Making Waves

Independent Audio Producers Hugh Hick & Heather MacLeod are teaming up with the HeadStuff Podcast Network to present ‘Making Waves’ – a series of audio drama clinics in Spring 2022, offering four writers the opportunity to spend a morning developing an idea for an audio drama for radio or podcast alongside professional audio drama producers, and learning more about the processes of making audio drama and how to navigate the industry.

We are putting a call out for writers and other artists who have never worked in audio drama who might be interested in participating.

Does this sound like you? Then read on!

What is an audio drama?

It’s a drama or play you listen to.

Seriously, that’s it.

It’s not a film or a play or a novel but contains elements of all three. By its nature it can tell stories that take place over continents and hundreds of years or over one day on the streets of Dublin. It could be a gritty crime thriller, an outrageous comedy or deeply personal autobiographical piece.

Audio drama can be a very exciting medium for a writer as in many ways there are less considerations and restrictions than other forms, but it nonetheless it has its own set of characteristics that any writer needs to be aware of in order to tell their story through sound alone.

Who Am I?

We’re looking for new voices who have not previously been produced for radio or podcast but have an interest in the medium.

Maybe you’ve written for theatre in the past and are looking to explore the possibilities of audio?

Maybe you’ve never written professionally before but have that story you’ve always wanted to tell?

We’re looking to engage with artists from all backgrounds. We don’t believe that people’s careers need to be defined by their life experiences, but they are informed by them, and ideally we’d like to engage with as many different perspectives and diverse voices as possible, particularly if you feel like the stories you want to tell aren’t currently being told. While extensive professional experience isn’t necessary, we’re hoping to engage with artists with a demonstrable interest in writing for either radio or podcast.

Who are we?

Hugh Hick and Heather MacLeod are award-winning independent audio drama producers with a passion for new stories that can only be told through audio. Their work together includes ‘Killing Time’ (DCFM) ‘Crossing the Red Line’ (RTE Radio 1 Extra) and ‘Two Thieves’ (Newstalk). ‘Crossing The Red Line’ was awarded Silver in the New York Festivals Radio Awards in the ‘Best Digital Drama’ category and recently won ‘Best Radio Drama’ in the 2021 Celtic Media Festival. Their work has also received nominations in Prix Europa festival and the BBC Audio Drama Awards.

The HeadStuff Podcast Network is a hub for the creative and the curious. Currently hosting nearly 30 shows, ranging in topics from comedy, music, politics and social justice to food, pop culture and languages – we have something for everyone. Recording in The Podcast Studios, our world-class studios in Dublin city centre, The HeadStuff Podcast Network is a platform to share great ideas with the world.

What can we offer?

  • 3 hour session at The Podcast Studios, on Magennis Place, Dublin 2, where we can give you an overview of audio drama production.
  • Opportunity to discuss your idea in-detail and condense it down to treatment stage.
  • Answer any questions you have relating to any aspect of writing/making audio drama and podcasts in general.
  • A stipend of €150 to cover your time for the session

While we cannot guarantee that we’ll be able to produce your idea, or help bring it to fruition, a central aim of these clinics is for us to develop relationships with new writers. We hope this day will be the start of a conversation that may allow us to collaborate with the participating writers in some form in the future.

How do I apply?

We’re aware that applications can be a time consuming and draining process so we want to keep ours as simple as possible while ensuring a fair and transparent process given the limited amount of slots we are able to offer. We want to get a sense of who you are and what story you want to tell (and why you want to tell it through audio) so to apply we’re asking that you email [email protected] with  the following:

  • A short paragraph about the audio drama you would like to write and why it would work as a radio/podcast piece (250 words max)
  • A short paragraph on why you would be a good fit for the programme (100 words max)
  • A CV/Bio
  • A short writing sample (If available)

Closing date for applications is Thursday, March 31st at 12pm.

If you have any questions about any of the above, please don’t hesitate to send us an email.

‘Making Waves’ is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland through an Agility Award.