Radiotopia and PRX at On Air Fest 22

Virtual and in-person programming will include a first listen to a new audio drama from Radiotopia Presents, a preview of “Oprahdemics,” an exploration of anonymity and vulnerability with the creators of “S***hole Country” and “Appearances,” and “Everything is Alive” Live!

Ahead of?On Air Fest 2022?— a multi-day event bringing together an expansive range of voices and inspired listeners to explore the creative possibilities of sound — the?Radiotopia podcast network from PRX?is delighted to share information regarding sessions led by creators across the network.

On Air Fest 2022?will take place from February 24–26 at the Wythe Hotel in the heart of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Programming will also be available to stream virtually online at?onairfest.com. For in-person attendees, programming presented as part of the virtual track will also be screened in a movie theater on the Wythe Hotel premises.

Attendees are also invited to join?Radiotopia?for a?cocktail reception?on Friday, February 25, followed by an exclusive first-look at a new audio fiction series.

“Year after year, Radiotopia from PRX not only cultivates, but collaborates with creators bringing distinct and unforgettable stories into being,” said?Jemma Rose Brown, Director of Programming and Production at On Air Fest. “We’re proud to showcase multiple Radiotopia projects at On Air Fest.”

Programming led by audio creators from PRX’s Radiotopia podcast network will include the following:

Afia Kaakyire and Sharon Mashihi — “Multiple Selves, One Story”

In this first of its kind conversation blending and bending between multiple realities,?Afia Kaakyire?(“S***hole Country”) and?Sharon Mashihi?(“Appearances”) interview one another about the power of pseudonyms to approach new dimensions of emotional honesty, and how their stories have leaked out into the lives of their own creators. Created by anonymous producer Afia Kaakyire, the audio memoir “S***hole Country” about achieving the Ghanaian-American dream was lauded as one of the best podcasts of 2021 by “TIME,” “The Atlantic,” and “Vulture.” Straddling the line between fiction and truth, “Appearances” is a story about the family you carry around in your head. The series was released in 2020 by acclaimed artist Sharon Mashihi and Mermaid Palace. “S***hole Country” and “Appearances” were brought to audiences by Radiotopia from PRX.

A virtual conversation and experience will stream on Friday, February 25 beginning at 5:15pm eastern. For more about this event,?see here.

Ian Chillag — “‘Everything Is Alive’ Live!”

Experience a conversation with an everyday thing from ‘Everything is Alive,’ the interview show in which all subjects are inanimate objects. In each episode, a different thing tells us its life story, and everything it says is true. The podcast is created by?Ian Chillag?and is a member of the Radiotopia podcast network from PRX.

An in-person performance in the main hall of the venue at Wythe Hotel on Saturday, February 26 beginning at 6:40pm eastern. For more about this event, see?here.

Inda Craig-Galván, Gisele Regat?o, and Sandra Lopez-Monsalve introduce a new series from Radiotopia Presents

An exclusive first-look at the new project from playwright and television writer?Inda Craig-Galván?(ABC’s “How to Get Away with Murder”; HBO’s “Demimonde”). In this performance, sit in on a sneak preview of the show “a hit dog will holler.” Launching in March, Inda’s fiction series focuses in on two Black women trapped by an unseen threat. Producer?Gisele Regat?o?(Baruch College) and sound designer?Sandra Lopez-Monsalve?(PRX) share how they created an audio universe for the story, and break down their process for creating a key character: the oppressive roar. Part of the Radiotopia podcast network from PRX, Radiotopia Presents is a podcast feed and home for limited series from indie creators.

A cocktail reception precedes and leads into this in-person event in the cinema location of Wythe Hotel on Friday, 25 beginning at 7pm eastern. For more,?see here.

Kellie Carter Jackson, Leah Wright Rigueur, and Jody Avirgan — “‘Oprahdemics’ Live: Why Oprah Matters”

This spring, the new podcast “Oprahdemics” will be taking you back to weekdays at 4pm — breaking down the most iconic episodes of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and putting The Queen of Talk in historical and cultural context. In this special sneak preview, co-hosts, authors, historians, and friends?Kellie Carter Jackson?and?Leah Wright Rigueur?are interviewed by producer?Jody Avirgan?about what Oprah means to them — and Jody will quiz them on some of Oprah’s biggest moments over the years. “Oprahdemics” will debut as part of the Radiotopia podcast network from PRX.

A virtual event that will stream on Saturday, February 26 beginning at 3:15pm eastern. For more about this event,?see here.

In addition to?Radiotopia,?several partners to?PRX?will lead sessions at the conference, including?The Moth. Members of the artistic team behind the Peabody Award-winning radio show and podcast “The Moth Radio Hour” will present a live story and a behind-the-scenes look at their process in a preview of their new book out this spring, titled “How To Tell A Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling” (Crown).?This event?will take place in person on Saturday, February 26 in the main hall beginning at 11:45am eastern.

For full details on the line-up and schedule, visit?onairfest.com.

Attendees may choose from several options for festival passes, including full festival passes, one-day passes, and virtual tickets. Full information on ticketing and attendance is available?here.