Kyle Scott of Revelstoke recently received a $12,000 grant from Storyhive.
The grants provide recipients from Western Canada with the funds and support to produce audio-video content to tell their stories which will be featured on Telus platforms including Telus Optik TV and Storyhive’s YouTube channel.
This is not the first time that a Revelstoke local has received this grant. Ryan Collins previously received the grant which helped him produce the documentary, People Like Us.
READ MORE: Revelstoke documentary now available to stream
Collins’ success with receiving the grant and creating the documentary helped to inspire Scott to do the same, although this was not his first time applying. Scott’s success in applying a second time for the grant can largely be attributed to gaining more experience, after developing a podcast, Chafed and Confused, a fitness and lifestyle podcast with a focus on running.
Despite this background aiding him with his application, Scott noted that Storyhive’s grant is open to those with limited experience as a big component of the grant is to offer them support.
Scott’s eight-part video podcast series, Revelstoke Responders: Story Behind the Siren, will tell the behind-the-scenes stories of Revelstoke’s first responders. Scott, who has been a volunteer firefighter for over two years with the Revelstoke Fire Department, worked in ski patrol and is currently studying with BC Ambulance, is passionate about the field both in his firsthand experience, and the stories that lie beneath the preconceptions of the work
Scott said that while the Hollywood adaptions of first respondents may look like “crazy explosions and firefighters hanging from ladders…we do much more safety training to be safe and efficient, and what happens might not be as glamorous, but we’re a very crucial part of the community.”
For example, Scott pointed out that ski patrols are not just skiing with someone strapped to a toboggan.
“They’re making sure everyone is safe and putting up lines, clearing ice off of lines…you don’t see it happen, but it’s helping everyone see where they’re going and not get lost on the hill,” said Scott.
Audrey Kiss the program manager of Voices and Visual Podcast with Storyhive said that a story about first responders in Revelstoke stood out because it chronicles the lives of first responder branches in Revelstoke and that Scott “clearly had a very strong pitch video and draft statement.”
Kiss also noted that Scott will receive three tailored training sessions to help him improve his skills and tell these stories.
“We really felt like he was the right person to tell the story,” said Kiss.
As for Scott, he’s feeling excited about the opportunity and excited about the mentorship that comes with it.
“For a small-town creator like myself, it’s a huge opportunity to be able to get my foot in the door of this world,” said Scott.
READ MORE: Senior Revelstoke: ‘This town has given me everything’