SYN Media

The 2020/21 SYN Podcast Incubator will support the creative development of three original podcasts and professional mentoring of five emerging producers from SYN Media, from September 2020 – June 2021.

The inaugural 2019 Podcast Incubator launched four exceptional SYN podcasts from SYN producers: B.S Cryptid, The Graduate’s Cup, The Subtlety Of It and Do Quit Your Day Job.

We’re delighted to introduce you to this year’s participants.

Youssef Saudie and Anhar Al-Shameri

Together, Youssef and Anhar will be exploring the diverse community of Muslim Australians.

Anhar spends her spare time trying to figure out who she is via Buzzfeed personality quizzes. She is passionate about providing an inclusive debate of diverse social matters.

Youssef loves eating KFC while watching vegan cooking shows, and is passionate about telling underrepresented stories.

 Ben Polazzon and Timna Katz

In Five Eyes, five spies must conceal an alarming intelligence breach before it leaks to the public.

When Benjamin isn’t making radio or at uni, he’s keeping his 95-day-and-counting Duolingo streak alive.

A lover of pot plants, tea and a juicy documentary, Timna is the resident grandma of any group.

Grace Valerie-Lynette

Twinemies, a musical queer rom-com about competitive twin sisters who start a bet to see who can complete the most items off ‘teenage bucket list’. Along the way the twins both fall for people who are so wrong, but so right, and learn that maybe love is more important than winning.

Grace loves musicals, and believes that Australia has so much untapped musical talent. In her spare time, she watches a lot of sappy rom-coms from the early 2000s – 10 Things I Hate About You and Clueless are her favourites.

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Our program participants were selected from a highly-competitive round of applications, open to all young people under the age of 26. To help them develop their podcasts, we’re thrilled to welcome on board this year’s Podcast Incubator industry mentors.

Zain Nabi

Zain is a journalist/producer and a media trainer at SBS with postgraduate degrees in Journalism and International Relations from Monash University. He is a proud migrant and loves reading, board games, volunteering and mentoring.

Jess Hamilton

Jessica Hamilton is a writer and audio producer working across radio, podcasts and social impact campaigns. Her work has been broadcast/podcast through 2SER, FBi Radio, ABC RN Pocket Docs & Earshot, Nova Entertainment, CRN and French project Espaces Sonores. Working with the Audiocraft Agency she has produced/hosted branded podcasts for Fairfax, Vodafone, Nova, Seek, Peet Homes, and Genea Fertility’s Mumbrella and ACRA award-winning Modern Babies podcast. In 2019 she independently produced and released her first audio fiction, Slaughterhouse Road.

Erin Kyan

Erin Kyan is a disabled, queer, trans man living in Melbourne, Australia.

An artist with a passion for all things strange, intense and emotional, he creates work in a variety of formats from zines to podcasts to poetry on stage. His work explores the breadth of human experience from the wet and visceral darkness that lurks within us to the bright and shining hope and power of love and community.

Erin lives in St Kilda with his partner Lee, and two cats named Tribble and Boop.

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The Podcast Incubator is made possible thanks to the support of the Community Broadcasting Foundation.

These three SYN podcasts will launch on Monday 28th June 2021. Until then, stay tuned to SYN!

All enquiries about SYN’s Podcast Incubator can be directed to the SYN Content Coordinator, Erin Dick, at [email protected].