Legendary music producer Brian Eno and other artists will feature in a live broadcast to launch a radio station project marking the Becontree Estate centenary.
Barking and Dagenham Council has partnered with Serpentine for the Becontree Broadcasting Station radio ballads legacy project.
It will begin with a livestreamed programme, which will also feature the borough’s artist in residence Joe Namy and Serpentine 2021 Summer Pavilion architect Sumayya Vally, from 3pm to 5pm on Saturday, November 6.
The listening session, run by Serpentine and involving a live audience of community groups and borough residents, will feature a selection of tracks, archival recordings and sound works.
Eno, Valley and Namy will each present a series of sounds comprising music, different archives and broadcasts to create "alternative narratives of the city that unravel layers of sonic histories", the council says.
Becontree’s DJ Tati will play sound mixes throughout the session.
Deputy leader of the council Cllr Saima Ashraf said: “To have such great artists such as Brian Eno and Joe Namy on board is really exciting and getting involved will be a wonderful experience for our residents on the estate and beyond.
“I look forward to listening to the shows our local community will produce for the airwaves.”
Becontree Broadcasting Station is an online community radio station, serving the estate and the wider borough as an open and inclusive platform.
Based at Valence Library on the estate, it will offer free workshops and give people a chance to develop their own show, with no experience necessary.
Serpentine and Namy will be facilitating workshops with community groups to design and create the station, with programmes engaging in the diversity and complexity of the area.
People who have an idea for a radio programme, DJing, podcasts or who are interested in audio production and radio is asked to email jnamy@lbbd.gov.uk to get involved.
The station was established as part of the 2021 Serpentine Pavilion programme Listening to the City.
Serpentine has donated a "fragment" of the pavilion and radio equipment to the council.
People can listen in to the station at becontreeforever.uk where it will be streamed live.
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