TC Amplify!

TC Amplify!

From the 24th of June to the 2nd of July, our podcast-making training course took place in Empoli, a quiet Tuscan town not far from Florence and Pisa.

The training course was focused mainly on youth workers and educators, aiming to strengthen our competencies in digital communication, storytelling, and public speaking through the lens of podcast production. We gained access to practical tools and workflows that help us plan, record, and publish podcasts, while also building confidence in speaking to an audience, whether in front of a microphone or a live crowd.

We worked through the full podcast-making process step by step. We started with sessions on digital communication and creative skills, moving into dedicated public speaking practice that formed the backbone of everything that followed. From there we moved into podcast workflow and planning, learning how to shape an idea into a storyline with a clear beginning and a reason for someone to keep listening. Each small group used this to design its own podcast from scratch.

Despite a heatwave that settled over the region for most of the week, the programme carried on without losing momentum. We took one day for a cultural visit, choosing between Florence and Pisa. I went with Florence, explored the city and was amazed by it. The trip refreshed our energy, and we continued with the podcast production on the following days, then shared our podcasts on major platforms.

One of the real highlights of the week was our own radio show. We recorded and went live on OrmeRadio, Empoli’s local internet radio station, broadcasting from the community centre in town. It meant spending real time there with local youth between broadcasts, which gave us a proper feel for Empoli beyond the training rooms.

Other evenings brought us closer as a group too, including an Intercultural Night where participants shared a bit of their own countries, and a community festival in Empoli on the evening of our public broadcast, where we spoke to local people about the podcasts we had just put on air.

Overall, it was a really great week. The organisers were friendly and clearly put a lot of care into the programme, always ready to help and keep the mood up even during the heatwave. We left Empoli with practical podcast-making skills, more confidence speaking in public, and a good number of new friends along the way..