Artist in Residence – HearSay Festival
I had the absolute honour of being artist in residence at HearSay Audio Festival 2026. I created The Strange Mythical Magical Tour of Kilfinane, ran the safe + sound pub, produced new local stories for A Mile in My Shoes, and performed a special HearSay version of No Kids. Thank you so much to Diarmuid…
safe + sound @ McGrath’s
I am one half of safe + sound is an audio collective formed by myself and Kit Callin. We run sonic open mic nights, lead workshops on audio making, and install immersive sound experiences at festivals. At HearSay Festival 2026, we fulfilled our lifelong dream of creating an audio installation in a pub. Pubs are places that…
Mile in My Shoes
I produced 4 new stories for The Empathy Museum’s A Mile in My Shoes exhibition at HearSay Festival 2026. Josie: Lucy: Ciara (co-produced with Brid Addison-Child): Brendan (co-produced with Michael Umney): Thank you to Liam Flanagan for the beautiful music we were able to use in these episodes.
The Strange, Magical, Mythical Tour of Kilfinane
As Artist in Residence of HearSay Festival 2026, I worked with the Sonic Historical Investigators (AKA Scoil Fionan’s sixth class – 24 twelve year olds) to make an alternative audio history tour of Kilfinane. HearSay Festival sees 300 audio producers from all over the world arrive to Kilfinane – a market town with a population…
The Magic Fountain
You’ve reached the third stop of the Strange Magical Mythical Tour of Kilfinane. Listen to the story of the Magic Fountain below. Click here for a digital map of the Strange Magical Mythical Tour of Kilfinane!
Never Give Up
You’ve reached the fifth stop of the Strange Magical Mythical Tour of Kilfinane. Listen to Never Give Up below. Click here for a digital map of the Strange Magical Mythical Tour of Kilfinane!
The Galloway Ghost
You’ve reached the second stop of the Strange Magical Mythical Tour of Kilfinane. Listen to the haunting tale of the Galloway Ghost below. Click here for a digital map of the Strange Magical Mythical Tour of Kilfinane!
The Dramatic Death of Staker Wallace
You’ve reached the fourth stop of the Strange Magical Mythical Tour of Kilfinane. Listen to The Dramatic Death of Staker Wallace below. Click here for a digital map of the Strange Magical Mythical Tour of Kilfinane!
The Legend of the Blob
You’ve reached the first stop of the Strange Magical Mythical Tour of Kilfinane. Listen to the The Legend of the Blob below. Click here for a digital map of the Strange Magical Mythical Tour of Kilfinane!
The Mystical Motte
You’ve reached the last stop of the Strange Magical Mythical Tour of Kilfinane. Listen to the legend of The Mystical Motte below. Click here for a digital map of the Strange Magical Mythical Tour of Kilfinane!
Queering Audio Panel
I curated and facilitated a panel discussion on queering audio storytelling for Oorzaken Festival 2025, with guests Nicole Kelly and Randy Vermeulen – I cannot recommend listening to both their work enough. We looked at storytelling through a queer lens, what it can look like to ‘queer’ audio, making ‘queer normative’ audio and how to…
The Europeans: Who Does It Best?
I worked as Sound Designer for a 4 part series by The Europeans: Who Does It Best? The series looked at which European countries had policies that actually made our lives better, focussing on Housing, Childcare and Drugs. The Europeans has a really playful sound design style, so I had a lot of fun matching…
safe + sound school: creative short form audio course
From January 2026 – March 2026, I ran the first safe + sound school – a creative short form audio course. The course was online, with 18 international participants from many different disciplines – from drag artists to news reporters. Over 12 weeks, through workshops, 1-1 mentoring sessions, special guest Q&As and peer support spaces,…
Media Training
Heard: All About Trans – 2023 – presentI facilitate interactions for All About Trans: a project run by Heard. All About Trans brings together media professionals with a network of trans people for informal, off the record interactions intended as a safe learning space to improve trans representation in the mainstream media. In the Dark…
Drag Brunch
I co-wrote, edited and performed a 2 hour show – Drag Brunch – with fellow audio producer and drag performer Brid Addison-Child at XMTR festival in September 2025. You can read a review of the show here (it starts about halfway down the article). Drag Brunch weaves live performance with interview recordings and archival material,…
Youth Work
Literacy Pirates – ongoingI am a session leader at The Literacy Pirates – a charity providing free, fun and creative after-school programmes that support children who need extra support in reading and writing. The Strange, Magical, Mythical Tour of Kilfinane – 2026As Artist in Residence of HearSay Festival 2026, I worked with the Sonic Historical Investigators…
Interview MAGIC Short Course
I’m ran a 6 week short course on creative and ethical interviewing techniques through In the Dark, from 14th October to 18th November 2025. Participants learnt how to prepare for and conduct a creative, ethical interview, and received training and feedback on editing and sound design. By the end of the 6 weeks, each participant…
The Sound of Trans Freedom
I was one of four sound artists commissioned by Aunt Nell to make a creative response to letters from Press for Change’s archive. Press for Change was a formative lobbying group that brought about the Gender Recognition Act, and I was asked to make a response to a series of letters sent to Press for…
The Great Gay Penguin Cover Up
I am currently developing a new series – The Great Gay Penguin Cover Up – with Whickers Award Funding. I am looking for funding to make this series – if this sounds interesting to you, get in touch! I’d love to talk about it. Here’s a lil audio teaser: The Great Gay Penguin Cover Up…
NO KIDS
NO KIDS is a slightly interactive live audio performance. It’s a show where I ask everyone I can think of – from my mum, to the audience, to my friend’s 4 year old – to help me decide whether or not to have children. Through this, I explore the queer art of world building, when…
The Only Thing Certain in Life
The Only Thing Certain in Life is a documentary for Heart and Soul on the BBC World Service, presented by the wonderful Rochi Rampal, about learning how to die. Rochi spent 8 months recording an audio diary whilst accessing treatment for a secondary cancer diagnosis. She also spoke to Kevin Toolis, and Ketika Garg about…
How to Look 30 When You Are 30
I found a pamphlet of advice for trans masculine people published in 1985 by Lou Sullivan. It had a section called How to Look 30 When You Are 30: about how people often mistake 30 year old trans mascs for 14 year old boys, and what to do about it. So I followed all of…
Multitrack Fellowship
I have been the Fellows Co-Ordinator for the Multitrack Fellowship 2022 and 2024. Multitrack is an entry level fellowship for people who face barriers entering the audio industry on the grounds of race, socioeconomic background and/or disability. Multitrack offers 3 months of paid work placements, weekly training, networking opportunities and a ring-fenced BBC commissioning round.…
Because the Boss Belongs to us
BTBBTU is a 7 part narrative series trying to get Bruce Springsteen recognised as a queer icon. I created, produced, and hosted the series (alongside my FABULOUS co-host, the legend that is Holly Casio). It’s an idea I’ve been trying to make for years, and I am so happy to finally get to share it…
Crying is Funny and also Good
Inspired by my Because the Boss collaborator Holly Casio, I made a zine about crying! You can have a read below, or get in touch and I’ll send you a physical copy ❤
safe + sound
safe + sound is an audio collective formed by myself and Kit Callin. We run sonic open mic nights, lead workshops on audio making, and install immersive sound experiences at festivals. safe + sound runs audio open mic immersive audio installations. We ask for submissions on a different theme, and anyone who wants to submit…
Global Justice Now
The Secret World of Investor Courts is a four part series made by the Global Justice Now Youth Network, exploring corporate power, colonialism and climate justice. I was the Executive Producer and Facilitator for the series. I ran a series of workshops for the group – Intro to Podcasting, Interviewing, Presenting, and Editing – and…
Short Form Audio
I love making short form audio! It’s my favourite format to play with – you can say a lot with a little and get v into sound design. I’m looking to make more short form stuff – if you want to hire me to do this please get in touch! Press for Change I was…
Animal – BBCR4
Animal is a 5 part series on BBC Radio 4 exploring the curious and fascinating ways humans relate to other animals. Arlie Adlington, who came up with the series, asked me to produce and sound design two episodes – one about phobias, and one about the impact of Jaws on shark conservation. Both episodes were…
Collective Rhythms – Lead Artist
I was the Lead Artist for the 2023 Metroland Young Associates. It’s a paid alternative education programme for 18-24 year olds in Brent. This year’s programme – Collective Rhythms – focussed on the politics of sound. Read more here. Over 4 months, I designed and led workshops on things like: oral history, recording and editing…
Four Walls – BBR4
Queer people have been moving to London to find community for generations. But can you really feel at home when the four walls around you are unstable? Four Walls is a documentary I made for BBC Radio 4 for their Lights Out series. Huge thank you to Fisch, Topher, Carla and Reggie who spoke to…
Living Leg-End – BBCR4
I was asked by Falling Tree to work with Michael Segalov on this doc which shares stories from 71 year old Lavinia Co-Op: transatlantic icon of the radical drag scene. Listen to Living Leg-End Michael spent about 12 hours hanging out and recording with Lavinia, then I edited and sound designed the recordings with his…
BOLDFACE- Co-Director
Boldface is a platform that works with community groups to produce audio, art and film. I founded and run Boldface with artist Izzy Yon. Recent Projects: Fear of Missing OutA documentary series presented by young people living in the UK, about the bits of British History that people aren’t talking about enough. Read more here.…
Serpentine Podcast – Exec Producer + Mixer
I was the mixer for Serpentine Podcast: Intimacies, and I was the Executive Producer for Serpentine Podcast: Reworlding. I worked with the incredible Producer Kit Callin, and a lovely team from Serpentine: Fiona Glenn, Hanna Girma and Gaylene Gould. This was with the production company Reduced Listening. Serpentine Podcast was something I produced really early…
Fear of Missing Out
Listen to FOMO! Fear of Missing Out is a documentary series presented by 16-25 year olds living in the UK, exploring the history they wish they’d learnt at school. Over 6 episodes, FOMO delves into the history of British colonialism, media representation of queer communities, The Police, segregated education in the North of Ireland, 1980s…
Down the Rabbit Hole Project
Down the Rabbit Hole is an audio storytelling project that I designed, facilitated and produced in collaboration with Women in Prison, The Empathy Museum and National Prison Radio working with three incredible women – Rita, Elizabeth and Angel – who access services at The Beth Centre in Lambeth. This was a project I ran through…
The Unfiltered History Tour Podcast – VICE
The Unfiltered History Tour is an unofficial guide to the looted artefacts of the British Museum, told by people from the communities the objects were taken from. The Unfiltered History Tour won the Radio and Audio Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions 2022. Read our reviews in The Guardian , The White Pube, Podcast The…
No Ball Games – BBCR4
November 2021 marks the 100 year anniversary of Britain’s largest council estate: Becontree, in Barking and Dagenham, East London. Listen to No Ball Games. Beth Clayton and Steve Urquhart had the idea for a documentary marking the centenary that was presented by three people currently living in Becontree. They were looking for a producer who…
Podcast of the Year – VENT Documentaries
VENT Documentaries was voted Podcast of the Year at the British Podcast Awards! I am so, so proud of all of our young presenters, and the amazing VENT Production team. They even gave us a billboard in Old Street! This is me jumping for joy: VENT Documentaries also won Smartest Podcast and Best Documentary (‘Problem…
VENT Podcasts – VICE X Brent 2020
VENT is an award winning podcasting collaboration between VICE UK and Brent 2020, London Borough of culture. Across 1 year, 2 streams, and just under 100 podcasts in total, VENT saw VICE handing over the megaphone of its global platform to the local young people of a single London borough, who tell the stories they…
Interviews w/ me
A couple times I’ve been interviewed about the work I make. The most recent one is for the BBC’s Podcastology: In 2021 I was interviewed by the amazing Phoebe and Redzi for their podcast Telling Stories! You can listen below: Telling Stories also featured my Sound Hug challenge at the end of Sarah Cuddon’s episode:…
NICK & WARREN TALK CARNAGE
This was a very dreamy job. I got to (virtually) hang out with Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, producing a conversation between them for the physical release of their new album: CARNAGE. I am a huge fan of Nick and Warren. They were both very funny and very nice to me, and it was a…
Unchained – BBCR4
Listen to Unchained. Two government reports over the last 12 years have definitively concluded that short term custodial sentences for women aren’t working, but the number of women serving them in the UK is rising. I produced this documentary with my incredible friend, Brenda Birungi – AKA Poet Lady Unchained. We interviewed four women with…
RADIO RACE
From 6pm 13.06.20 to 6pm 14.06.20 I spent 24 hrs with my pal and collaborator Arlie Adlington racing to make 4 mins of radio for KCRW’s Radio Race. The theme was time-warp and we decided to spend the night cycling round London searching for our future selves, and thinking about what being queer means for…
ALPHABET
I’m part of the team of Alphabet Radio: a pop up queer radio station started in lockdown. Alphabet’s Intro to Audio Course I designed and delivered a 10 week training course for LGBTQ+ people who are interested in getting into audio production and presenting. The course ran from March – May 2021. The course was…
SOMERSET HOUSE STUDIOS
4 femxle & non-binary artists from Somerset House’s Amplify Residency reflect on the role of technology in digital art, electronic music, and beyond. This was a very fun show to produce. I spent a couple days running around the strange secret tunnels of Somerset House during this residency, recording interviews and live performances by these incredible…
SERPENTINE PODCAST
I produced 3 seasons of The Serpentine Podcast: On Work, On General Ecology, and Guest, Ghost, Host: Machine! This is my favourite episode that I produced, from the General Ecology series: I took each series as an opportunity to evaluate what went well and what needed changing, to really refine the unique style of the…
BOW DOWN PODCAST
I got to work with the amazing Jennifer Higgie from Frieze on her new podcast series: Bow Down. It profiles womxn in art history who have been overlooked. I co-produced the first season with Ant Adeane – this is my fave episode:
A MILE IN MY SHOES
I produced stories for The Empathy Museum’s A Mile in My Shoes. Fee and Brian were part of a Brexit Special exhibition at the Mayor of London’s City Hall in September 2019, and Minoo was for a collaboration between Choose Love & Empathy Museum platforming the stories of refugees. Listen here:
WE ARE INCREDIBLE PRA
A three-part series for the Prison Radio Association’s National Prison Radio, on alternatives to custody for women in the UK, set in Brighton, Manchester and Gloucester, and presented by Brenda Birungi. Brenda and I travelled across the UK to three Women’s Centres to make this series for NPR. It was broadcast within prisons, aimed at…
NIGHT COUNCIL RADIO MUSEUM OF LONDON
I was part of a team that produced a 4 hour live radio broadcast all about London at night for the Museum of London, October 2018. I also sneaked in a lil pre-recorded series into the mix, where I spent many an evening sitting on night buses with people who work in London at night.…
RADIO ASSEMBLY
I was part of a team of producers making both live and pre-recorded shows for Radio ASSEMBLY – a pop up radio station commissioned by Somerset House Studios. 48 hours straight hours of experimental music and great chat. Here are some of my show highlights:
RADIO THAMESMEAD
I really love opportunities to support other people to make radio who haven’t before. I was able to run group and one on one workshops to support Thamesmead residents to plan and make pre-recorded and live programmes for their new community radio station Radio Thamesmeade in collaboration with TACO. It was slick.
MEET ME AT THE ALBANY
I produced programme for Resonance FM & Now Then Podcast about The Albany’s Meet Me At programme: A day with poets and singers who are over 60s from Deptford.
NOW THEN
This is the first ever podcast I made – sharing the stories of people over 70 years old, told in their own words. I actually have 8 more episodes of this, sharing the stories of some truly amazing people that I haven’t had time to finish editing, so watch this space… In the meantime, you…
SETTLED IN GLASGOW
The way I got into audio was through oral history. It’s a way of democratising how certain histories are remembered. When I was living in Glasgow, I started the Settled in Glasgow Oral History Archive – it’s a collection of memories of Glaswegians who were born outside the UK. I also ended up co-curating an…
THIS CAN HAPPEN
I produced a 5 part series for Mental Health Awareness Week for the organisation This Can Happen, platforming people working to change the face of mental health in the workplace. They are on this page but are unfortunately behind a paywall so you’re going to have to be pretty keen if you want to hear…
RADIO WORK BEFORE I WAS A PRODUCER
Before I started producing things, I got to work on some really great radio programmes as a researcher and AP for BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 3 and BBC World Service. Here’s a small list for your perusal: New Weird Britain The Alternative History of Art Breakfast with the Disruptors Select / Copy / Paste…
JESSE LAWSON 