A PROGRAM COMBINING TRAINING, SENSITIVITY, AND COMMUNITY.
What is the Converse School?
The Converse School training program aims to include communities in its thinking by training apprentice journalists to develop stories WITH the community. Offering courses in journalism, podcasting, and creative writing, the Converse School values the work and creativity of its members by paying them. Afterwards, these participants can join La Converse's newsroom.
HOW COME A CONVERSE SCHOOL?
It all started with the desire to give overlooked communities the tools they need to reclaim their power in a media space where they are often silenced. With the Converse School, we hope not only to give power back to communities that are excluded from the discussions concerning them but also to give them a platform to tell stories about for them. Through sensitivity training, the Converse School is training the next generation of journalists to serve and cover communities that have traditionally been left out of important conversations.
Journalism
The Converse School offers a journalism course. It's a learning ground that brings together journalists-in-training through a series of workshops enabling them to collaborate WITH their communities to produce stories. In the newsroom, they write reports, features, and events from people who are largely unseen in the mainstream media.
THE LATEST STORIES FROM THE CONVERSE SCHOOL
Podcasts
The Converse School offers a podcast course. With a mission to amplify the voices of BIPOC people, this program offers ongoing mentoring and training in podcast creation. Centering journalism and cultural identities at its heart, the Converse Podcast School aims to ensure that everyone's stories are heard, with transparent and fair news coverage.
The latest stories from the podcast school
Creative writing
The Converse School offers a creative writing course. With training based on sensitivity, up-and-coming journalists are trained through a series of workshops with the aim of producing creative writing projects.. The process and outcome are informed by their experiences and those of their communities, which have been excluded from the mainstream media.
MC Converse, RAP IS JOURNALISM.
In May and June 2023, La Converse launched the Converse School's first rap class: MC Converse. Through sensibility-based training, aspiring journalists were trained to reflect on and produce a project around project
Facilitated by Montreal-based artist and mentor Raccoon, the initiative brought together seven participants aged 18 to 22. Together, they wrote a song and produced a video. Inspired by the song BANLIEUSARDS by KERY JAMES, the creative writing project encourages participants to use their voices to communicate their experiences and denounce many neighbourhood realities.
"I aim to pass on a passion for words and writing to those younger and less experienced than myself. Through writing workshops - something I've been doing for years in various contexts - I teach everything I've learned and mastered since I first got into rap."
– RACCOON (Shamyr Daléus-Louis in conversation with Melissa Haouari from La Converse)
LYRICS CALLING FOR CHANGE
Bridging journalism and rap, the Montreal-based publication enables the Converse School trainees to engage in dialogue with their community while speaking out about the dynamics of their realities. The aim is to create a space for social change, where rap becomes journalism.
THE PIONEERS OF RAP JOURNALISM
Since 2020, La Converse has been working closely with overlooked communities to provide them with tools and assist them in reclaiming their power in a media space where they are excluded from the discussions that concern them. With a focus on journalism, podcast, and rap programs, the Converse School works with aspiring journalists to train them to serve and cover their communities. All the while giving them a platform to share stories that are about them.
JOURNALISM THROUGH LYRICISM - THE OUTCOME OF WORKSHOPS
THE LATEST STORIES FROM THE MC CONVERSE SCHOOL
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PODCASTS 2024
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MC CONVERSE 2023
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Younesse (Youbee) is a rapper from Montreal, who uses rap as a means of expression, denunciation and awareness.
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Terry (Terry Wouj) is a young independent artist of Haitian origin. He grew up in Montreal Nord and spent the rest of his teenage years in Sorel-Tracy.
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SIMONE Beaulieu-Cloutier (Enomis) is a singer-songwriter from Montreal. Her indie-rock-electro style blends well with her rather melodic vocal vision. Her dream in her music is to exploit her creative universe around her projects, while maintaining a personal and colorful touch.
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JEVONTE (Snowside) Senior is a up-and-coming rapper based out of Montreal’s, Cote-des-Neiges borough. His unique ability to story tell and describe his surroundings with vivid lyricism, makes him a rare breed in this day and age.
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Kamille (Kamilou) is a young writer, songwriter and performer from Rosemont La Petite Patrie.
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Hudlain Aurelus known as Dreamkid is a 21-years-old content creator from the Saint-Michel neighbourhood.
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Haddy (SteinZ) started her career with her first explosive single titled “OFF SCRIPT”, available on all platforms, produced with the great talents of the NBS studio in Montreal.
PODCASTS 2023
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Journalism 2022
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Journalism 2021
