The Hackney Podcast was set up in 2008 to record the borough's different faces: one of Britain's poorest places but culturally one of its richest; an area of London profoundly marked by its history but, as the Olympics loom, caught in a frenzied period of change. From its first days, the podcast – available free to download – has provided an eclectic mix of politics, environmental issues and scenes from local life alongside cutting-edge art, literature and music.

As professional producers working as volunteers, we’re eager to broaden our sonic horizons and push our creativity to the limit. We favour montage, allowing the people of Hackney to tell their stories in their own words; create rich soundscapes, giving listeners an atmospheric sense of the borough; and commission local writers, musicians and poets to create new work.

We focus on one thematic strand, weaving in a variety of evocative stories about politics, history, environmental issues and scenes from Hackney life with cutting-edge art, literature and music. We’ve covered everything from bicycle brake-tuning to the history of Hackney furniture-making, DIY cocktails to the unfolding story of the 2012 Olympic park, and interviewed local market traders, barmen and bus drivers alongside politicians and well-known Hackney names. Our ambition has always been to make the kind of audio that inspires us: beautifully crafted, aurally immersive and journalistically inventive. And, of course, pay tribute to an area of London we know and love. Hide full description

The Hackney Podcast was set up in 2008 to record the borough's different faces: one of Britain's poorest places but culturally one of its richest; an area of London profoundly marked by its history but, as the Olympics loom, caught in a frenzied period of change. From its first days, the podcast – available free to download – has provided an eclectic mix of politics, environmental issues and scenes from local life alongside cutting-edge art, literature and music.As professional producers working as volunteers, we’re eager to broaden our sonic horizons and push our creativity to the limit. We favour montage, allowing the people of Hackney to tell their stories in their own words; create rich soundscapes, giving listeners an atmospheric sense of the borough; and commission local... Show full description