Kate Lawrence, always a student of story

During the pandemic the Australian Film Television and Radio School’s (AFTRS) Graduate Diploma in Radio pivoted in a couple of essential ways, firstly to an online offering and secondly to incorporate the exploding trend of podcasting.

Kate Lawrence is midway through doing her online Graduate Diploma in Radio and Podcasting part time. A lawyer for nearly two decades, then an oral storyteller, Covid was the nudge she needed to become a “student of audio”. Radio was not really on her radar at all. That being said, this girl who once dreamed of owning a radio station to tear apart conservative gender roles has already found a space on ABC RN’s Law Report and Future Tense.

But that is such a small part of the picture in progress that is Kate. Living in beautiful Macedon, an hour or so outside of Melbourne, Kate left law a decade ago “fiercely passionate about the things I want to say.” And about allowing those who might not have a voice to be able to speak too.

Kate created safe spaces where people could come, create and tell their oral stories, and a podcast called Coming Home around women’s homelessness. Kate did a storytelling TEDx talk and won the Moth story slam twice. With a love of historical narrative too she also created Tide the Moon, a personal podcast steeped in the past but also about self-discovery and connection with nature.

With all this under her belt the first question I asked her was what the Graduate Diploma offered in terms of skills that she didn’t possess already:

“It’s having an outside perspective because being self-taught, it’s very hard to know whether you’re doing anything right.

The assignments challenge you and get you making things. And the feedback that you get on those assignments is really strong and helpful. I was just a little podcaster, not really interested in radio, but now I know how intertwined those two industries are.

Then there’s the other people that you’re going to meet, that you can contact, get in touch with, debrief with and chat about what their dreams are.”

Kate also really benefited from the program being accessible on a part-time basis:

“For me, particularly doing it at this slower pace, I get to keep the connection with AFTRS for longer. Just to be in a community, where they find you opportunities or you can get your questions answered, as an isolated freelancer, that’s really valuable. As are the industry connections that come with the course.”

We moved on to talk about audio storytelling in general, both the fear that no one is listening, while appreciating that podcasting isn’t a space for those who are vitriolic about your free form thoughts, researched information and conversations. 

“I find there’s a bit of safety behind an audio wall. It’s a one-way conversation. I don’t think podcasters get a lot of direct haters because it takes a lot of time to listen and respond.”

The audio industry and its opportunities for people are changing. AFTRS themselves have taken the time to listen and respond with their offerings which makes the diversity of options available to the next generation of students across all ages all the more exciting.

Kate unsurprisingly, alongside the rest of her Graduate Diploma and an ABC internship that has turned into paid work, is also creating an oral history project on the history of women’s football. 

Ever the student of story.

AFTRS have their Open Day, in person and streaming online, on Saturday August 3. For the next wave of audio storytellers from across Australia. 

RSVP here: https://www.aftrs.edu.au/event/aftrs-open-day/

Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster for Radio Today.