Gaydio Academy

Welcome to the Gaydio Academy

A not-for-profit LGBTQ+ organisation,
supporting the community through the provision of confidence-building, skills-based education and training.

About The Gaydio Academy

Projects and courses each year

300+ learners

5 Teaching Locations

70 combined years' industry experience

Award winning programmes and courses

Take Part

The Gaydio Academy helps Gaydio reflect the diversity of the audience we represent. It's a core building block in our mission to be the UK's LGBTQ+ station.

All activities at The Gaydio Academy are free. No experience is necessary. We're LGBTQ+ focussed, not LGBTQ+ exclusive.

As a learner, you'll get experience in media and content creation while you learn new transferrable skills.
After training, you can expect to collaborate with others, creating professional-quality audio packages with support from our team.
You'll build your confidence and become more employable in the process - all in a fun environment where you'll make friends.
After you finish, there are opportunities to progress to further work experience and volunteering.

Interested? Get In Touch

Current Courses

Open Evening Gaydio Academy 'Open Evening' for any participants looking for their next steps in media.

Work Club 2024-2025 (Manchester) Work Club 2024-2025, with the Academy, is delivering radio and work skills training, peer support and mentoring to help jobless people from Greater Manchester and the surroundings to find secure employment and/or training.

Intro to Radio & Podcasting 2024 (Brighton) The Gaydio Academy, in partnership with National Lottery 'Awards For All', is delivering radio skills training, peer support and mentoring to give participants their first steps in radio, a look at the industry as a whole and then creating content for participants to take away with them to help them into future volunteering roles & work experience.

Unlock Your Voice (Manchester) Unlock Your Voice, funded by Children in Need, is delivering radio skills training, peer support and mentoring to help 14-18-year-olds from Greater Manchester and the surroundings to gain new skills in the industry and set them up for future volunteering and work experience.

Previous Courses

Intro to Radio & Podcasting 2024 - Awards For All (Birmingham) Awards For All, with the Academy, delivered radio and work skills training, peer support and mentoring to give participants their first steps in radio, a look at the industry as a whole and then creating content to help talk about the LGBTQ+ community in Birmingham

Intro to Radio & Podcasting 2024 (Edinburgh, Dundee & Fife) Get Started in Radio & Podcasting, with The Princes Trust Scotland, delivered radio and work skills training, peer support and mentoring to help people from Edinburgh and surrounding areas to kick-start their career in radio.

Work Club 2023-2024 (Manchester) Work Club 2024, with the Academy, is delivering radio and work skills training, peer support and mentoring to help jobless people from Greater Manchester and the surroundings to find secure employment and/or training.

Intro to Radio & Podcasting 2023 - Awards For All (Brighton) Awards For All, with the Academy, delivered radio and work skills training, peer support and mentoring to give participants their first steps in radio, a look at the industry as a whole and then created content online to help promote mental health and the LGBTQ+ community in the city.

Get Started In Radio & Podcasting 2023 (Edinburgh) Get Started in Radio & Podcasting, with The Princes Trust Scotland, delivered radio and work skills training, peer support and mentoring to help people from Edinburgh and surrounding areas to kick start their career in radio.

Projects

Alongside short taught courses that run over a week-or-so, The Gaydio Academy facilitates longer-term projects, with opportunities for involvement throughout the year. You could find yourself interviewing local politicians, putting together a series of podcasts to help tackle loneliness and isolation in our community or creating digital content to make a splash across social media.

Projects

Applicants Testimonials

We love what we do, but it's what our learners, schools and partner organisations say that really matters. Whether you're a keen radio geek or a first-timer, you'll find the experience of someone just like you below...

It felt great to be at Gaydio and learning how radio stations operate. I experienced sitting behind the microphone which was fun.

Participant from course

Manchester

Mega cheers for today Lee. Loved it and I like your training style. It didn't feel like a course at all. Considering some of the courses I have been on working for the Police before I retired. Some of them can bore you to sleep, Haha But seriously thankyou. After I did the bit recording I felt a sense of like ‘hell yeah I can do this if I work on 'X', 'Y' and 'Z’ So thank you!

Participant from course

Manchester

Lee has a fantastic ability to deliver arguably complex information to a diverse group of individuals and I have no doubt that thanks to the way he delivers the training, each person on the course (and the others he runs) will be taking away valuable assets in their learning

Participant from course

Manchester

I had no idea what to expect, which can be quite nerve-wracking, but was put at ease from the moment I arrived. Lee could not be more welcoming and supportive; a brilliant facilitator! He made everything we covered, (and we covered a lot!) accessible; happy to field questions and give further examples when needed. He opened up the World of Radio: things we'd never previously considered, giving a much greater appreciation for all that goes into making a station run smoothly and produce good content. Each session was interesting and engaging. I loved every second!

Participant from course

Brighton

Testimonials

The Princes Trust - Manchester
"Each course we have run with them has been very fun, educational, and inspiring as well as helping people find their voice and confidence. This course has been a fantastic avenue for our young people who are trying to get their start in media which is desperately needed. On the back of these courses we have had people successfully apply for and start new jobs, one person started their own podcast and many more start back up their various stages of education."
The Princes Trust - Manchester
"Gaydio are a fantastic group and Lee is a great educator who balances fun learning, a packed timetable and thoughtful support to everyone on the course!"
The Proud Trust
"We have worked with Gaydio several times in the past and the quality of the workshops and safe spaces they create for young people to thrive is some of the best I've come across!"
The Princes Trust - Manchester
"The Gaydio Academy has been a great partner to work with, they offer fantastic courses to young people that really help them realise their potential and how crucial teamwork is in the world of work, not just radio. They are very accommodating to the wide range of support needs that the young people we work with may bring and are great advocates for getting them involved with other communities and volunteer opportunities."
Out Together
"The project that Out Together was asked to take part in was great and we have had people come to us for support which is fab!"

The Gaydio Academy Newsletter

If you would like to keep up to date with future Academy courses and projects which you can get involved with then subscribe to our newsletter by clicking the button below.

The Gaydio Academy Newsletter