PRX and Radiotopia at On Air Fest 2023
Highlights featuring “Radiotopia Presents: Bot Love,” “Grown,” “The Heart,” and “Normal Gossip”
On February 24 and 25, creators from across PRX and the Radiotopia podcast network attended the On Air Fest podcast festival held annually in Brooklyn, New York. On Air Fest is dedicated to bringing together an expansive range of emerging and established voices to explore the creative possibilities of sound, convening artists and storytellers with a mission to advance the culture of audio.
Below is a peek into our time at the festival:
“Radiotopia Presents: Bot Love” from Diego Senior, Anna Oakes, and Radiotopia from PRX
On Friday, February 24, the producers of the new “Bot Love” series from “Radiotopia Presents” — a Radiotopia podcast feed dedicated to artist-owned limited series — taped a conversation spanning themes explored in the series, including intimacies between artificial intelligence chatbots and people. In addition to Oakes and Senior, the event featured producer Mark Pagán and Natalie Monbiot of Hour One AI, a company specializing in the development of virtual humans.
“Radiotopia Presents: Bot Love” is available now, and has been praised by “The Economist,” “Vulture,” “Lifehacker,” and more, created with support from Johns Hopkins University.
“The Heart” from Mermaid Palace, CBC Podcasts, and Radiotopia from PRX
In February, the iconic personal storytelling podcast “The Heart” launched a new series excavating the archive of a sister relationship from birth to middle age, while delving into complexities of sibling-hood, mental health, and family history. “The Heart: Sisters” came to life on the On Air Fest main stage through a multimedia performance from podcast creators and producers — and sisters — Kaitlin Prest and Natalie Prest, sharing in sisterhood through shadows and silhouettes.
Also this year, On Air Fest hosted The Podcast Experience, featuring art installations from podcasts such as “On Being,” “Radiolab,” “Object of Sound,” and “My Favorite Murder.” Located in individual rooms at the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn, “The Heart” was also a participant in this special experience, inviting listeners to immerse themselves in sound and story:
“Grown” from The Moth and PRX
On Saturday, February 25, the hosts of the new podcast “Grown” from acclaimed nonprofit storytelling organization The Moth and PRX — featuring true tales about what it means to grow up — told their stories live.
On “Grown,” co-hosts Aleeza Kazmi and Alfonso ‘Fonzo’ Lacayo bring listeners stories of first crushes, culture and identity, secrets, mental health, and more, while also reflecting on navigating adulthood, from post-college jobs to moving out of a parent’s house for the first time. Audiences ages 16 and up are invited to share in the challenges and joys of it all.
“Normal Gossip” from Kelsey McKinney, Alex Sujong Laughlin, Defector Media, and Radiotopia from PRX
Saturday afternoon, the creators of the celebrated, popular podcast “Normal Gossip” presented on the main stage about the craft of making the show. Kelsey McKinney and Alex Sujong Laughlin also made a special announcement: “Normal Gossip” — the show about the weird, strange world of normal people’s gossip — is joining Radiotopia from PRX, a network empowering independent audio creators.
Further details regarding “Normal Gossip” and Radiotopia are here. A new season of the podcast begins April 5.
We thank the team behind On Air Fest for their hospitality and shared dedication to expanding the possibilities of audio.
