Over the past decade, Social Broadcasts has been combining community led co-creation, participatory art practice and radio making, to produce place-based audio projects all across the UK. In 2021, sonic storytelling platform XMTR.FM was launched with the ambition to showcase work from both emerging and seasoned independent audio makers from across the globe.

XMTR AUDIO ARTS FESTIVAL combines these two concepts to imagine an audio festival that champions local stories and artists, as well as showcasing audio works from around the world. Established in 2024, we’re delighted to be back for a second year of the festival.

26th-28th September 2025 was 3 days of sound installations, performances, listening events, workshops and sound walks, to celebrate creative audio at venues and spaces in and around St-Leonards-on-Sea, joining forces once again with Sono-Electro sound arts festival at Electro Studios.

Why St-Leonards-on-Sea?
This seaside area in Hastings has been a popular destination since the 1850s, when the railways arrived from London, Brighton and the Southeast. Today, the town has a thriving artist community and a plethora of historical buildings, intimate spaces and artist-led venues, making it an ideal place for a roving festival.

Why an audio festival?
As the audio and radio making space becomes more digital, in-person, creative and collaborative experiences are ever more important. There are plenty of ‘podcast’ festivals focused on the business of podcasting and the nuts and bolts of audio production, but there’s been very little celebration of the creativity of audio making and radio arts in the UK. Inspired by legendary festivals such as the LUCIA Festival in Florence, Radio Revolten in Halle, Germany (2016), and Hearsay in Ireland (2014-2019). We felt it was time there was somewhere for the ever-growing community of creative audio makers (podcast producers, sound artists, radio makers) to gather, collaborate and be inspired. For both already initiated and new audiences, to experience the richness and diversity of creative audio storytelling.

Local frequencies
Part of the ethos of this festival is that it’s not top down, but instead deeply embedded in the area and the local community. The aim is to create works featuring historical and contemporary local stories, collaborate with local artists and venues, and co-ordinate audio making workshops for already embedded groups to produce ‘locally sourced’ work to be featured at the festival. This community-led, place-based work lays the foundations for the festival, making it a celebration of place through sonic storytelling.