A community radio station for Edenderry
In our first community post, Audrey from Eden FM reflects on how the radio station has grown their connections with local groups, enabling more people to tell their stories
Eden FM Community Radio is in the heart of Edenderry beside the town hall. Our mission is to bring a permanent community radio station to Edenderry and at present broadcast live programmes every weekend. Over the past number of years we have endeavoured to make connections with groups and organisations in the area. This had been challenging until Creative Places: Edenderry came to town.
Creative Places: Edenderry became a central space where people began to come together through the various classes, groups, and projects. This gave Eden FM Community Radio the vital link needed to be able to make these new connections and spread the word about what the local community radio station could do for them.
We are delighted to be in a position to promote events and groups for Creative Places: Edenderry, and to have had many interviews in the studio with various artists, locally and from further afield. Seonaid Murray (Creative Places: Edenderry Coordinator) is a regular contributor to Eden FM Community Radio. She has been into the studio for interviews and has also signposted artists and members of the community towards us when she feels that we can be of benefit to them or vice versa.
It was a privilege to have Robin Simpson (CEO, Creative Lives) into the studio for an interview this year. He spoke about Creative Lives, Creative Places: Edenderry, and the work that they do.
Eden FM Community Radio have worked collaboratively with Creative Places: Edenderry in both paid and voluntary projects. At Culture Night 2023, we were asked to provide the PA (public address) system for Voices of Edenderry, an open mic night at St Mary’s Primary School. It was a great event that was very well attended.
Muin Ogham was a community event held in the square, where again we supplied the PA. It was a great day for Edenderry and again highlighted the good work that Creative Places: Edenderry does for the community.
Our programme director Audrey was invited up to Belfast for a community event in the Black Box for people who identify as disabled – this was part of the Aethereal Material project funded by The British Science Association. The project was based around the ‘speech to song auditory illusion’ and Creative Lives collaborated with Dr Trevor Agus from the Sonic Arts Research Centre at Queen’s University, Belfast on the project. Part of the project included collecting interviews with group members and attendees in both Belfast and Edenderry – listen to a playlist of the audio and interviews here.
As part of a creative sharing and networking day, Audrey went with two other artists from Edenderry, Yolanda Rodriguez from Retox Dance Studio, and Becca Thorne who is a visual artist based in Edenderry. She reported back that the event was amazing, and she conducted interviews with members and staff of the group in Belfast.
Some of the many amazing interviews that have taken place in our studio thanks to Creative Places: Edenderry are interviews with John Maguire, promoting his plays ‘The Witch had it Coming’, and ‘The Loves of Cass McGuire’. Both were supported by Creative Places: Edenderry. Angi Ward, who runs the very successful music group on Mondays, has been in numerous times and there are plans to have some of her music group in to sing live on air.
It was exciting when Community Music Wales came to Edenderry as part of a collaboration with Creative Places: Edenderry. They came in for an interview which lasted an hour, where they discussed the work they do and their work with Creative Places: Edenderry.
In the early days, we applied for a Creative Places: Edenderry Creative Grant to help us to complete vital work in the studio to have the walls plastered. We were successful with our application and the difference that having the walls finished off is immense. It is a more welcoming space, not only for our volunteers, but the many visitors from the community and beyond who come into the studio. This is another asset that Creative Places: Edenderry has brought to Edenderry.
Recently we were awarded an Artist Commission from Creative Places: Edenderry to enable Eden FM Community Radio to produce a project called Echoes of Edenderry. It is very exciting, as it will bring members of the community to tell their stories, where they will be recorded for generations to come.
Eden FM Community Radio are delighted to have been able to develop a wonderful relationship with Creative Places: Edenderry. They have had a huge impact on Eden FM Community radio and the wider community. Many connections, collaborations, and friendships have been made due to their presence. Eden Fm recorded interviews, audio and feedback from our first Arts Collective Day in February 2024.