RADIOPHONICx presents: Sonic Textures

RADIOPHONICx is a communal listening event that presents international radio art to a live audience. Together we listen to exciting and award-winning audio work from around the world. Experience thought-provoking audio drama, poetic sound pieces, experimental narratives and surrealist radio in a relaxed atmosphere. There will be sofas, but feel free to bring extra cushions. After listening there will be time to share our thoughts and discuss the work with the artists and curator. Each session will have a specific theme, exploring different radio art genres and styles.

The first edition of RADIOPHONICx invites you to delve into Sonic Textures.

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Animal Farm (2021) is an award-winning series of audio shorts (Wurfsendung) from Deutschlandfunk Radio by Stefano Giannotti, Italy/Germany.

Animal Farm combines ten very short pieces, halfway between music and sound-art. The basic idea is to analyse the voices of some domestic and wild animals and transform them into musical pieces, starting from their sound timbre and rhythm and associating them with musical instruments. The result is a series of small surreal songs. A chicken blues for mouth harmonica, the barking of a dog waltz for accordion, the scream of a monkey classical song. All the analogue instruments from mouth organ to double bass are played by Stefano Giannotti.

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Stefano Giannotti is a multi-award-winning composer, audio maker and performer from Italy. His work has been commissioned by numerous European State broadcast cooperations. His repertoire ranges from experimental radio art to classical chamber music. Landscape, memory, life cycles, voices of people, languages are some of the main themes developed in Giannotti’s work.

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UTOPIA More and more (2025) an audio play by Gabriele Heller with music by John Garner, John Pope and Tobias Illingworth/ Sarra. It won 1. Prize at the UK International Audio Drama Festival, 2025.

UTOPIA More and more is inspired by Thomas More’s book Utopia written in 1516. Utopia has been in our consciousness since the beginning of human history. Where is this elusive land of equality and happiness and how can we enter? Fusing old and new text fragments and contrasting it with a live improvised musical score, this interlaced audio piece creates a rich tapestry that plays with perception, form and genre.

UTOPIA More and more invites you on an expedition to the unknown island of Utopia, a search into the past as well as the future. What do Thomas More, Plato, the mysterious radio voice, Robert Owen and the miracle of Wörgl have in common? Wander with us through a landscape filled with aspiration, dreams, political activism, philosophical dispute, spiritual belief, scepticism and hope.

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Gabriele Heller is an award-winning writer, director and performer working in audio art, theatre and music. Her work spans from historical adaptation to non-linear narratives combining improvised music and soundscapes to explore social, cultural and philosophical concerns within society. Her audio plays have been broadcasted at various international festival and international radio stations. Originally from Germany, she lives and works in Newcastle since 2001.

Gabriele and the musicians will be present to share insights into their unique collaboration combining improvised music and audio drama.

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Please note we are unable to offer refunds. You can click here to view our full refunds policy.