We are proud to announce the release our podcast series: Latitude 40: Redesigning tourism on a small island. The seven-part series provides personal perspectives from different islanders about what makes Flinders Island special to them, and their vision for a flourishing or thriving Flinders Island.
Why a podcast?
The idea of this podcast series was inspired by GOOD Awaits, the Regenerative Tourism New Zealand Podcast, and the powerful work of Debbie Clarke and Josie Major. If you don't know about their award-winning explorations into regenerative tourism, then you really need to check out their work! It's become an important pillar in the conversations about the change ahead. We have long admired Josie and Debbie's work in bringing out the stories of change-makers in tourism and wondered whether they might take on a different kind of challenge 'across the ditch'. To our delight, they accepted the challenge!
Our aim in this podcast series is to explore the stories and the lived experience of tourism on the Island. Our speakers are all experts on the Islander Way because they live and breathe it every day.
How the podcast contributes to community engagement
This podcast series is a tool within a suite of community engagement activities that we have been undertaking on the Island. The aim is to tell the story of tourism on the Island, and to get to the heart of local stories and lived experiences. It's a podcast series that seeks to build community on and off the Island, and will appeal to all those interested in understanding a little more about the Islander Way, the project, the issues, and the people. This podcast series is unique as a community engagement tool in a number of ways:
It amplifies the issues we've been identifying through the community engagement process about what makes Flinders Island unique and how tourism can play a role in its future.
Through digital storytelling, Islanders describe their connection to the Island, and what they love about the place they call home.
It personalises the vision emerging for the Island and the role that tourism and visitors play in contributing to that vision.
Who are we interviewing?
Our pilot podcast includes interviews that feature Flinders Island locals, and will be released progressively in the coming weeks:
Mel Telfer, artist and owner of artists' and makers' co-op, The Purple Swamphen
Peter Rhodes, Councillor, Contrarian, and developer of the Maritime History Centre
Lois Ireland, owner of iconic Bowman's General Store
Ben Backhaus, owner, natural oils distillery, Bush Pharmacy
Annie Revie, former Mayor of Flinders Council and project champion
Wendy Jubb-Stoney, owner, Flinders Island Gourmet Retreat at Cooma House
This series is a true collaboration that showcases the Island's talent. Special thanks to Judy Jacques for the use of her evocative compositions, The Mesmerist and Wybalenna Prayer from Making Wings, ©2002. Thanks also go to Jana Monnone for lending her beautiful voice to a reading of the Islander Way story.
Special thanks to each of the participants in this series, for their enthusiasm for the Islander Way project and their generosity of time and spirit.
The introductory episode
In the first episode of Latitude 40, Debbie and Josie speak with Dianne Dredge from Designing Tourism and The Tourism CoLab about delivering this ambitious project. Dianne describes the unique approach taken to consultation by the Islander Way project, the social and economic catalyst for the project, and the directions emerging from the consultation.
If you have been wondering about the Islander Way project, this introductory episode is a great way to get up to speed in around 30 minutes.
You can keep up to date with episodes of Latitude 40: Redesigning tourism on a small island on any of your favourite podcast apps.