Panpodium is the brainchild of Robbie Joseph.

Robbie saw that the laborious efforts in teaching, developing and spreading the steelpan art form by the UK steelpan community needed to be promoted to the world.

So Panpodium was created in 1999 to assist in the promotion of the steelpan and its culture through its digital media platforms in conjunction with our universal media partners to ensure that we are reaching the wider audiences and capturing virgin territories where the steelpan instrument and its culture is yet to reach and be recognised. 

Left to Right - Russell Henderson MBE, Cyril Khamai and Gerald Forsyth OBE - founders of the Steelpan Culture in the UK.

A Brief History

In the summer of 2000, The British Association of Steelbands launched their official magazine, Pan Podium.

Pan Podium magazine grew very quickly, it documents steel band activities and highlights individuals within the steel band communities particularly in the United Kingdom as well as Europe (Holland, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark), Africa, Canada, Japan, USA and the Caribbean.

The magazine is a bi-annual publication and is circulated globally.  Since its inception, Pan Podium has proven to be a valuable source of information on the art-form, so much so, that over the years it has become an icon of the global steel band community.

Quote from www.panonthenet.com

‘The high-quality Pan Podium magazine publication features articles that identify heroes and sheroe’s of the steel band movement, in tandem with its accompanying web site of the same name.  Dedicated to promoting the work of steel bands and pannist’s in the United Kingdom and around the globe.  It is an invaluable and unparalleled experience and commitment in the realm of the steel band culture and art form.  The engaging and relevant stories highlight the glory of pan people and their craft; along with many critical issues the pan community faces within the United Kingdom and worldwide’.

Pan Podium’s website, www.panpodium.com followed in 2001 to enable the wider global community to access the valuable information available on the art form.  Pan Podium has undertaken a program of development to enhance their media machine, to ensure that it evolves with the changing times.  We have included an electronic PDF download format of the magazine to ensure that those readers who are unable to acquire a publication do not miss out.

WRITER AND THEIR CREDITS

Over its twenty years of existence Pan Podium has afforded and established aspiring writers from various backgrounds the opportunity to have their work published and circulated worldwide.  Pan Podium writer/contributors hail from the Caribbean, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, USA and the UK.  This allows the pan Diaspora increased exposure and many pan affiliates manage to utilise this facility.

AUDIENCE INFORMATION

Pan Podium features global events, individuals, bands and organisations worldwide with an emphasis on the youth, thus ensuring continuity and growth of the art form.  Its onus is on the positive promotion of the steel pan instrument and its infectious music to its global audience with a vision of increasing its popularity and greater recognition in the world of music.

YOUTH INVOLVEMENT

Pan Podium has assisted young people in the field of journalism and continues to afford this facility to all interested young persons.  Pan Podium will arrange interviews; offer advice and support, edit their work before publication and provide published material, which can then be used towards their educational qualifications.

FUTURE PROJECTS

With further funding and support Pan Podium’s future vision is to establish strong working relationships with Carnival arenas, individual bands and organisations.

Pan Podium has provided some mentoring to young pan musicians in journalism and getting their work published. Due to its success Pan Podium would like to continue to expand this facility so young people can benefit from the expertise and experience, equipping them with the necessary skills to move forward in their career.

‘Music is the food of love, so join us in sharing this love globally through steel pan music’