MIDDLEBURY — Last week the Vermont Folklife Center joined the podcasting world when it released “VT Untapped,” a podcast that combines archival material and content from the center’s ongoing ethnographic research to tell unique stories about Vermonters from all walks of life.
Hosted by VFC staffer and audio producer Mary Wesley and edited by staffer Erica Furgiuele, VT Untapped reveals a broad spectrum of perspectives on everyday life in the Green Mountain State, ranging from the world of a Putney drag queen troop to a lifelong hunter’s unlikely friendship to traditional music in Vermont’s Bhutanese-Nepali community.
“The Folklife Center’s mission is to document, sustain, and share the diverse cultures of Vermont,” says Executive Director Kathleen Haughey. “VT Untapped provides the ideal platform for us to share the experiences of Vermonters whose lives and stories we have documented over the past 35 years.” Haughey believes the podcast will bring the work of the Folklife Center to a broader audience and foster greater understanding among the state’s residents.
“Archives serve a vital purpose, but accessing their content can sometimes be challenging,” says Andy Kolovos, the center’s Director of Archives and Research. “Through our podcast, we’re bringing these recordings out of the archive and into the world.”
The podcast is available for download on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, and VFC’s website. Listen to the first two episodes at vtfolklife.org/untapped. Going forward, new episodes will be released monthly.