4th - 17th May 2009
Groningen, Netherlands

Young Journalists gather in Groningen

This was the 18th time that Circom had gathered a group of young journalists together for training in TV journalism skills. The Groningen Group, as they came to be known, represented 10 countries from 14 Circom member stations. 

Roel Dijkhuis, Circom’s Vice-President and Conference organiser played his part in making a success of this year’s training.  He not only twisted Sony’s arm to provide brand new cameras for the training, but also managed to get 2 cars for the trainees to use during their filming exercises.  The Sony XDCam Ex3, the latest solid-state camera with detachable lens is ideal for the professional camera operator and video journalist alike.   The real benefit being the instant access to media when transferred to the editing software.

The stories covered by the Groningen group included the problems the Catholic Church are having in finding priests, students living in adapted sea-container accommodation, the ratio of home births in Holland and Poland and the comparative approach to sign language in Holland and Romania.

Karol Cioma, Circom’s training Project Manager says “This year’s training was a huge success because of three things, 1: the professionalism of the trainers and technicians, 2: the hard work of the students and 3: the support of Roel and Sony.  There was no doubt that the stories made, in terms of content and technical quality, were as good as anything we have produced during Cirocm training sessions.”

This year Michael Delahaye, the course leader for Circom was joined fellow trainers and technicians Professor Didier Desormeaux from Universite France Television, Gail Morris Jones, News Editor BBC Wales, Darko Flajpan from HRT Croatia, Mark Banes also from BBC Wales and Majbrit Bach from TV Mitdvest Denmark.  Thanks and congratulations must go to all of them and their companies for making this Circom training a big success. Feelings echoed by the very special Groningen Group.

Training the Trainers workshop
Bristol, UK
16th – 20th February 2009

Young Circom Training - Television News Journalism Workshop 
Groningen, Netherlands
4th – 17th May 2009

CESA.tv - CIRCOM European Summer Academy of Television
Nuremberg-Germany
20th June – 18th July 2009

Video Journalism Workshop
Budapest, Hungary
19th - 31st October 2009

BBC SON&R Centre
Bristol, UK
February 16th to February 20th 2009

Circom – Training for the Future

Judging by the calibre of the delegates on the 3rd Circom Training the Trainers course, held in Bristol February 16th to February 20th 2009, European television stations have a real assets for the future.

Eleven delegates attended the training course and Simon Major, the course leader has no doubt that all the delegates will make good trainers in the coming years. Simon stated “Once again Circom have come up with some really talented and motivated people.  Because of the commitment of the delegates, the course just goes from strength to strength. I can honestly say that all the people on this training course, if they continue to practise and improve on what they have learnt this week, have the potential to be really good trainers.”  

Karol Cioma, Circom’s Training Project Manager who also helped to deliver the training says “It’s a real bonus to see people develop in such a short space of team.  The training is very intensive but nobody “hides” from what they have to do.  The exercises are designed to bring  people out from their comfort zones and this they did with confidence and style.”

The countries represented this year were Croatia, Cyprus, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia and the UK. The feedback from the delegates was very encouraging with claims of a “life-changing experience” and “the best training ever” being recorded.  The training is designed to give the necessary skills and tools for an effective television trainer of the future.  Held at the purpose-built BBC SON&R centre in Bristol the course lasts 5 days and is a regular feature in the Circom training schedule.

Simon Major with Maria Georgiadou from Cyprus and Vasco Pernes from Portugal.

Kelly from Ireland, Vasco Pernes from Portugal, Wojciech Malinowski from Poland and Tomslav Spoljar from Croatia.