INSPIRE NEWSCAST

This site is called “Inspire Newscast” because it’s my goal to inspire people with great stories about diverse individuals in various situations. This was an inspiration to me and I’m sure it will inspire anyone who takes the time to watch it right through.

I normally go for five minutes, but this one demanded extra time, so it went for 10 minutes. Albany Children’s Theatre provides an opportunity once a year to put on a major theatre presentation and this year more than 100 children participated.

Early on, I decided to follow three young people through the process of rehearsals and was delighted that the Theatre agreed to let me do this and nominated three young people to participate. We can hear from them and, at the same time, observe the whole cast in rehearsal.

It is inspiring to watch young people trying something new and working together to produce something that brings the whole community together. I thoroughly enjoyed making this video and trust that you too, will be inspired by Albany Children’s Theatre.

In my last post I talked about the song that was the catalyst for the beginning of The Albany Shantymen. This time I share a video interview with two of the members of the Albany Shantymen. And hearing their point of view is worthwhile.

In a casual conversation you can hear two men talk about how they got involved with the Albany Shantymen and what it means for them to be part of this group. One of the group describes Albany Shantymen as being like a Mens Shed for blokes who don’t like woodwork. It emphasises the importance of men finding a place where they can belong and build resilience.

Join me as we explore more about the Albany Shantymen.

I love it when a story comes full circle in the telling. Back in the late 70’s I interviewed a West Australian band, The Settlers in my role as a reporter with the Kalgoorlie Miner newspaper. The boys asked me to take some photos of the group for their upcoming album, “Bound for Western Australia” so I drove them out to an old hotel north of Kalgoorlie where we did a photo shoot.

Forty-six years later I interviewed a member of the The Settlers, Alan Ferguson about a song he wrote that became the first track on their album. “Bound for Western Austalia” was specifically produced for the 150th anniversary of Western Australia and achieved acclaim for its popularity.

Alan’s song, Albany Emigrants, became the catalyst for the birth of an Albany shanty group, the Albany Shantymen and their success led to the establishment of a strong following of shanty songs around Western Australia.

This video is part one of a two-part series about the Albany Shantymen. Enjoy.