Maidenhead Advertiser, January 2005

Drama-based learning company Centrestage Partnership has teamed up with a media expert to offer a different form of development course.

The day-long course sets out to improve an organisation's capacity to respond to and capitalise on change by utilising the techniques of the media.

It goes on to build the organisation's capacity to face up, endure and even capitalise on the scrutiny of the media.

The programme, known as The Media Challenge, is delivered by media trainer and lecturer Michael Dodd, who has more than twenty years experience as a broadcast journalist and foreign correspondent.

Mr Dodd said: "There are many media skills courses available today which focus on fielding questions from journalists, but The Media Challenge goes much further. As well as honing media response capacities, it uses the techniques of the media to rake over an organisation's place on the national or world stage from the point of view of its competitors, the public and relevant interest groups."

The course takes the form of a series of simulated media broadcasts which bring to life the challenges facing an organisation.

Delegates are then tasked with drawing up action plans to deal with the rapidly changing scenarios.

Then, through a series of interactive forums, delegates get to see how their solutions fare under the glare of media questioning and TV-style debates.

For more information, contact CentreStage on 01344 876800 or go to CentreStage Roleplay.