About the �鶹Լ�� Feed

Why the �鶹Լ�� has a responsibility to take Drill music seriously

2018-08-31T16:00:00+00:00

These are extraordinary times for a British black music scene that 1Xtra has championed for more than 15 years. The explosion of young, home-grown success stories over the past three years has been unprecedented. But recently Drill and some elements of UK Rap have been subject to media scrutiny and accused of having a causative effect on serious street violence in London. So should we be playing this music at the �鶹Լ��?

1Xtra takes our editorial responsibility very seriously, including the music we play and the guests we have on our programmes. 1Xtra does not glamorise violence and decisions on music are made on a case-by-case basis. We have strict editorial guidelines in place before any content is broadcast or posted.

More widely, debates around popular music triggering controversy is nothing new, having been around since teenagers started listening to rock ‘n’ roll. 1Xtra therefore works closely with the music industry and our audience to ensure we are reflecting society and are in touch with young people’s expectations. Our audience demands authenticity and expects to be challenged both by the music we play and in the discussions and issues that we debate on our news programmes, documentaries, 1Xtra Talks slot and new 1Xtra Podcast feed.

So when we play Drill and UK rap we are taking into account the need to protect creativity and the artist’s integrity, but balanced with the need to protect our airwaves and a duty of care for our audience. This level of editorial responsibility, with a UK audience at its centre, is unique to the �鶹Լ�� and sets us apart from global streaming services and others.

We are constantly looking at where we can be a force for good. We’ve taken the decision to bring 1Xtra Live, the biggest event in the calendar, to The O2 in London this year. Ahead of 1Xtra Live we will visit 17 schools and six community centres across the capital, targeting key boroughs the have been badly affected by knife crime, low employment rates and poverty. The Inspire ME (Motivation & Empower) Tour will reach 12-18-year-old young people by sharing success stories and advice from role models in the community.

1Xtra is excited to reflect the culture of young people in society, but we are aware of the responsibility that comes with it.

Mark Strippel is �鶹Լ�� Head of Programmes, 1Xtra and Asian Network

Radio 1 and 1Xtra inspire young people to pledge #1MillionHours volunteering in 2016

2016-12-22T17:00:00+00:00

Rebecca Frank, Head of Production, Radio 1, 1Xtra and Asian Network, celebrates Radio 1 and 1Xtra's successful #1MillionHours campaign.

It feels like the given script that 2016 has been “quite the year”. Amongst political turmoil, a string of legends passing on, and Leicester winning the Premier League, it’s been no ordinary 12 months.

Alongside that backdrop of high-drama in the media, something else was quietly brewing amongst thousands of Radio 1 and 1Xtra listeners in 2016. We put the ultimate challenge to them last December, when we launched our #1MillionHours campaign. This was our most ambitious social action movement ever, all about motivating our audience to volunteer, giving their time to those in need. For the first time we partnered directly with four national charities (Age UK, Cancer Research UK, Barnardo’s and Oxfam), who have worked with us tirelessly to make this campaign alive and thriving in the real world.

Two marketing campaigns, a cross promotional campaign with ‘Do Something Great’ on �鶹Լ�� TV, three documentaries, six weeks of priority air time and countless visits to organisations by our DJs later, we reached a grand total of 1,122,065 hours pledged to good causes by our listeners. That's over 15,000 8-hour shifts promised to help others. Now comes the real bit, when those organisations have to work with those pledgers to match them to an activity in the real world.

We’re acutely aware of the trust our listeners put in us on a daily basis; from recommending music to being their source of news - and we never take that power for granted. By using our platform for a campaign like this, our intention was to channel that power as a force for good.

Listeners could pledge 8, 16 or 24 hours of time to various volunteering opportunities with our partners, that they can complete over the next year. From working in shops, to helping in children's play centres and daycare centres for older people, cheerleading at fun runs and helping in festivals, the opportunities are as much about young people gaining skills, confidence and material for CVs that benefits them, as they are about helping others. A survey Radio 1 and 1Xtra conducted last year taught us that after the cause itself, personal benefit was the next biggest reason for young people wanting to volunteer. We also encouraged our audience to pledge to any organisation they wanted via social media. The hashtag has become a veritable pin board for smaller organisations up and down the country to recruit people, something we hope continues as a natural legacy.

It's no accident that we didn't use the word ‘volunteering’ within the name of our campaign. Many organisations we worked with told us it could be hard to recruit young people to give their time, largely due to having to somehow cut through the noise on the social media feeds that they’re consuming every day. Committing to volunteer properly is just that - a commitment in the real world, with sometimes very direct consequences. It's a tough ask, and one that needed more than the existing army of superstar volunteers out there. Our campaign was also about motivating people who had never thought of giving their time before. It was about utilising that influence to stimulate the curiosity in the most unlikely of listeners, just because their favourite DJ encouraged them, or they saw a film that made them think.

Last night on Radio 1, 10 DJs congregated to celebrate the final #1MillionHours total. There was a definite letting-of-hair-down activity hosted by Greg James, with a mulled wine rendition of Innuendo Bingo, and a rap battle between Alice Levine and Matt Edmondson. But in between the jokes the presenters were reflecting on #1MillionHours, reliving heart-stopping conversations between them and people affected by volunteering throughout the year. Perhaps most memorable was Scott Mills encounter with 94-year-old Louise, who spoke about her loneliness and the impact a weekly visit had on her life. The audience was palpably moved, and responded in their droves.

Now the #1MillionHours army is assembled, the real work begins. We'll stay in touch with our partners to track who took the next step, so that we can keep a better understanding of what motivates and excites our listeners. We're proud to have been a part of so many people's first exploration of volunteering.

Rebecca Frank is Head of Production, Radio 1, 1Xtra and Asian Network

Find out more about #1Millionhours

Putting the Words First

2016-06-16T16:05:06+00:00

October 2015. Saturday night in Leeds. 12,000 music fans at 1Xtra Live have just watched Kid Ink tear down the stage. Into a single spotlight a man walks onstage and opens with the city’s catchphrase: “Leeds. L double e d s, wot wot?”

The audience weren’t expecting poetry on a Saturday night. But, even now, the roar from the crowd as he namechecks the distinctly Yorkshire-sounding Gipton, Seacroft and Chapel Town still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

This is Words First.

Over the last few years we’ve seen the UK underground spoken word scene grow and grow as young people increasingly turn to poetry and storytelling as a way of getting their voices heard.

�鶹Լ�� Radio 1Xtra has been in the mix with its support of George the Poet and a defining Deci4Life performance in Birmingham among other moments, but in 2015 we decided to take things up a level.

In May we launched Words First, the �鶹Լ��’s first spoken word season in partnership with the Roundhouse, �鶹Լ�� Arts and support from Arts Council England, aiming to both reflect and enrich this exciting scene.

Tonight Words First culminates with a three hour celebration on 1Xtra, presented by DJ Target. To say it’s been a powerful year would be an understatement.

DJ Target presents the Words First Special on �鶹Լ�� Radio 1Xtra

From giving new writers the chance to perform in front of an audience for the very first time, to putting poetry front-and-centre stage at Radio 1’s Big Weekend - the station’s flagship event of the year - there have been tears, laughter and incredibly ambitious writing - covering football hooliganism, feminism, mental illness, racism, gay aliens, curry and everything in between.

We travelled the country running workshops in Leeds, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Bristol and worked with around 100 poets. From each workshop, we took one poet on for six months of development, giving them writing and performance slots across the �鶹Լ��, at festivals and gigs round the UK.

The Words First final six poets with DJ Target at The Roundhouse, London

The Words First final six poets are: Amina Jama, Asma Elbadawi, Isaiah Hull, Liam McCormick, Reuben Field and Solomon OB. Between them, they couldn’t have covered a wider range of styles or topics. Liam started writing because of the Scottish referendum, Amina wants to be the first poet midwife and Asma volunteered teaching basketball in Tanzania earlier this year and returned inspired to tell the stories of the girls she’d met.

In June, they all performed brand new work to 1000 people at the finale event in London alongside project ambassador Kate Tempest, George the Poet and one of 1Xtra’s Hot for 2016 artists Kojey Radical. When Sol performed his piece about growing up in foster care, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

Solomon OB performing at the Words First finale at The Roundhouse

They also got the chance to co-write a film. Alone Together is Radio 1’s first non-factual iPlayer film about a young boy spying on his neighbours as we learn more about their hopes and aspirations.

From thoughtful pieces about Armistice Day to rowdy rap battles, Words First has had a warm reception from both the scene and the rest of the �鶹Լ��. Along the way we’ve collaborated with Radio 1, 2, 3, 5, �鶹Լ�� Wales and World Service to name a few.

Through Words First we’ve come across so many articulate, opinionated writers - it’s been brilliant to hear their voices resonating so loudly.

Emily Dicks is a producer for �鶹Լ�� Radio 1 & 1Xtra.

Find out more about Spoken Word at the �鶹Լ��.
Listen to the Words First Special on �鶹Լ�� Radio 1Xtra, broadcast at 7pm on Thu 16 June.
Watch highlights from the Words First finale at The Roundhouse on the �鶹Լ�� Radio 1 iPlayer.

1Xtra and �鶹Լ�� Local Radio raise a laugh in Birmingham

2016-02-05T16:30:44+00:00

On Friday January 29, �鶹Լ�� Local Radio and �鶹Լ�� Radio 1Xtra teamed up to present a celebration of African-Caribbean comedy. The event, held at the Midland Arts Centre in Birmingham, followed on from the first event of its kind hosting a line-up of only African Caribbean comedians from across the English Regions, which was held in London in October 2014.

The evening’s performance in Birmingham, featuring established artists and emerging talent, was preceded by a panel discussion with some of the key comedians talking about their experience of getting into comedy in all forms. Neila Butt, Editor of Specialist Programmes for �鶹Լ�� English Regions said ” This workshop was just one example of the outreach work that �鶹Լ�� Radio 1Xtra do so well in bringing the public and talent together. It’s something only the �鶹Լ�� can do.”

Neila went on to say that “The ‘Comedy Club’ allowed us to build awareness of targeted African and Caribbean programming available on �鶹Լ�� Local Radio stations across the country in conjunction with a national station like �鶹Լ�� Radio 1Xtra.”

Below are some pictures of the event.

The audience is seated before the event

�鶹Լ�� Radio 1Xtra’s DJ Ace raises the roof

KG Tha Comedian demonstrates his comedic talents with R Kelly vibes

�鶹Լ�� Coventry & Warwickshire’s Trish Adudu gets the crowd pumped while hosting the show

Dana Michelle Alexander brings some Canadian humour to the stage

Comedian and host Kane Brown singles out some victims in the audience

Brummie comedian Annette Fagon prepares for the Trinidad Carnival with some moves

Local singing sensation ‘Call Me Unique’ showcases her angelic voice during the interval

Aurie Styla takes the audience home with his amusing tales of visiting Jamaica funny

Slim the Comedian gets the crowd roaring with laughter with relatable stories about his family

Will E displays his off-beat humour with a spot of dancing

The stars behind the scenes and on the stage get together to celebrate the success of the �鶹Լ�� Local Radio and �鶹Լ�� Radio 1Xtra comedy night in Birmingham

Watch videos of the comedians performances.

Why Radio 1 and 1Xtra have asked young people to pledge 1 million hours

2016-01-26T10:00:00+00:00

As Star Wars continues to break daily records in the cinemas, it’s hard to move for talk of ‘The Force’. An indefinable and benign power, which when used in the right way can literally rid the world of evil. While not wanting to over-inflate Radio 1 and 1Xtra’s role on the planet - and certainly not to draw any direct parallels between Luke Skywalker and our presenters - we never take for granted the influence we have over our audience, and the trust they have in us to guide them in many areas of life.

That trust has allowed us to bring our precious audience with us on our #1MillionHours year-long volunteering campaign which launched in December. We want to encourage our audience to give 1 million hours of their time to good causes over the next 12 months - and there’s nothing like a big target to motivate: In the first month of the campaign, over 100,000 hours of volunteering were pledged to good causes - an amazing start, and something we hope helps to inspire others.

#1MillionHours is Radio 1 and 1Xtra’s most ambitious social action project to date. Time is a precious thing, but in a world where money rules, it feels right to subvert the usual ask, and motivate real action instead. In an unprecedented move we are side by side with four of the UK’s most experienced charities; Age UK, Barnardo’s, Cancer Research UK and Oxfam. Most people will be affected or moved by the work one of those organisations does at some point in their life, so being able to bring stories and causes to life via those partnerships has felt fresh.

Listeners can pledge 8, 16 or 24 hours for various volunteering opportunities that they can cash in over the next year. From working in shops, to helping in children's play centres and daycare centres for older people, cheerleading at fun runs and helping in festivals, the opportunities are as much about them gaining skills, confidence and material for CVs themselves. A survey Radio 1 and 1Xtra conducted last year taught us that after the cause itself, personal benefit was the next biggest reason for young people wanting to volunteer.

Radio 1's Nick Grimshaw and Annie Mac volunteer for #1MillionHours

#1MillionHours is also about wrapping our arms around the thriving volunteering sector as a whole. Aside from our featured charities, there are so many inventive and hard working organisations, both national and local, already relying on the kindness of strangers and motivating young people to take part in something ‘more’. From the familiar Guides and Scouts to newer organisations like IWill.org.uk, we plan to shine a spotlight on good works in progress. What Radio 1 and 1Xtra can bring to their expertise, is scale, and our ability to pull people together. We see ourselves as the link between our loyal army of young listeners and those organisations, so we’re encouraging our audience to pledge time to any cause close to their heart too via social media, using the #1MillionHours hashtag.

The first drive in December was about getting the #1MillionHours message out there, establishing intentions with our audience, and connecting fully with the sector. We’re excited to be gathering many faces from the volunteering world in January to plot the detail of the rest of the challenge ahead. Our use of ‘The Force’ there will be about encouraging collaboration and hopefully matchmaking between likeminded organisations. We're in a unique position to be able to do that, and for that we have endless energy to reach targets like #1MillionHours.

Our audiences trust us to get them the best new music, the most accurate and relevant news, the latest in the world of entertainment, the most up-to-date everything. Having earned the trust of a loyal group of young people, comes the potential to inspire and make waves in their lives beyond pop culture. So Radio 1 and 1Xtra have come to consider ourselves a force for good in the UK for young people - ensuring we curate the best advice for getting ahead in their careers, dealing with the trials and tribulations of first times, and how to stay safe and happy in a complicated world.

But our definition of this ‘Force’ is more than our own weight and influence; we have a strong belief that our young listeners themselves are a positive power, ready and able to change their world for the better. At events we do with and for young people up and down the country, we are always struck (but never surprised) at how motivated and curious our audience is to change things. As grand as this sounds, the swell of good intentions is often flooring.

From Radio 1’s Academy, 1Xtra’s outreach sessions, Internet Safety focuses and our weekly Surgery programme, to the newly launched #1MillionHours campaign, Radio 1 and 1Xtra’s commitment to utilising our platforms, talent and staff for something ‘more’ is second-to-none. Beyond our public service duties, it’s just what we do on the 8th floor of New Broadcasting House and is one of the many reasons that Radio 1 is distinctive.

Rebecca Frank is Editor, Radio 1 and 1Xtra.

Visit the #1MillionHours website for more information and advice on how to pledge.

The Young Ones: Future Talent on Birmingham's Doorstep

2014-11-18T09:46:02+00:00

The last few weeks have seen a real spotlight on young people and talent at �鶹Լ�� Birmingham.

On Saturday night I, along with 10,000 people, attended the electrifying 1Xtra Live in Birmingham– a world class lineup of music talent headlined by global superstar Mary J Blige (pictured).

I might have been one of the oldies there but you couldn’t help but notice the young and diverse crowd who packed out the arena – it shouldn’t be a surprise really – Birmingham being one of the youngest and most diverse cities in Europe. Here they were, out in force, rubbing shoulders with one another. Loving every moment of a memorable evening.

It was a reminder of the magic that can happen when the �鶹Լ�� goes out to meet its audience – whether it’s the �鶹Լ�� Proms at he Royal Albert Hall, Strictly in Blackpool or 1Xtra in Birmingham – our audiences value being up close and personal with the parts of the �鶹Լ�� they love.

The concert was more than just a one off. The Radio 1Xtra Live team spent a month in the run up to the event running a programme of events, workshops and activities across the city aimed at engaging the young and diverse audiences on our doorstep.

Ranging from street-dance, poetry, master-classes, to careers workshops and broadcasts from the �鶹Լ��’s radio studios at The Mailbox, we’ve seen new audiences engage with the �鶹Լ�� in Birmingham.

We’ve reached out far and wide - from Aston, Digbeth, Nechells, to Handsworth and Longbridge. We have linked up with partners here in the city – Beatfreeks, MAIA Creatives, Punch Records, BCU, Bournville College and Blastbeat to name just a few. We were able to showcase the tremendous work they do supporting young people in Birmingham and hope that this is just the beginning of us working together as we build and develop �鶹Լ�� Birmingham as a centre of excellence for skills, talent and people.

It’s the kind of partnership work we can expect more of when our Outreach teams move to �鶹Լ�� Birmingham alongside the 200 plus roles coming into the Mailbox in 2015, including the �鶹Լ�� Academy.

1Xtra wasn’t the only show in town last week. The Skills Show at the NEC - the biggest of its kind in the country - saw some 80,000 young people attend this three day extravaganza.

�鶹Լ�� West Midlands and the �鶹Լ�� Academy hosted the main stage to showcase an assortment of �鶹Լ�� treats and experiences. Strictly, Citizen Khan, �鶹Լ�� News, �鶹Լ�� Sport, 5 Live, Midlands Today, Newsround, 1Xtra, Learning and Asian Network were all there along with performance artists from across the Midlands.

Peter Salmon, �鶹Լ�� Director of England, and I hosted the �鶹Լ�� Experience – an exhibition giving the public an insight into innovative new broadcasting techniques and a chance to see some of the new technology that audiences will have at their fingertips in the not too distant future.

It was an incredible few days and a reminder of how the work of the �鶹Լ�� Academy can really make a difference when it moves to The Mailbox next year. Their entry-level talent teams are already with us in the Mailbox and leading work with apprentices and new talent.

Director-General, Tony Hall, has made it his mission to increase the number of apprentices, with Birmingham as their base. The numbers are swelling: 177 of them have begun their training in anything from production and journalism to technology and business.

Tony Hall visited the Mailbox last month to meet the first batch of technology apprentices and saw at first-hand how their energy and enthusiasm is beginning to make a real difference to our operation here in Birmingham. There’s plenty more to come.

Joe Godwin has also recently been appointed to lead the �鶹Լ�� Academy from Birmingham. Joe’s appointment is a real coup - he is leaving his position as Director of �鶹Լ�� Children’s and joining us in January to kick start the �鶹Լ�� Academy’s operation in Brum.

I know Joe well from our time at MediaCity in Salford and his track record in developing new talent, training and diversity is exemplary. Salford’s loss is most certainly Birmingham’s gain as he returns to his native Midlands and joins our quest to put �鶹Լ�� Birmingham back on the map.

Last week also saw the launch of Future Talent - a terrific collaboration between The Space and the �鶹Լ�� Writersroom who have put on a series of events to encourage people to create online content. We have also appointed a new creative lead for the Digital Innovation Unit, Stefan Shaw, who will be based at Fazeley Studios in Digbeth. We look forward to embedding his team within our new �鶹Լ�� Birmingham operation.

We’ve made good and strong progress over the last six months. There remains a lot to do but I’m heartened by the partners who have embraced the opportunity to work with us as we build and nurture a stronger presence in the city and region. New talent will play a big part of our future operation and I believe that if we can capture the unique demographic of this city – we really have a chance to make Birmingham an exciting place to build a career.

Tommy Nagra is Head of Business Development, �鶹Լ�� Birmingham

Birmingham warms-up for 1Xtra Live

2014-10-21T11:20:49+00:00

1Xtra Live is on Saturday 15 November, an event where some of the best UK and international urban acts will descend on Birmingham to perform on one bill, on one night. Angie Pitt explains how the event's outreach project - 1Xtra Live: The Sessions - has taken shape.

What do young people in Birmingham need from �鶹Լ�� Radio 1Xtra?

This question was put to me on my first day as Radio 1 and 1Xtra's Outreach Manager. I had barely sat down. I wasn’t entirely sure I knew my Afrobeats from my Grime, and I had hardly spent any time in Birmingham since I was a student. Within a week I was on a train to the city. When I got there, I put the same question to the only people who could answer it – young people themselves.

The answers they came back with were loud and clear:

“We want to be heard by 1Xtra presenters and by the whole of the UK.”

“We want to be recognized as creative, talented young people.”

“We want to be given a platform without hierarchy – we are not the poor cousins to London!”

“We want the �鶹Լ�� to be genuinely open, accessible and interested in us.”

“…And if you want to engage us you will have to make the effort to come and get us.”

Back in London, 1Xtra staff and presenters jumped at the chance to be part of the project and plans. The plans - some genius, some sensible and some, quite frankly ridiculous - started to take shape. From this, 1Xtra Live: The Sessions was born: one incredible month of workshops and events across the city, not in one central location but in neighbourhoods around Birmingham including Aston, Nechells, Digbeth, Handsworth and Longbridge.

1Xtra Live: The Sessions is a first in many ways, not least in the way we are working. A collaboration between 1Xtra’s outreach, broadcast, marketing and live events teams with support from �鶹Լ�� Birmingham, Asian Network, School Report, Children in Need and the College of Production amongst many others. We felt that if we wanted to connect with the hardest to reach – those who may be falling through the cracks but who still deserve to be heard - we should pool our resources.

We’re attempting to answer each of the points raised in that first focus group. DJ Target and other 1Xtra DJs will tour the city hearing the music that young people are making, while Trevor Nelson will host two Scratch Nights - where young local spoken-word artists and singer-songwriters will perform their new material alongside established names: an event with no ‘top of the bill’ and no hierarchy. We've also found a school with mixing desks (which no one knew how to use), so 1Xtra’s MistaJam will gatecrash a music lesson there and host a special mixing masterclass.

We’re taking the 1Xtra Playlist meeting to the West Midlands where four young people will have a chance to influence what music is played on the network in the week leading up to 1Xtra Live.

We’re joining forces with Punch and local talent alongside 1Xtra DJs to offer advice on the music and media industries.

We are opening up the �鶹Լ��, with career focused events across the month and a week of Open Studios where we will hand over the controls of a studio in the Mailbox to young people for them to create whatever they like.

And of course the culmination of these events is 1Xtra Live itself, a huge music event in the centre of Birmingham with an incredible line-up which includes Rick Ross, Tinashe and Lethal B… and a secret surprise for some of those we will have met over the month.

We’re not working alone. It became clear very early on that there are already fantastic organisations in Birmingham working with young people. We wanted to engage with these groups to support and enhance their work rather than compete against them. So we’ve joined up with partners such as Beatfreeks, MAIA Creatives, UpRising, Birmingham City Council Youth Services and Birmingham City University, as well as schools and colleges around Birmingham to deliver the right events, to the right people. We’re also working with Blastbeat to create event management work experience placements during the month, offering unique opportunities to some of the most challenged young people in the city.

As part of our legacy we aim to raise the profile of the brilliant work already being done by these organisations, and to bring groups together to forge new partnerships and further increase their reach.

So, almost 30 events, in nearly 30 days. Additionally, we'll continue to support and nurture young talent and those groups we’ve met along the way. We're hoping to pilot a ‘R1/R1X Take It On in Birmingham’ internship in 2015. And, we plan to connect with other �鶹Լ�� networks to help tell the stories of some of those young people we’ve reached.

As I pack my bags and prepare to relocate to Birmingham for a month, I consider how incredible it is that a city I barely knew four months ago has inspired and captivated me so wholeheartedly. Its brilliant young people and those committed to supporting them, its vibrant music and arts scene and its regeneration into a new, exciting centre for innovation, all are truly awesome.

Angie Pitt is Outreach Manager for �鶹Լ�� Radio 1 and 1Xtra

Find out more and book for events at the 1Xtra Live: The Sessions website.

Programme Maker for a Day at �鶹Լ�� Radio 1 and 1Xtra

2014-02-18T12:00:27+00:00

Elise Cobain talks about her day working with young people from Hammersmith & Fulham as part of �鶹Լ�� Outreach & Corporate Responsibility’s ‘Programme Maker for a Day’ project. Over the past few years, a number of well-known �鶹Լ�� programmes have taken part, including Holby, Eastenders and Match of the Day. The collaboration with Radio 1 and 1Xtra sees young people visiting the �鶹Լ�� each month where they learn about the various roles and skills involved in producing the radio networks.

The one thing I always have to ask myself when I hold classes for young people is, ‘are they as excited as I am to be coming to the �鶹Լ��?’ As a teenager, the prospect of visiting the Radio 1 and 1Xtra studios and meeting one of their production staff would have had me running about with a huge grin on my face. Not only because of my passion for music radio, but also because I always saw the �鶹Լ�� as the ultimate destination. In my school years it was all about what new tunes Zane Lowe was playing and where Dave Pearce would be DJing next. But in the digital age, young people’s radio consumption habits have changed and the way in which they consume radio content has evolved to a multiplatform experience.

I’m an Assistant Producer for Radio 1 and 1Xtra, currently working with the 1Xtra Breakfast Show. Every weekday morning I’m up at 5.15am, arriving to completely submerge myself in the world of the young urban music fan who’s on their way to work, school or just simply awake between 6-10am. But it doesn’t matter how much I engage with our listeners on social media, read what they read and watch what they watch, the one thing I’m missing out on is spending time in their social groups. In order to appeal to a younger audience you essentially have to be like them; using their language and having opinions and thoughts that resonate with their lifestyles. This is another reason I’m so excited to meet my group today - they always teach me something new and give a brutally honest and highly valued opinion on what we do as a network.

One of my colleagues Deena, (who is the Outreach Manager within my department), sent an email looking for people who were interested in getting involved in hosting a school visit. This was my opportunity to get stuck in with my target listenership, and hopefully give them a taste of what it’s like to work in radio at the �鶹Լ��. I knew it was unlikely that the members of my group would be consuming music the way I used to, but I also knew they were studying media and I’ve yet to find a young person who doesn’t like music in one guise or another, so we would definitely have something in common to start with.

Arriving from a centre in West London, I met six Media AS students who were coming along for the ‘Programme Maker for a Day’ scheme - to see how Radio 1 and 1Xtra works and to create their own �鶹Լ�� branded piece of work. Deena, some other colleagues and I had planned a day of activities which included sitting in on a section of the 1Xtra Breakfast Show, meeting some of our presenters, having (nearly) free reign of one of our state-of-the-art studios to practice being a DJ, plus the opportunity to have a go at creating their own two-minute radio package (which you can hear in the audio clip at the bottom).

It seems increasingly common that a young person won’t habitually tune into a traditional radio when they wake up, or use it as their primary source of DJ endorsed new music. The advent of a multiplatform and largely diversifying radio, music and live events market, means that there’s a wealth of brands vying for 16-25 year olds’ attention. So I saw my job for the day not only to assist them using their English /Media skills in a mock professional environment but also to whet their appetite for the art of music radio and to showcase some of the great content that Radio 1 and 1Xtra create.

Many of my group had seen radio studios in the movies so initially they didn’t seem to be too bothered by entering one of the most advanced radio studios in the world, which we’re very lucky to have at London’s New Broadcasting House. But after inviting them to have a go at being presenters and producers they were soon delving into the delights of the 8^th floor; practising using the microphones, playing songs out of digitized music systems and framing each other with our studio camera set-up. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly a tech-savvy school student who has never used a VCS control pad or our touch-screen camera control system, can figure it out. The next generation of radio producers and operations staff already have an impressive aptitude to handle broadcast equipment.

The afternoon focussed on creating a short radio package designed to appeal to the 16-24 year old 1Xtra audience, on a topic of their choice. I gave the group 10 minutes to use whatever resources they could get their hands on to come up with some ideas we could look at. My first response as the host was to grab a wad of paper, plenty of post-it notes and a sea of pens and pass them out to my visitors so they could get writing. The surprise ingredient was actually the daily papers. They rummaged through the pages of red tops and broadsheets alike to find stories and thought about what they’d been talking about with friends at school that week, and we ended up with an impressive spread of opinion lead features and musically driven informative extracts for our radio package. I really couldn’t have asked for a more interested and motivated group of students. Having started the day with little appreciation of the station and no regular radio habits we had worked together to create an interesting and topical package looking at the Grammy Awards Ceremony and the upcoming Oscars. You can hear it in the clip below.

Newsbox audio created by participants of Programme Maker for a Day at �鶹Լ�� Radio 1 & 1Xtra

Saving the best till last I handed over the final part of the day to my college and Head of Visualisation for Radio 1 and 1Xtra, Joe Harland. Having left him with the vague brief: “Can you give the group a bit of an insight into the idea of visualised radio and answer any questions they may have,” I returned to find my team truly inspired and chatting vigorously about the idea of visualised radio, what they’ve missed from the Radio 1 and 1Xtra YouTube channel and brimming with ideas for things they might like to do in the future, a fantastic result.

I would have relished the chance to participate in something like this when I was a student, not only to add to my CV but to have a fun and insightful day out of my A-level timetable. For me, now, the opportunity to meet some of our younger audience members who are so ambitious and creative is inspirational, especially as I’m catering for that target audience. For any �鶹Լ�� colleagues reading this I really couldn’t recommend getting involved in ‘Programme Maker for a Day’ enough. Every comment and suggestion from our young visitors has been taken on-board and challenges us to do the next big thing here at Radio 1 and 1Xtra.

Elise Cobain is an Assistant Producer for Radio 1 and 1Xtra

Programme Maker for a Day is a project from �鶹Լ�� Outreach & Corporate Responsibility, the department that brings the �鶹Լ�� closer to its audiences through face-to-face activity, community support and staff volunteering.
Watch behind the scenes clips from a �鶹Լ�� Outreach Programme Maker for a Day workshop matching young people with the Asian Network.

Getting ready for the 2013 Radio 1 Big Weekend

2013-05-23T16:14:20+00:00

How do you follow Radio 1's Hackney Weekend 2012? That was the challenge facing my team and I as we set about booking artists for Radio 1's Big Weekend Derry~Londonderry 2013. Thankfully I think we have achieved our goal of delivering another world class line-up that represents the unique and exciting breadth of music played on Radio 1 and 1Xtra.

Hip Hop fans will get to see chart toppers Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Wretch 32 and US superstars, A$AP Rocky, J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar. Rock connoisseurs will hear Bring Me The Horizon, Thirty Seconds To Mars, Paramore and to climax Saturday, the barn storming Biffy Clyro.

DJ Fresh, Chase & Status, Rudimental and the 'Bassline Junkie' himself, Mr Dizzee Rascal feature in our Bass line-up, while fans of dance music will be catered for by the return of Katy B and hot young things Disclosure, Radio 1's very own Pete Tong, and on Friday night, a climactic performance from one of the world's biggest DJs, Calvin Harris.

Pop is covered too with Rita Ora, Olly Murs, The Saturdays, The Script and our ultimate Sunday night headliner, Bruno Mars, one of the most entertaining live performers in the world.

And that's just for starters, because frankly, Radio 1's Big Weekend is brimming with a long list of incredible talent. Embarrassingly, I can't just list them all. Go on a journey of new musical discovery or party on down to huge Top 40 hits: we have it all covered. The young people of Derry~Londonderry are in for a rare treat because the truth is, many of the acts will never have been anywhere near the city before.

For those without a ticket we have the event fully covered, with live performances on Radio 1 and 1Xtra, on red button, online, on mobile, and on Saturday and Sunday evening on �鶹Լ�� Three. Once the weekend is over, we’ll be offering the highlights with on demand video available from every artist on the bill.

It takes a year of hard work to bring together Radio 1's Big Weekend and all of its elements, from our outreach and social action work at Radio 1's Academy to the weekend itself and the infrastructure required to make it a safe and fantastically enjoyable event for all who attend, but when you see the smiles on thousands of young faces (all potential listeners!) it's absolutely worth it.

George Ergatoudis is Head of Music for Radio 1 and 1Xtra.

The Radio 1 Big Weekend in Derry/Londonderry runs from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 May 2013.
Full details about the line-up, running order and extra on-demand video and audio is available on the Big Weekend website.

The return of �鶹Լ�� Radio 1’s Academy

2013-05-10T11:47:58+00:00

One of the biggest challenges in my role as Commissioning Editor is ensuring that Radio 1's outreach activity is as ambitious as every other aspect of what we do.

In the build-up to our biggest ever live music moment last year, �鶹Լ�� Radio 1's Hackney Weekend, we also staged our biggest ever social action initiative.

Usher at �鶹Լ�� Radio 1's Hackney Weekend 2012

Last June, we put on the first ever �鶹Լ�� Radio 1 Academy, in the centre of Hackney. It was a three week programme of inspirational Q&As and hands-on masterclasses - and across the three weeks we had more than 5,000 young attendees through the doors. It was all part of the build-up to Radio 1's Hackney Weekend - which in turn was part of the London 2012 Festival.

The young people who came along, primarily from Hackney and the surrounding boroughs, heard from inspirational figures who had already "made it" - the likes of Usher, Noel Clarke, Plan B, Adam Deacon, Deborah Meaden and Paloma Faith. But even more powerfully, we attracted a whole host of figures who were on their journey to making it. In many ways these figures were more approachable, more inspirational and more useful to the young people attending the sessions. We coined the phrase "near peers" - those people who have got a couple of steps on the ladder to achieving their dreams, but are not yet so successful that their position feels unattainable.

This year we are taking our flagship live music event to Derry~ Londonderry - to coincide with the UK City of Culture 2013. And, in what I am hoping now becomes an annual tradition, we are bringing �鶹Լ�� Radio 1’s Academy back to provide local engagement in the area - as an integral part of the build-up to �鶹Լ�� Radio 1’s Big Weekend.

This is very much a partnership with �鶹Լ�� Learning, who are setting up all of the local facilitators and sessions which are taking place. During our early planning sessions with the Learning team, we agreed on cutting it down to seven days from last year's 21 day marathon. However despite the reduced time frame, we are still putting on almost the same amount of sessions and attracting the same number of people through the door. It’s set to be quite a week!

It is vital that Radio 1 continues to reflect all aspects of our audience's lives. We are there to talk about the music, the gigs, the online memes, the best tweet they've seen all day... But it is equally important that we are there for the more serious bits too. So at a time when youth unemployment levels mean it is harder than ever for our audience to achieve their dreams, we should do what we can to at least open up the conversation. Our ambition is to offer inspiration and practical advice not only to those who are lucky enough to attend, but also to Radio 1's wider audience.

That is why we will be broadcasting eight live shows across the seven days of Radio 1's Academy; posting videos, links and clips across Radio 1 online and the Academy's Facebook pages; and ensuring that social action programming isn't relegated to a niche slot away from our daytime shows.

Piers Bradford is �鶹Լ�� Radio 1 and 1Xtra Commissioning Editor.

�鶹Լ�� Radio 1’s Academy will be based in the Nerve Centre, Derry~Londonderry and will run from 11th - 17th May 2013.
For more details visit - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/academy

Controller, Ben Cooper, blogs about the Radio 1 Hackney Weekend

2012-06-19T09:37:23+00:00

2012 is a special year for the UK with London playing host to the Olympic Games. Here at Radio 1 and 1Xtra we wanted to make sure that we marked this in a fitting way, and in one that would give young people from London and beyond, who might not necessarily be engaged with the games, a chance to celebrate as part of Festival 2012.

The result is that in less than a week Radio 1 will embark on the most ambitious event in its 44-year history, as we put on one of the biggest gigs of the year with Radio 1's Hackney Weekend - a free two day music festival for 100,000 people, headlined by Jay-Z and Rihanna.

Hackney is the perfect fit for us - an Olympic borough with a vibrant music scene and a large young population, many of whom can often be overlooked and disengaged, so exactly the people that we wanted to reach and inspire. I don't think any commercial operator would consider basing themselves in Hackney after the images of social unrest we saw last year and the problems with gangs the area has witnessed. But what could scare others off makes Radio 1 and 1Xtra want to get involved and hopefully encourage others to follow.

The Hackney Weekend will give young people from this corner of East London and beyond, many of whom might otherwise not be able to afford to go to a music festival, a chance to enjoy over 100 UK and international artists and DJs across 6 stages. As well as Swedish House Mafia and Kasabian the performers includes the likes of Jessie J, Jack White, Nas, Wretch 32 and many more - all brought to you by the �鶹Լ��.

Putting on a show like this is something you don't do alone. From the support of the Metropolitan Police, to the help of the local council on issues such as transport, to our great relationship with the UK music industry to secure all the artists, this is about partnership. All with one aim - to give young people the chance to celebrate in the shadow of the Olympic Park.

We have been working closely with the police and have put security measures in place to make sure the weekend can be enjoyed by everyone there. We've not only taken over the traditional Glastonbury weekend while it takes a year off, but we've also borrowed it's security fence to make sure no one can get into the site without a ticket. And all tickets will have photo ID on them to make sure they cannot be transferred or sold on.

But it isn't all just about the music and mud of a weekend festival. That's a part of what Radio 1 is about, but so too is tackling issues which matter to young people across the country. 2012 will be about athletes realising their dreams of gold, silver or bronze - what we wanted to do was give teenagers a chance to realise their dreams of an exciting job. With close to one million 16-24 year olds not in employment, education or training this is a big issue which we face. It's something we know our young listeners are worried about and something that's particularly pertinent to Hackney. That's why since the 1st June for three weeks we've been running our biggest ever social action programme - the Radio 1 and 1Xtra Academy in partnership with �鶹Լ�� Learning and a host of local London organisations.

The Academy offers young people from Hackney and beyond the chance to gain practical skills, experience and advice in a range of careers including media, business, fashion, film and music. We've had some amazing people through the doors, including Usher, Leona Lewis, Plan B, Labrinth, Noel Clarke, Dizzee Rascal, Levi Roots, Lethal B and Ashley Walters, to speak to young people about how they got started and to offer them advice. And for teenagers across the country videos, tips and advice from the Academy have been posted online for them to access.

So far I've been impressed with the way that the young people attending the Academy have been soaking up the opportunities offered to them and taking charge of their futures. We're proud to be reflecting this positive side of Hackney's younger generation to the rest of the UK.

It's this work along with Radio 1 and 1Xtra's creative ambition that makes both stations stand out from the crowd. I like to think of the stations as being the unofficial party political broadcaster of young UK, giving a voice to young people across the country. Hackney is doing just that - political because we are talking about one of the biggest issues facing them at the moment with youth unemployment and party because the 23 and 24 June is going to be one hell of a show. I hope you can join us.

Ben Cooper is the Controller for Radio 1 and Radio 1Xtra

Discover more about the Radio 1's Hackney Weekend.

Read Interactive Editor (Music Events) Sam Bailey's post about how the Hackney Weekend will be made available online.

From the �鶹Լ�� Radio blog - Andy Parfitt says goodbye to Radio 1

2011-07-21T08:32:16+00:00

Editor's note: this post appeared on the �鶹Լ�� Radio blog at 0930 this morning. It confirms the announcement made earlier in the morning that Andy Parfitt is to step down as Controller of Radio 1 from 31 July. Read the post in full and leave a comment on the �鶹Լ�� Radio blog - SB

After 13 years I'm setting down the Controllership of �鶹Լ�� Radio 1 (and 1Xtra and The Asian Network and �鶹Լ�� Popular Music). I've clearly believed passionately in really sticking at a strategy for the long-term, based on the understanding that real change only happens with sustained effort over long periods - but 13 years (a record period at the helm in Radio 1's 44 year history) is enough for any one leader... Read on.

Radio 1 and 1Xtra Summer Surgery campaign

2010-07-26T11:01:01+00:00

Think about what you were like as a teenager.

If you were anything like me you probably felt fear towards drugs. You had nervous fascination with alcohol. Your world was probably amazing or it sucked depending on whether you were popular in school or whether you were in or out with your group of friends. You probably felt immense pressure about school, homework and exams not because this was a personal mission of excellence but because your parents heaped on the pressure and the word from every available source was that if you failed at these your future was worthless.

More importantly (as it was then) think about how stressful and difficult it was to talk to someone of the opposite sex, let alone how stressed you felt of this impending doom that you were going to have sex with one of them soon. You had to, otherwise everyone will have left you behind and you'll be an adult virgin - a type of person legally allowed to be branded 'sad'.

Focus on this version of the teenager - ie you, and you soon get an idea of who The Surgery on �鶹Լ�� Radio 1 is broadcasting to.

As host of The Surgery I'm faced with an average of 3,000 of some of the most innocent texts per hour from 12-16 year olds and older, as well as other much more serious and difficult problems. Every week we try to be a friend to the awkward, confused and embarrassed teenager who just wants answers to some of the most honest questions but would rather die than ask a friend, teacher or (God forbid) a parent!

I was bullied throughout school, and was therefore either laughed at if I tried to find out answers to life from class mates or alienated for the things I didn't know. Had The Surgery been around while I was a teenager it would really have helped me get through what I was facing throughout my school years.

Research shows that during the summertime is when most young people will try things for the first time. For that reason, this week on both �鶹Լ�� Radio 1 and �鶹Լ�� Radio 1Xtra the evening schedule has been changed with the 9pm-10pm slot from Monday-Thursday being dedicated to a series of Summer Surgeries. The regular Sunday Surgery show kicked off the special week and each night at 9pm we'll be covering a different topic which is of importance and relevance to our young listeners.

A lot of people associate Radio 1 with our entertainment programmes but we also live and breathe the �鶹Լ��'s other original values, to educate and inform, whether it's through our news output, documentaries, specialist music output and of course our great social action campaigns like this.

On Sunday's show I was live from Newquay in Cornwall - including a live audience - and across the week we'll be focusing on alcohol, drugs, sex and relationships, body image and life stress. We'll be answering questions from the most innocent and basic to the more sensitive and painful. This will then hopefully mean that whatever our listeners get up to this summer they'll be making decisions that are a little more informed than they would otherwise have been.

I'm excited about the week - there'll be a lot to do combining the Surgery with producing The Chris Moyles Show, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Putting a spotlight on The Surgery for the whole week on both Radio 1 and Radio 1Xtra for five nights means we can really examine the issues our youngest audiences are facing and provide, what I believe to be, a unique service for our listeners.

Listen to The Summer Surgery on �鶹Լ�� Radio 1 & �鶹Լ�� Radio 1Xtra live every evening this week at 9pm until Thursday.

Aled Haydn Jones is the presenter of The Surgery on Radio 1