

Staff Lead: Rosie Doyle

Overview:

The Warwick History Hour Radio Show was an exciting collaboration between the History Department and the Warwick SU student radio, RAW. The pilot project aimed to establish a Warwick History radio show and podcast series, featuring engaging interviews with academic experts and discussions led by a student panel.

Outcomes:

Taking place from 24th April to 29th May 2023, the pilot project consisted of four episodes, each lasting approximately one hour. Each session involved five participants: a presenter, an academic interviewee, and a student panel. For the pilot, a postgraduate student from the Department of History at Warwick served as the interviewer, engaging in compelling discussions with staff members from the department. The interviews lasted for an hour, preceded by 30 minutes of preparation time. The show was recorded and made available as a podcast on Spotify, with a dedicated website to showcase the episodes.

Evaluation:

The show provided a valuable learning experience for students and academics alike, offering insights into the process of recording and participating in a panel show. It served as an educational platform where participants gained practical knowledge about hosting, interviewing, and engaging in meaningful discussions.

The show's broad reach was enhanced by its availability on popular platforms such as Spotify, as well as the dedicated website. This ensured that not only current and prospective students but also the general public had easy access to the episodes. The wide accessibility allowed a diverse audience to learn more about the cutting-edge research being undertaken across the history department at Warwick University.

The dedicated website played a crucial role as a centralized hub, providing a wealth of resources and information related to the topics discussed on the show. Listeners could conveniently access all the episodes, delve deeper into the research areas covered, and stay updated on future episodes. This feature greatly contributed to the show's impact and fostered a sense of engagement and curiosity among the audience.

The current show involves current members of the history department. To facilitate future enhancements, we aim to invite guests from local heritage organizations and scholars to collaborate with the department, broadening the range of expertise showcased. In addition, we would like to promote and display the history hour alongside a blog with podcasts, blogs and vlogs produced by Warwick students. Adequate resources will be allocated to support content creation and curation, ensuring the delivery of high-quality and insightful materials.

Embedding:

The recorded sessions of the Warwick History Hour radio show hold great potential for various applications within the department. They can be utilized as valuable resources in academic modules, providing students with engaging and informative content related to historical topics. Furthermore, these recordings can be employed for marketing activities and open days, showcasing the department's expertise and captivating potential students. Additionally, the radio hour sessions can serve as powerful tools for outreach and social events, offering the opportunity for live recordings in front of a studio audience, fostering community engagement, and igniting lively discussions on history.