I will be heading to the Hearsay International Audio Festival in Kilifinane, Ireland, which feels surreal to say because it’s been a long time coming: in 2020, I submitted a piece I had written to a festival in Ireland that I knew nothing of, but had simply found on the internet. My submission, A Walk Through My Cũcũ's Farm, ended up being awarded the festival’s ‘Art’ prize, which this opened me up to an entire world of sound/radio art or creative audio that I'd had no idea about. I found myself welcomed into a space of people who love sound and who work with audio in different ways outside of 'music', including but not limited to: radio-making, audio-storytelling, podcasting, foley, sound design, and so on.

At the festival, I will share my guided listening session on the otherwordly music of the pioneering Egyptian composer, Halim El-Dabh, on Friday 8th May at 12pm (in the Sunken Garden).

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More about the festival from their website and other official writings:

The 2026 HearSay International Audio Festival Festival uniquely takes place within one village which has no formal venues, creating both production challenges and a very special festival dynamic. It draws on contributions from artists working in creative audio from over 18 countries, drawing from the disciplines of Sonic Arts, Composition, Documentary, Film, and Drama.

Over 4 days, 80 events ranging from deep insights into the craft of creative audio, to experiences with sound at their core will take place. HearSay offers possibilities for playful experimentation, intriguing collaborations, and fresh conversations. 

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