Tell us a bit about yourself
I’m Ivan d’Avoine, I’m an audio producer, sound designer, documentary maker, and photographer, amongst other things creative. I grew up in Northwest London, where I am currently based. I work freelance in the audio and podcast industry, predominantly as an editor and sound designer. However, when it comes to my independent projects, I think of myself as an audio producer, considering that I’ll also script, narrate, source and interview my contributors. Ultimately, most of my time is spent staring at waveforms on a computer which means lots of structured breaks!
What recent projects are you most proud of?
It was during my time on the Creativity Works: Podcasting programme that I produced one of my favourite projects which I’m still very proud of a few years on. In response to the ‘Heart of Community’ brief set by the Migration Museum I made a short audio documentary about a small cafe local to me in Kentish Town, and what it means to leave your marks in areas defined by flows of people in and out over the years.
It felt like a great thing to shine the light on a cafe that has meant so much to me, my friends, and the wider community, and to give the proprietor, Mario, the freedom and space to tell his family’s story. The documentary was picked up by a local media platform and news outlet which was brilliant to see it reach the audience it was originally intended for.
Another recent project I’ve worked on and love is ‘H is for Hair’, which is a BBC Wales/ Radio 3 audio drama I lead the sound design on. The 30-minute drama is a passion project of writer and actor Emily Burnett who wrote the script. The collaboration process was really enjoyable, and it was a real privilege to sonically bring to life such a beautiful and well-rounded script.
Why did you decide to take part in Creativity Works: Podcasting?
I decided to take part in the Creativity Works: Podcasting course because I’d been craving an opportunity that encouraged me to be independently creative again. Having just finished my role as a researcher for a podcast production company in London – an inherently creative environment – I had started to feel like my own artistic ideas were being pushed to one side.
Once I started working freelance again, I found that my independent drive was not as strong as it had been. However, the podcasting programme gave me that extra push I needed, whilst also allowing me to pursue my own creative ideas and endeavours in audio. It was a unique opportunity to receive what was a pretty full (and free!) education on all things podcasting and audio, considering that I’d felt like I’d been winging it since graduating from university. But then again, when aren’t we winging it!?
What have you found useful when building your career?
For me, collaboration has been really important and is one of the key things that has got me to where I am. Working with other people on projects means that you combine skill sets, ideas, perspectives, and equipment, and ultimately this means that your work reaches more people. I think my portfolio has really benefited from my openness to collaboration, and this has led to further opportunities that I may never have had otherwise. Similarly, I’ve found it useful to follow up on contacts and connections made along the way – and hot tip, when you have the chance don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions and seek advice.
One book that has really inspired me and influenced my career is: ‘Reality Radio, Telling True Stories in Sound’. The book contains twenty essays from radio documentary makers from across the globe who write about how they make radio the way they do, and why. I think this book would be of interest to anyone starting out in the creative industries – not just within radio/ podcasting/ audio, because the authors are refreshingly transparent in the way they examine their own career paths.
What key learnings are you taking away from this experience?
Over the six weeks, I was really impressed by the range of industry guests that spoke to us, from presentations about podcast ideating, interview techniques, the process of sound design, to marketing, retaining IP, and much more. By the end, I felt like I’d received an in-depth and well-rounded overview of all the different aspects of the industry, and how each relates to the other. I think the course ultimately reassured me that I could make a viable career path in the industry.
If someone asked you why they should sign up for this opportunity, what would you tell them?
Not only would I tell them about the incredible range of speakers who were so open and transparent in their insights, but also about the sense of community and collective that is fostered. Freelancing can often be quite lonely and being part of a core group of people at similar stages in their careers and lives was inspiring. Having people to bounce ideas off and hearing perspectives from was uniquely helpful - these might be lifelong friendships and connections! Essentially, working in the creative industries can be all about who you know, so opportunities which bring young creatives together such as the Creativity Works: Podcasting programme are too good to be missed. And it’s free!
If there is anything you would have done differently starting out, what would it have been?
Looking back, I’d reassure myself that learning is all part of the process and that it’s ok to feel like you’re winging it. To this day, I regularly remind myself that sometimes you must put yourself in the ‘deep end’ to get past self-doubt and certain obstacles. But it’s also important not to hold onto any regrets when looking back because there’s no success without failure.