Supporting new voices and new ideas in Australian podcasting.

Signal Boost is an initiative offering up to $10,000 in tailored mentorship, practical support, tools and professional development for aspiring Australian podcasters. Recipients will be paired with an experienced mentor, provided with equipment and access to software to help them realise their audio goals, and will attend a series of intensive workshops led by some of Australia’s leading podcast and radio industry professionals.

Different from many 'podcast incubator' programmes, Signal Boost's focus is on investing in the craft of working with sound. The Wheeler Centre will work with each participant to support their creative growth and develop their audio skills, and assist them with building a network of peers, gaining insight into the industry and accessing a range of professional opportunities. Throughout the programme, participants will create paid audio works to be displayed on the Wheeler Centre website. All participants will retain all copyright ownership of any works they make.

How to apply

Applications for  Signal Boost 2021 are now closed. We hope to announce the successful applicants in early September.

In 2021, we’re asking applicants to create a short piece of audio in response to the theme ‘space’. We want to hear your takes on the spaces we live in, the galaxies we’re yet to explore, or the places that make you feel safe. You might want to explore an expansive space, a claustrophobic space, or somewhere in between.

For your audio response: in less than three minutes, we want you to demonstrate how you would approach the theme and turn it into something captivating and listenable. Think of it like an audio teaser or trailer for a movie that doesn’t (yet) exist, or a pitch to a studio. 

Don’t worry about it sounding perfect; we just want to get a sense of your creative approach to audio. Feel free to use the voice memo app on a smartphone for this task; equally, feel free to go wild with all the sound you can muster!

If you aren’t able to produce an audio recording that gives an example of your creative approach, please contact us ahead of the application closing date to discuss possible alternatives.

Looking for inspiration?

This year, we’ve asked our judges and some of our past participants to respond to this year’s theme. We’ll be posting them here each week until applications close on Sunday 8 August.

In her response, Signal Boost judge Michelle Macklem takes a musical approach, using tape she'd originally lefr on the cutting room floor.

In her response, Signal Boost 2020 participant Karishma Luthria searches out the space for self-care amid a claustrophobic Covid-19 news cycle.

In his response, judge Daren Lake finds his favourite space to clear his mind and be in the moment.

For her response, Signal Boost 2020 participant Maddison Miller has collated sounds from the spaces she's inhabited during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In his response, judge Mike Williams needs more space for his growing family, which means saying goodbye to his neighbour’s avocado tree.

Want to stay in the loop? Subscribe for updates. Got a question? Check the Signal Boost FAQs or Email us.

#twcsignalboost