Media Contact:
Neily Braren, Promotion & Marketing Associate
904.318.2633 • nbraren@wjct.org
WJCT Public Media Shares New Seasons of Two Hit Podcasts
Untold Stories and Bygone Jax: Our Unsung History return this summer for another season of audio storytelling.
July 15, 2024— JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — WJCT Public Media today announced the return of its hit podcasts Untold Stories and Bygone Jax: Our Unsung History, starting on July 14 and 15 respectively.
Untold Stories is a live event series at the Florida Theatre hosted by Artistic Director Barbara Colaciello. It celebrates the tradition of oral storytelling in a modern context. Each quarter, six local storytellers share their tales during thematic evenings.
In partnership with WJCT, these live events are transformed into an on-demand podcast, allowing listeners to enjoy the stories anytime through their favorite podcast apps.
The podcast features storytellers such as Aaron Gottlieb, Renay Daigle, and Alexis Alexander, who performed under the “Spring” and “Summer” themes at the May and July live events at the Florida Theatre. Click here[1] for bios and photographs.
“Everyone knows that the Florida Theatre is the best place to see national touring artists, and Untold Stories has been a labor of love by the Florida Theatre to develop a way to work with the local cultural community, and highlight tales of our communal life together here in Northeast Florida,” said Numa Saisselin, President of the Florida Theatre. “With the help of our Artistic Director, Barabara Colaciello and support from the Wolfburg Family, we’ve been proud to put 85 local storytellers and their work on the historic Florida Theatre stage. We look forward to adding to that number through this years’ stories.”
Bygone Jax was created in partnership with Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ), with the intention of educating Jaxsons on rich examples of local history that aren’t widely known or discussed. The show is powered by research from the people behind FSCJ’s History of Jacksonville course, which launched in fall 2022. The show is produced and hosted by a trio of collaborators from WJCT and FSCJ including Brendan Rivers from WJCT News, Tammy Cherry, a professor of English at FSCJ and Jennifer Grey the Public Services Coordinator for FSCJ’s Library and Learning Commons, where she also oversees the college’s archives.
These next two episodes dive into Jacksonville’s rich history in the early days of the film industry. The Bygone Jax team researched a diverse array of primary sources to educate listeners on the history of Kalem Studios through sound-rich storytelling by experts on the subject matter. Covering everything from the official kick-off of the movie business in the River City, to Florida’s rapidly shifting political landscape spell that served as the end — not only for the company itself, but also for Jacksonville’s burgeoning film industry.
“Jacksonville’s history is thick with fascinating stories, but perhaps none so glittering and seductive as our brush with cinematic greatness during the early years of the silent film industry,” said Jennifer Grey, producer and researcher for Bygone Jax. “In the most recent episodes of Bygone Jax, we take a closer look at the rise and fall of movie making in Jacksonville through the lens of the Kalem Company, the first studio to take up residence here in 1908. I’m excited for people to hear about the men, and especially the women, who contributed to that rise and for them to find out the surprising ways Kalem’s work shaped the movies as we know them today.”
Listeners can subscribe to Untold Stories and Bygone Jax on all major podcast platforms, including NPR One. More information can be found at wjct.org/podcasts. They can purchase tickets for upcoming live Untold Stories events at floridatheatre.com/events.
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About WJCT Public Media:
WJCT is the community-owned and operated public media organization serving Jacksonville and the First Coast since 1958, using television, radio, digital media, and live events to help community members learn, share, and grow. For more information on WJCT’s in-depth programming content, log on to WJCT Online at wjct.org. Like WJCT on Facebook (facebook.com/wjctjax) and follow WJCT on Twitter (@WJCTJax) and Instagram (@WJCTJax).
About the Florida Theatre
There is something for everyone at the Florida Theatre. From pop, jazz, rock, comedy, country, and blues to ballet, the historic Florida Theatre offers over 150 cultural and entertainment events annually for every taste and age. For tickets or to learn more about our educational performances for schools, rentals, membership, or the nonprofit corporation that manages this majestic place, please visit us at www.floridatheatre.com.
About Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ)
Known as “the community’s college,” Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) exists to provide equitable, high quality, success-driven learning experiences for our diverse community of students. Serving more than 40,000 students and awarding 5,000 degrees and certificates on an annual basis, the College plays a significant role in supplying the region’s employers with a highly skilled, educated workforce.