Occupy the Airwaves

Occupy the Airwaves

Phonic FM and Dreadnought South West present Occupy the Airwaves, our annual day-long takeover of the station on International Women’s Day, Monday 8 March 2021.

2021 is our sixth year. We’re really proud of this annual event, and the richness of women’s voices and stories that we have programmed over the years has been abundant.

  • 08:00–09:00: The Future’s Here and We Can’t Go Back
    Hosted by Dreadnought South West Co-Directors and founders Josie Sutcliffe and Natalie McGrath. This opening Occupy the Airwaves show will kick off the day with a range of responses by their guests to the provocation: “The Future’s Here and We Can’t Go Back” (inspired by the Sleater Kinney song), alongside playing amazing tunes by brilliant women
  • 09:00–10:00: Lightning Birds: A Game of Sonic Tag
    A unique, fast-paced radio production challenge, responding to the 2021 International Women’s Day theme of ‘Choose to Challenge’. 30 artists from around the UK will make a short radio feature in a day. Creating meaningful connections through remote, artistic collaborations, this format is designed to fit with women’s overstretched lives and the increased pressures of being isolated at home during lockdown. The format asks 30 women from a network of artists and community radio practitioners to each make a two-minute, original piece from their own home. Each will have heard only the piece that comes before hers – and won’t hear the others until the broadcast.
  • 10:00–11:00: Keeping in touch – using digital technology to tell stories and stay connected
    Gillian Taylor will be talking to Sue Newhook, a Professor of Journalism at University King’s College Halifax (Canada) and former journalist with CBC, and Corinne Podger, an independent media development consultant working with newsrooms and NGOs on an affordable content solution.
  • 11:00–12:00: The life of the Arab woman in Exeter
    Dalal Al Mousalli presents a collection of Arabic music and conversations with Arab women living in Devon
  • 12:00–13:00: The Sea in me
    With Anne Marie Culhane. Activism, Sustaining life on the planet, The ocean, Science, The Arts, Sea Swimming? Being human in a world made up mostly of water. The show takes inspiration from scientist, writer and activist Rachel Carson (who kickstarted the environmental movement in the 1960s)
  • 13:00–15:00: Resilience, Recovery, Belonging and a Love of Music
    Produced by members of CoLab Exeter’s Resilient Women group, who have studied radio production in order to bring this special programme to Occupy the Airwaves.
  • 15:00–16:00: Get back to where you belong?
    Sandhya Dave in conversation about being Cultural Champions and exploring the theme of belonging. How our work in schools and the community enables us to establish ourselves as citizens who have a right to be here, how this has been questioned historically, especially since Brexit.
  • 16:00–17:00: Craftivism Conversation and Connections
    Arts Activists Anne Barnes and Kerrie Seymour explore women’s roles in the craftivist movement and the power art holds to change the world.
  • 17:00–18:00: The Freedom Show
    Phonic FM DJ Cathy Towers interviews Mandy Barnes from Devon Rape Crisis on the history of the Reclaim The Night movement. They discuss the freedom for all women to walk safely where they wish without curfew, and without fear of assault or rape. There are also fab tunes, including those inspired by the theme.
  • 18:00–19:00: Women at the front line of COVID
    Exploring the experiences of women at the front line of Covid in their own words.  In the 12 months like no other we have experienced, it is not only important to look at the contributions women have made but also the impact this has had on their personal and professional lives.
  • 19:00–20:00: Poets and clowns
    A vibrant mix of Spoken word, interviews, music, comedy and clowning. Kerrie Seymour will be joined by Poet Jackie Juno who will be sharing some of her music and poetry with us and Dr of clowning Maggie Irving who will be chatting to us about her work, inspirations and treating us to some interactive clowning across the airwaves.
  • 20:00–21:00: Lightning Birds: A Game of Sonic Tag
    A repeat of the 09:00 programme.
  • 21:00–22:00: We The Future: sounds of the future, women of the future
    Important hip-hop by and conversations with women of colour. Radical soundscapes painted through music, conversations, poetry and spoken word.  A celebration, reflection and call to action in one programme. Presented by Silai.
  • 22:00–00:00: Back to the future Dance Partay
    @helenc77 with a selection of music from past to present by female artistes.

Occupy the Airwaves is produced by Dreadnought South West in partnership with Phonic FM and Exeter Phoenix.