A new app developed in Dunedin is giving young people direct access to podcasts, video and live-streaming radio shows made by their peers.
OAR FM Dunedin recently celebrated the launch of its Youth Zone app when broadcasters joined thousands of people in the central city for Thieves’ Alley Market Day.
As well as hosting local entertainers on the Princes St stage, the station had a team of Youth Zone broadcasters on site to show marketgoers how to install and use the app on their mobile devices.
OAR FM Youth Coordinator Domi Angelo-Laloli said short videos made by people who downloaded the app on the day were quickly uploaded for sharing.
“It wasl a great way of capturing all the action and excitement of Thieves’ Alley Market Day, and for people to explore all the amazing features of our new app.
“We have some really inspiring young broadcasters involved in creating Youth Zone shows, podcasts and videos here in Dunedin, and the app will make all that great content easy to find and share.”
Development of the app ad had been made possible with funding support from Chorus and the GigCity Digital Community Trust. Young Dunedin people had been involved from the outset, contributing ideas for the app’s features at a series of workshops held in partnership with digital learning spaces Hive Dunedin and Hatch.
Otago Polytechnic School of Design staff and students had worked on the Youth Zone app design and build.
“It’s been rewarding for us to tap into local energy and skills to create the app, and important that we make something that was accessible and fun to use,” said Mr Angelo-Laloli.
“There are so many talented young people in Dunedin. We couldn’t have done it without them.”
The Youth Zone app for Android mobile devices is available from yznz.app and the Google Play store.