By Emily Stonehouse
It’s an art form known by many, but the nitty gritty of podcasting is something that many don’t get to glimpse behind the scenes.
That’s what Hope Thompson wants to change.
Thompson is a screenwriter, a filmmaker, and a podcast aficionado, who will be bringing her knowledge around the topic to a summer course at the Haliburton School of Art and Design (HSAD).
Having written for a number of well-known plays, movies, and television shows, including the popular Baroness von Sketch Show on CBC, Thompson lives between Toronto and Haliburton on a regular basis. She taught screenwriting at the local college in 2019, and this summer, will be returning to dive into the world of podcasts.
“The neat thing about the podcast as an art form is that anyone can do it,” said Thompson during a phone interview last week. “It’s very democratic, very egalitarian. And the podcast elevates the presentation. It turns into something more professional.”
Done with nothing more than a microphone and a computer, there are currently over 584 million podcast listeners around the world, according to podcaststatistics.com. As of January 2026, there are 4.58 million podcasts available worldwide, with listeners increasing around the world by nearly 10 per cent year over year.
Thompson noted that podcasts are what blogs used to be. Where it used to be entirely possible to put your thoughts – recipes, ideas, dreams – into the world via a blog, it’s now more common to take the podcasting route. “To me, it is the audio creation,” she said. “It comes from the art of radio plays and radio drama.”
And the most popular podcast theme? True crime. With over 24 per cent of all North American podcasts made to focus on that area of intense interest, Thompson found herself swept into the world of criminal activity through her ear buds.
After connecting with Ellen White, the host of the popular Canadian true crime podcast Whereabouts Unknown, Thompson went about becoming a licensed Private Investigator (PI). She then started writing for the show, and will be turning these writings into a book in the future. “The content is very, very tragic,” said Thompson, “but watching (White) work with podcasts to try to find the answers, it’s quite important work.”
Thompson noted that consuming news through podcasts can be advantageous for deeply understanding a topic. “It plays a role by exploring one aspect of the news more deeply,” she said. “At the same time, you have to ask where that podcast came from? Is there bias? There are so many out there. It’s democratic. Anyone can do it. But you’re digging into issues outside that continuous, cascading stream of never-ending news.”
The week that Thompson is offering the course, she intends to kick off with basic writing; honing in on the topics, and selecting areas of interest for the participants. HSAD has then partnered with Canoe FM, to provide a legitimate recording space, for students of the class to try their hand at the art of podcasting in a real studio. “I want to explore the podcast with the participants,” said Thompson, “and really look at that audio creation with spoken content.”
Roxanne Casey, the manager of Canoe FM, noted that the volunteer-run studio is excited to partner with HSAD once again. “Last year, we had the pleasure of working with a singing group, and this year it’s wonderful to support a podcast program,” she said. “Collaborations like this bring new voices into the station – people who might not otherwise walk through our doors – and that’s incredibly valuable.”
Canoe FM hosts a number of podcasts from resident voices, and with the course in place and local opportunities available, Casey hopes to provide support for this art form. “With podcasts continuing to grow in popularity, we’re proud to help participants create high-quality recordings at Canoe FM while staying true to our community-focused mandate,” she said.
Thompson will be offering her course, titled Podcasting for Beginners: Write, Record, Play, from July 20 to 24 at the Haliburton School of Art and Design. There are still spaces available for those interested in participating.
