About
Audio drama
The festival is based in Canterbury, Kent, offering anyone and everyone an opportunity to celebrate radio drama through open access to the live listening sessions in person and online. The Festival is organised by International Arts Partnership
We are a unique festival in the fact that we celebrate radio drama in the form of glorious mono.
The festival takes place at the Cathedral Lodge Studio in Canterbury where we have a beautiful view of Canterbury Cathedral whilst listening to audio dramas from around the world.
The festival aims to bring diverse work from across the world, introducing a UK audience to the European tradition of audio drama often anchored in soundscape whilst celebrating our own more text based tradition. The festival provides a UK audience with the rare pleasure of listening to audio drama in other languages, supported by English language translations of the script. The festival also brings together work from national broadcasters with that of emerging independent producers and is proud that the major prizes have largely been awarded to this exciting but lesser known work.
Awards are made by a jury – membership of which is open to anyone who commits to listening to all the work across the week – and which always includes international producers who have travelled to the festival with their work. An audience award – unique in Europe, decided by popular vote and open to anyone anywhere in the world to vote – complements the jury award and usually goes to work which has not achieved a jury award.
In 2021, we are the first festival to introduce a collaborative creative strand alongside the listening sessions. We awarded a micro drama award for a piece created during the week.
In 2025, we have introduced the World Showcase giving an opportunity for people to tune into a new category of the festival which is only online and celebrates dramas from all around the world.
We continue to innovate with the form of the festival to widen its reach and make the most of a world of creative talent. Watch out for this year’s developments
Hear the critical reception
OUTREACH
Alongside the professional festival, an outreach programme takes the opportunity to make radio drama into local schools and community groups, culminating in a Community Showcase on the last Saturday of the festival.
We’ve recently produced a radio drama for People with Dementia and run a pilot for a Young People’s Radio Drama Festival.
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