A wonderful opportunity for both community and education!
Kelly Coulter, a Victoria-based content creator, was the recipient of a $12,000 production grant from TELUS STORYHIVE as a part of the Video Podcast Program for her proposed project, Meant to Pause/The Menopause Series.
The funding will include training, support and distribution on TELUS Optik TV, Stream+ and STORYHIVE’s YouTube channel.
In Coulter’s series, listeners will join her and her co-star Sonia Theroux on a deep dive into society’s attitude towards menopause, existing fears and the lack of widely spread, accurate information available.
Through Meant to Pause, they will chat with experts, answer questions, share experiences and wisdom, and shed positive light on post-reproductive years.
In an interview with Victoria Buzz, Coulter shared that the idea for the podcast stemmed from a series of pre-existing gatherings that she’s been hosting, where women across Victoria meet to discuss all things menopause and women’s health and find community.
“I’ve been working with women for close to twenty years now, and hosting these gatherings for nearly a decade,” Coulter said.
“We call them the ‘menopause gatherings,’ and they occur every couple of months. Through these gatherings, we have connected with some incredible experts and cover all kinds of subjects, including nutrition and pelvic floor on top of menopause.”
She noted that, having gone through menopause herself, she felt there was a gap in discussion, shared experience and community when it came to women having to navigate these changes on their own.
“There’s a really fundamental intention around creating connections amongst women and people with reproductive issues in a broad ‘sisterhood’ context,” Theroux added.
“With this new generation, there’s less stigma and taboo around menopause, and we want to build on that momentum.”
Theroux added that although there is progress being made, menopause remains a large culprit for the continuation of marginalization of women and non-binary people within society—which makes it difficult for them to feel present and valued.
“When you move these issues into the light, it empowers people. We see this in the gatherings…folks come back excited to talk about it [with others].”
Both Theroux and Coulter hope that the podcast in addition to their gatherings will further demystify menopause and unite women and non-binary people of all ages in their shared experiences.
They hope to inspire and provide perspective on life post-menopause and stages leading up to it, because although it can indeed cause discomfort, life continues after your reproductive years and can be beautiful and fulfilling just the same.
Which is exactly what they are looking to achieve through their menopause podcast series through TELUS STORYHIVE.
“It’s a fantastic program that funds creators across Alberta and BC, and we were lucky to be one of them…I couldn’t be more thankful to receive this funding,” Coulter said.
“Knowledge is power. When I went into my menopause, there was very little information. It caught me by surprise, as I believe it does most women…we want to mitigate that fear.”
“The effect of sharing a more diverse set of experiences will help folks approach with more of an open mind and less around fear,” added Theroux.
In highlighting menopause experience, they hope to contribute to the overall fight for progress in women’s and all-gender rights and issues across the country.
They’ve begun the production process, they’ll be recording in Haus of Owl and episodes are estimated to start rolling out late 2025—stay tuned for exact dates!
If you wish to learn more about the hosted gatherings, you can visit My Sister’s House, or go directly to the Eventbrite link for their next gathering here.
For more information on TELUS STORYHIVE and the program, you can check it out here.
