Cross the line from
“I have an idea”
to
“I made this.”
Let's say you’ve been carrying a story for months or years in your notes app, voice memos, drafts, photos, or your head. This is where you finally make it real.
Rough Cut Residency is story-first and medium-flexible. You can work in audio, writing, photography, video, or mixed documentary forms. It might be a journalistic piece, reported, documentary, an essay a poem or fiction.
Starting off with a 5-day in-person workshop in Cape Town, you give yourself the opportunity to finish a story that's been on your mind over the course of four weeks. The weeklong workshop is followed by 3 weeks of peer reviews and editorial check-ins with experienced story editor, Jasmin Bauomy.
The goal is to create a publishable, pitchable portfolio piece in the right medium, with editorial guidance, structure, and a small group that takes their work seriously.
In short: For a month, you get access to a personal story editor / executive producer & a group of peers who can support.
QUICK FACTS
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5 half-day workshops in Cape Town
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3 weeks of virtual peer reviews & regular editorial check-ins with professional story-editor and executive producer Jasmin Bauomy
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small cohort (10 people)
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Workshop 02-06 of March 2026 / Whole program: 2nd -30th of March
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central Cape Town location
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quick call before final confirmation required
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Deadline to save your spot: Jan 20th, 2026
WHY IT MATTERS
Most people carry stories for years.
They think about them. Talk about them. Take notes. Record voice memos. Shoot photos. Write beginnings.
But they never finish.
Thing is: finishing a piece changes how you see yourself.
After this program, you’re no longer someone who “plans to make something someday.”
You’re someone with work. Something you can point to and say:
“I made this.”
That shift opens doors to:
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publication
-
pitches and producers
-
grant and residency applications
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collaborations
-
larger projects
This residency-style program is designed to create that momentum.
what this is
You bring a story idea you’ve been sitting on.
Over the course of one month, you turn it into a portfolio piece you can show, share, submit, pitch, and/or develop further.
With the help of:
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a 5-day storytelling workshop at the beginning of the 4 week period
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3 weeks of peer reviews, & regular editorial check-ins
-
structure
-
accountability
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a committed cohort
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and Jasmin Bauomy as your personal story editor & executive producer
what you'll get out of it
By the end of the month, you will have:
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a publishable, pitchable portfolio piece (short audio doc, written article/essay, photo essay, short film concept/teaser, first few pages of a screenplay etc) if you make that happen for yourself
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a story development framework you can reuse
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clearer artistic and editorial direction
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renewed momentum
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a group of peers who take their work seriously
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editorial feedback you can actually apply
Presented by JASMIN BAUOMY/ professional story editor
Hi, I'm Jasmin.
I work across audio, photography, and documentary storytelling and I’ve spent more than a decade turning ideas into finished work. The people who call me are those who want things done without getting lost in perfectionism or sacrificing creativity.
What that actually means:
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produced award-winning podcast shows
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held editorial roles for 10+ years
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helped build companies, teams & projects from scratch
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founded THE ECCO, an international storytelling community
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supported ECCO storytellers in getting published and commissioned
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collaborated with and worked for outlets and organizations including Al Jazeera English, NPR, BBC, Goethe-Institut, German public radio, Spotify, IFC and others
What I’m good at:
Taking a story that feels messy or unclear and helping you turn it into a piece that holds in the right medium.
If you’ve been carrying a story for a while, this is where we build it into something you can actually show.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
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A story idea you care about that can realistically be turned around in a week (it can be personal, reported, observational, documentary, or fictional)
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Curiosity
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Willingness to work and revise
Basic tools for your chosen medium:
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writing: laptop or notebook
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audio: phone + basic recorder app or a proper recorder and/or mic
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photo/video: phone or camera
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Some form of software to edit your material
You do not need:
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previous publication
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professional experience
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technical mastery
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5 half-day workshop sessions in Cape Town
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Regular short check-ins in the 3 weeks following the workshop
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regular feedback
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group clinic / peer reviews in week 2
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one individual 60-minute deep dive
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story development tools
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shared critique vocabulary
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support for shaping and polishing your piece
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accommodation
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travel
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meals
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equipment
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co-working access outside workshop hours
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excursions & activities
This is a non-housing residency-style program. You book your own accommodation.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED
PRICE
TIMING & LOCATION
There are:
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8 regular spots (€1,000)
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2 subsidized spots (€600)
... for emerging storytellers with strong ideas and financial need.
I make the selection based on:
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story potential
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commitment
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fit with the group
This keeps the cohort high-quality, diverse, and driven.
Minimum participant number is 8. If we can't reach that by Feb 1st, the program won't take place and all those who signed up will receive a refund.
2nd-6th of March 2026 in Central Cape Town
To keep the group focused and supportive, I'll review everyone’s idea and intention before confirming a spot.
Two subsidized seats are reserved for people who would benefit most from the program financially and creatively.
cape town activities
There are so many adventures to go on in Cape Town. Some of which you might even be able to swing early in the mornings before the workshop starts, like canoeing or hikes f.ex.
Other activities that I'd be happy to help organize include:
- a photo walk
- an architecture walking tour
- sunrise canoeing (if available)
- a day trip to the Cape of Good Hope, Simons Town (Penguins) etc.
- a half day trip to Robben Island
Those are just some suggestions. There's of course wine tastings, the Lion's Head hike, Table Mountain hikes etc.
activities
Something quite special happens when people come together irl. That's why this residency isn't just virtual but has an in-person workshop at its core. The goal is to build trust, community & have fun. Because if you're going to get feedback from strangers and give them feedback, too, it makes it so much easier if you know their perspectives a bit better. And that's not really easy to achieve online.
Coming together for the workshop also allows us to go on little adventures together. Whatever each location offers, we can organize ourselves.
These adventures aren't covered in the costs but you can decide to make them as cost-effective and fun as you like. I, Jasmin, will help you with that and set up some activities for you to join.
Stop overthinking & procrastinating.
Make the piece. Tell the story.
I want to join the CAPE TOWN ROUGH CUT RESIDENCY
