Broadcasting, Archives & Sound
“Belinda is a brilliant broadcaster. A great team member, she’s equally at home with music, news and current affairs programmes” Mark Grinnell, Managing Editor, BBC Radio Devon
Broadcasting
More than 20 years’ experience in radio journalism (18 within the BBC), has seen me develop a presentation style that balances authority with warmth – I’m equally comfortable challenging politicians and chatting with Phone-In callers.
Roles at BBC Radio Devon have included eight years presenting its flagship breakfast programmes – testing formats both technically and in terms of content. These shows require intense concentration; rock-steady journalistic judgement and an ability to connect (both with listeners and interviewees). Plus the knack of knowing when to challenge, and how hard.
I also specialise in news reading, creative programme treatments and crafting evocative features.
Relevant qualifications:
1993: Postgraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism; Falmouth School of Art and Design (now Falmouth University).
Archives & Sound
“Belinda crafted elegant audio pieces … incorporating sound effects to add atmosphere without interfering with the integrity of the original material” Ben Lumby, National Maritime Museum Cornwall
From innovative projects screening archive films on phones, to carrying out oral history interviews and editing evocative testimonies for museum displays – my archive work is wide-ranging.
As well as a thorough understanding of correct archive procedure, I also have 20 years’ experience of working with sound professionally, for archives, museums and the BBC.
Projects and clients include:
2013. An Augmented Reality trail of 10 funky, site-specific mini-movies centred around Plymouth’s waterfront. Working with the South West Film and Television Archive, it was developed to help bring classic footage ‘out of the archive’. The techniques used can be applied to the full range of historic collections; embedding the past in the present, amid people’s everyday lives. Find out more at Plymouth Shortcuts.
2009-2014. Recorded 20 testimonies of former Cable & Wireless employees, their families and the people living near C&W’s former telegraph station at Porthcurno, Cornwall. Mixed carefully selected clips and relevant sound effects to create four themed CDs, constituting a compelling narrative of a globally-significant story. Also selected, edited and mixed sections of these recordings for the award-winning museum’s new multi-sensory exhibition, which opened summer 2014.
National Maritime Museum Cornwall
Work for the multi-award winning NMMC involved editing and mixing pre-existing oral history recordings for exhibition, using sound effects to create a powerful sense of subject matter and story. This material has featured in the exhibitions: Lighthouses, Life on the Rocks (2009); Rescue (2011); Search and Rescue (2013).
2007. For Plymouth City Council Library Service. Distilling 30 hours of pre-existing, 1990 oral history recordings into three, themed, 80 minute CDs, using sound effects and music to bring this fascinating part of Plymouth to life. Snippets are also on-line.
2005. South West Co-ordinator, BBC People’s War Archive (a web-based resource of written testimonies). Working with a wider team, I was responsible for devising a broadcast strategy; recruiting volunteer story gatherers; organizing and leading training sessions; organizing WW2 related events; working with partner organizations (especially museums and libraries) and raising the project’s profile publicly and internally.
2008. Hidden City Festival (Plymouth) Heritage Coordinator. Working with Part Exchange Theatre Company to create an archive centred around the locations of site-specific theatre performances. It involved oral and video history recordings, primary source research, liaising with writers and artists, and editing excerpts for the festival exhibition.
