Local Radio (2022)

Local Radio took place Akee Space for Culture based in a former school building in the rural village Aleknaičiai, Lithuania. The project took place over a series of workshops for local children from the nearby Lyguimai Elementary School led by myself, radio practitioner Michael Holland and filmmaker Rokas Steponavičius. These acted as a crash course or sonic experiment in field recording, sound art and radio broadcasting in which the children captured the sonic fabric of the former school, their respective music interests, stories and interviews that told about their views on the world.

The final radio work features an edit of the recordings alongside a selection of folk music from the Baltic region selected by Michael Holland. The piece was originally broadcast on NTS (UK) as part of the Onotesla monthly show on 2022.09.10, in Aleknaičiai via. Palanga Street Radio on 2022.09.16 and on IDA Helsinki 2022.10.27.

The piece featured recordings made by: Ugnė, Monika, Austėja, Miglė, Gintarė Tarbūnaitė, Tomas, Emilija, Kamilė, Arijielė, Urtė, Urtė, Meida, Egidijus, Simona, Viktorija, Emilis & Dominykas. Radio Local was funded by Lithuanian Council for Culture.

Special thanks to curator Vilius Vaitiekūnas for making this happen, as well as Deividas Slivinskas & Aurelija Bulaukaite for their participation.