THE Mission

As audio creators, journalists, writers, and documentarians, we find ourselves in a time marred by layoffs, and skepticism toward the people who work in media. Many of us are caught in the mill of the news cycle, competing for project funding, following up on pitches and missed payments, and holding on to jobs for dear life that we enjoy but that are targeted towards making a profit.

There's not a lot of space or time to realize the random ideas that cross our minds. No time to follow through on the thought of "What if we did it THIS way?" No time or money for finding creativity in boredom and flexing and stretching those skills to see where else the craft of telling stories can take us.

That's where THE ECCO comes in. We believe that creativity and true innovation in any form of "storytelling" requires space —both literally and figuratively. But it also requires sparring buddies. People who are willing to bounce around ideas with you and challenge them. But not just any people – people you respect for their work.

Making and Taking up Space

Our ECCO retreats, workshops and events offer this space and these people, facilitating a hands-on exploration of narrative audio alongside peers, mentors and people more junior than yourself. This unique setup not only fosters creativity, but it also promotes mutual support and learning among participants, culminating in the production of (mostly) audio pieces that challenge, inspire, and captivate.

Empowering Marginalized Voices:

A cornerstone of "THE ECCO" is our dedication to uplifting and amplifying marginalized and sometimes overlooked talent. We care about representation, be it in terms of age, social class, ethnicity, gender, education, neurodivergence, and other facets of our lives. The goal is to find funding to be able to offer THE ECCO retreats to creators in the Global South and developing countries, to offer reduced fees to those who are financially struggling, and maybe even offer a residency in the future. The goal is to foster connections among like-minded people and open up a platform to bring their stories front and center. "THE ECCO" aims to enrich the narrative audio landscape with new perspectives that resonate with a global audience.

Showcasing Talent:

Following our retreats, "THE ECCO" hosts listening events that serve as a stage for local communities to experience the fruits of our participants' labor. These events are more than just a showcase; they're a celebration of creativity, collaboration, and the incredible potential of audio to connect us all. Participants gain valuable exposure for their work, earning recognition within and beyond the "THE ECCO" community.

Join Us:

"THE ECCO" is more than an initiative; it's a movement toward a more empathetic, inclusive, and innovative narrative content future. If you're ready to be part of this new wave of narrative audio makers, who want to explore the depths of audio artistry and to share their voices with the world, "THE ECCO" welcomes you.

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Who started it?

Jasmin Bauomy

A seasoned journalist and narrative audio creator based in Berlin whose career spans continents and cultures. With a rich background in current affairs journalism, Jasmin was looking for a space that allowed for creative exploration beyond the confines of traditional media narratives. It was this wish for creative play, the opportunity to not have to make money with something, and embracing the possibility of failure, coupled with the pressures of daily life and the industry's fast pace that led her to envision "THE ECCO."

Recognizing the need for a platform, a space, a time away from the hustle, where talents from the audio industry could come together to create, collaborate, and inspire one another, she set out to make this vision a reality.

"THE ECCO" is Jasmin's answer to the industry's call for innovation, as well as the public's frustration with journalists and media people. It serves as a sanctuary for creative minds seeking to break free from the everyday mill and craft stories that resonate on a deep, personal level rather than being bound to the news.

"THE ECCO" is part of Jasmin's commitment to offering both creators and listeners an escape into worlds crafted from sound, empathy, and imagination. It is a place where the power of audio brings us closer to the stories that make us human, stories that make us feel connected.

Find out more about Jasmin on her website.

Will creators keep the IP of their work?

Yes. Creators will keep 100% of the IP. THE ECCO merely asks that we be the first ones to publish your work on our website and at THE ECCO Sessions before it's published elsewhere. Also, we'd love to be mentioned whenever future iterations of the work are published elsewhere – or maybe even go on to win awards.
Do participants of the retreats have to pay for their trips and accommodation?

Yes. Members of the cohorts have to pay for the retreats. However we're trying to keep them as budget-friendly as possible. Catering to our own needs, cooking for ourselves, sharing rides whenever possible. Hopefully, in the future, once there is some funding, we can offer some "scholarships" to a handful of people and/or cheaper retreats and/or more comfortable ones.
When and where will the next ECCO-retreat be?

We still haven't made a decision on that, but in terms of location, we can already say: it won't be in Germany. As for a time, we're aiming for late fall. Once we are starting to plan our next trip, you'll hear about it on our social channels.
Where can I apply to be part of the next cohort?

Our advice is to wait until the location and time is announced and then apply under info@theecco.org.
Who can apply to take part in future editions of THE ECCO?

Representation is important to us at THE ECCO. So, as long as you are someone who's done audio work before, who's published articles, radio pieces, sound art, documentary videos, and you are not entirely new to the craft of telling stories in audio, you're most welcome to apply. What's important to know is that we do curate the people in each cohort. The goal is to have people with different skillsets come together to be able to learn from each other, and inspire each other. We want people who have so far been creating mostly artistic work to collaborate with journalists, who've covered current affairs. We want 20-year-olds and 50-year-olds to come together, neurodivergent and neurotypical folks, people who've done mostly fiction to meet people who're scared to touch fiction.
Where can I find the audio works of the participants?

After each ECCO Sessions event, we'll publish the works of each cohort here on this website.
Do you only allow for English-language submissions?

We're open to all languages. However, if you do submit something in a language that's not English, we need you to submit a time-coded translated script, so that we can create a subtitled video for your work when we publish it.
Do people get paid for their audio work?

We're currently looking for funding to be able to pay anyone who decides to publish their audio piece with us. That is our number one priority in terms of fundraising right now. So, while yes, people are paying their way for the retreat. The goal is to be able to pay fairly for any published work. However, that's not the case yet. The least we can do right now is to support all creators by highlighting them and their work in many ways to hopefully put them on the radar of people in positions of power who could give them jobs in the future.
I have an idea for a collaboration. Who can I talk to?

We're envisioning to collaborate with cultural institutions in the future. F.ex. you might be a gallery or a museum and you're planning an exhibition opening in 6 months? Get in touch at info@theecco.org . How great would it be to create audio pieces under the same theme and then have an ECCO Sessions event at your venue? Also, if you'd like to sponsor an upcoming edition of THE ECCO, don't hesitate to get in touch.
Where and how can I donate?

THE ECCO isn't an officially registered non-profit yet. In Germany, we've been advised we should have at least EUR 5000 in starting capital. That means, we're pivoting to founding an international association called THE ECCO. We're in the middle of that and are just waiting on some paperwork. In the meantime, this is a privately run initiative, organized by Jasmin Bauomy. We're looking for donation pledges, so that we can make this official asap. If that's you, please send an email to info@theecco.org. You would make our year! In the meantime, you're most welcome to make personal donations here, which will go towards founding the association and future rounds of THE ECCO.