Introducing ON AIR FEST: An Audio/Podcast Festival

By: Jan. 24, 2018
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Exploring storytelling and creativity in sound, On Air Fest will be held on March 1st through 4th. The podcast and audio festival brings together the creative vanguard -thinkers, creators, performers, and storytellers-for four days of deep-dive engagements including explorations of process, new works, and exhibitions. All programming will take place at Wythe Hotel (80 Wythe Ave at N. 11th Street), the Brooklyn-based boutique hotel known for its commitment to culture, food, and community.

On Air Fest is the brainchild of work x work-a storytelling and branding agency composed of audio artists in their own right-and aims to be a rally point for leading voices, new movements, and curious listeners. The dynamic gathering will feature some of the biggest "voices" in industry including Laurie Anderson, Stretch Armstrong, Dylan Marron, Meshell Ndegeocello, Nick Quah, Kai Wright, as well as those behind The Moth, Longform, Radio Atlas, Happier with Gretchen Rubin, as well as Hot Pod, Adlandia, Latino USA, The Great Discontent, Surface Magazine, ESPN 30 for 30 Podcasts, WNYC, and more.

The On Air Fest lineup will serve unique and unexpected experiences including:

  • An interactive art installation in Wythe Hotel's public space, created by Afghan-American artist Aman Mojadidi: An old school phone booth which invites people to step in, pick up the receiver, and listen to stories from the city's immigrants, offering an oral history of their personal journeys

  • Sennheiser's "Future of Audio" Suite -- designed to inspire the next generation of content creators through myriad of education and installations around 3D audio technology

  • Audio-on-demand technology platform Acast, whose mission is to empower content creators, will host a dedicated lounge for the duration of the event, serving up the most innovative, thought-provoking, and category-shaping audio-centric projects today. Acast is also presenting the 2018 Acast Audio Residency, On Air Fest's platform for emerging artists to share their work and get connected with experts to help them develop it

  • A rare live story pitch and directing session with The Moth -beloved storytelling nonprofit that has presented over 30,000 true personal stories since launching in 1997- during which attendees will get the chance to hear people pitch their stories and receive real-time feedback from the team behind The Moth Radio Hour and The Moth Podcast

  • An in-depth conversation between avant-garde thinker and artist Laurie Anderson and Design Matters' Debbie Millman discussing Laurie's iconic work and life

  • A listening session with legendary NYC DJ and radio personality Stretch Armstrong exploring influences and cultural references in Hip-Hop today

  • A live narration of images from ongoing portraiture project Paper Monday's moving collection of authentic personal narratives -- a unique visual and audio storytelling hybrid

  • A discussion fostered by Surface Magazine bringing together top designers to decode and discuss the process of visualizing music in the creation of iconic album cover imagery

  • DJ Olivia Bradley-Skill (WFMU) with a new spin on "spinning" - sampling and sharing audio files live from YouTube - creating a ambiance and experience like no other

"We're in an amazing time for podcasting and audio -- one of wonder, innovation, and opportunity," says Scott Newman, founder and creative director of work x work - the agency presenting On Air Fest. "With On Air Fest, we're creating a rarified moment in which creative practitioners and audio lovers alike come together to share new work, ideas, inspiration, and advance the culture of sound."

"Building on the incredible response to last year's pop-up live streaming audio event, we are thrilled to host On Air Fest at Wythe Hotel," says Peter Lawrence, co-owner and General Manager of the hotel. "We are committed to be an incubator for creativity and art -- and the event aligns with that mission. It's a unique, hybrid gathering that gleans inspiration from creative conferences, performance art, and music."

Wythe Hotel will welcome On Air Fest attendees into a range of spaces including its public lobby, main hall, screening room, performance suite, restaurants and bars.

work x work's ON AIR FEST
March 1-4, 2018

Wythe Hotel (80 Wythe Ave. at N.11th Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

Schedule here:

http://onairfest.com/schedule

Tickets: $100/day pass $250/three day pass; available now

The event is made possible thanks to the support of Acast, Sennheiser and WNYC, a media partner of On Air Fest.

For more information about the 2018 Acast Audio Residency application process and for the full event schedule, please visit: www.OnAirFest.com

ABOUT work x work

A full-service storytelling and branding agency based in Brooklyn, work x work focuses on building communities and dynamic content. Leveraging a global network of creative people, work x work offers artistic and strategic services for those in the audio, entertainment and consumer spaces. The name, work x work, is a celebration of the work process-and the passion, drive, and collaborative effort that goes into building something meaningful. More at workxwork.com

ABOUT WYTHE HOTEL

Located in the heart of Brooklyn, Wythe Hotel is an eight-story hotel on the Williamsburg waterfront. Built in 1901, a former cooperage has been meticulously converted into the 70-room hotel with a restaurant and rooftop bar by restaurateur Andrew Tarlow. As an anchor to Brooklyn's most dynamic neighborhood, Wythe Hotel often collaborates with local artists and artisans on the programming for its rotating lobby space. wythehotel.com



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