LaNCE TV training program connects community

The pair remember feeling nervous on the inaugural broadcast, often speaking over each other.

Despite the many bloopers however the pair described their first show as "bunch of fun".

With guidance from Ballarat LGBTQIA+ non-for-profit media platform LaNCE TV they quickly found their voices, sparking a love of speaking directly to their local community through the airways.

"We have gotten to the point where we are more comfortable. We are used to having banter between us now. Whereas at first it was like 'do I talk or do you talk?'," Kim said.

"I think it is very important. Especially when you are rural or regional you can feel very isolated and alone," Charlotte said.

Kim and Charlotte are part of a team of participants delivering a weekly queer radio show on Voice FM 99.9, running for two hours each Sunday.

The program is overseen by LaNCE TV as part of their LGBTQIA+ media broadcasting project, which looks to work with queer community members in Ballarat to amplify their voices, and give them media training.

The project was recently the beneficiary of a $72,688 Empowering Communities grant, a joint fund between the City of Ballarat and the state government to empower marginalised communities.

LaNCE TV founder Deb said through the grant LaNCE TV has been able to begin the first phase of a training program, which gives on-air experience to LGBTQIA+ people such as Kim and Charlotte.

"Our growth has largely been in our ability to connect and work with members of our community," Deb said.

"We are looking at trying to create an industry at the end of the day. This funding folds into that concept, if we can train people at this end through video, audio, television and radio.

"If we can get people in a position to start telling their own stories then other people will stop telling our stories for us."

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Deb said giving LGBTQIA+ people an opportunity to tell their own stories was also critical to countering harmful misinformation and hate spread on the internet and in the community.

"There has been a rise of the alt-right, and there is a lot of misinformation starting to get out there about trans people, about how drag story time people are groomers," Deb said.

"That is gathering traction because there is no other voice to counteract that. We are in a position here, particularly with the radio show."

For more information on how to get involved, visit LaNCE TV's Facebook page.

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