Welcome to this uniquely collaborative and tactile exhibition, celebrating the transformation and re-opening of Sunderland’s fondly remembered Hills Bookshop.

Hills has re-opened as a new multi-use arts centre, and this project honours the building’s legacy; from its very first opening on Christmas Eve in 1852 until today.

At the physical exhibition, visitors were invited to read a collection of manilla envelopes, tacked to a cork wall. Inside each envelope; a memory, a piece of poetry, or prose, or creative expression; all which have been collected and sculpted from a series of creative writing workshops which explored ideas of memories, sound, books, and bookshops.

From these stories, and with the invaluable contribution of the voices of Maryam Almahameed, Hester Dowling, Jo Howell, Daniel Richardson, and James Whitman, sound artist and audio producer Jay Sykes has created this audio response which mixes these stories into a piece of responsive digital art. Featuring music by Omri Smadar.

This is Jay’s second piece of original work commissioned for Norfolk Street Arts; their first being ‘Rainbow Echoes’ in 2020, collecting and entwining the voices and experiences of people during lockdown into an intricate venue-specific arts piece.

Hills Are Alive is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and managed by Norfolk Street Arts CIC.  Norfolk Street Arts is a not for profit aimed at developing artists and independent spaces in Sunderland using culture and heritage as a vehicle for change.

Hills Are Alive - Memories Of Hills Bookshop

Sara Parker introduces a new generation of student features makers, all winners and finalists of the Charles Parker prize 2021 – set up in memory of her father.

Through the late 1950s and 60s, pioneering radio producer Charles Parker, along with folk icons Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, made ‘The Radio Ballads’ , an innovative series which brought a new landscape of radio storytelling – interweaving interview and actuality with MacColl and Seeger’s musical narrative.

Charles’ daughter Sara Parker, herself an award-winning radio producer, hears this year's very best features on themes ranging from gender and race, body image, an asylum seeker, a window cleaner and a secluded all-male swimming place on the outskirts of Oxford to an invisible army of cleaners battling Covid and a doctor who turns to his love of the violin for solace with the Gold winning feature remembering 40 years on, the New Cross fire which killed 13 black teenagers.

There are extracts from the winning features of: Magdalena Moursy, Hunter Charlton, Chantal Herbert, Isobel Howe, and Emma Millen, as well as the five runners-up; Stephen Bissett, Shelley Gates, Mariana Araújo Ramos Maia Gonçalves, Ben Tulloh, and Kate White.

You can hear the five winners’ work in full in the series ‘New Storytellers’ on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Producer: Jay Sykes

Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra by Soundscape Productions.

Charles Parker Prize 2021 - BBC Radio 4 Extra

'A man. His son. The monster between them.'

Welcome to 'Summer Stories' - a series original audio dramas, written by community participants as part of an audio drama writing and recording workshop series held at 17Nineteen in Sunderland.

Written by Thomas Nixon.

The Cast:
George - Lawrence Neale
Tony - Corinne Kilvington
Stranger - Jamie Brown

Produced by Jay Sykes.

17Nineteen's Summer Stories programme was supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Summer Stories - One Too Many by Thomas Nixon

'All her life, she's been a good girl. But now, on her 50th birthday party, is she finally going to break the rules? Will she tear off... The fourth sheet?'

Welcome to 'Summer Stories' - a series original audio dramas, written by community participants as part of an audio drama writing and recording workshop series held at 17Nineteen in Sunderland.

Written by Julie Wilson.

The Cast:
Elaine - Corinne Kilvington
Daniel - Jamie Brown
Mr. Woodward - Lawrence Neale

Produced by Jay Sykes.

17Nineteen's Summer Stories programme was supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Summer Stories - The Fourth Sheet by Julie Wilson

'Jack is suddenly awaken by strange sounds in the middle of the night. As he goes downstairs to investigate their source, he could never predict the chilling horrors that await in the darkness of the family home.'

Welcome to 'Summer Stories' - a series original audio dramas, written by community participants as part of an audio drama writing and recording workshop series held at 17Nineteen in Sunderland.

Written by José Covas.
Performed by Jamie Brown.
Produced by Jay Sykes.

17Nineteen's Summer Stories programme was supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Summer Stories - Necessity by José Covas

'A knock on the door after midnight is never good news. But when two police officers call on Tracy, her life will never be the same again.'

Welcome to 'Summer Stories' - a series original audio dramas, written by community participants as part of an audio drama writing and recording workshop series held at 17Nineteen in Sunderland.

Written by Linda Brown.

The Cast:
Tracy - Corinne Kilvington
Police Officer - Julie Wilson
Police Officer - Jamie Brown

Produced by Jay Sykes.

17Nineteen's Summer Stories programme was supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Summer Stories - 20 Seconds Of Your Life by Linda Brown

"My Dad had dementia. Awful, awful disease..."

Welcome to 'Summer Stories' - a series original audio dramas, written by community participants as part of an audio drama writing and recording workshop series held at 17Nineteen in Sunderland.

Written by Thomas Nixon.

The Cast:
Graham - Lawrence Neale
Alison - Corinne Kilvington

Produced by Jay Sykes.

17Nineteen's Summer Stories programme was supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Summer Stories - The Circle Of Grief by Thomas Nixon

Welcome to 'Summer Stories' - a series original audio dramas, written by community participants as part of an audio drama writing and recording workshop series held at 17Nineteen in Sunderland.

Written by Linda Brown, José Covas, Thomas Nixon, and Julie Wilson.
Performed by Jamie Brown, Corinne Kilvington, and Andrew Neale, and Julie Wilson.
Produced by Jay Sykes.

17Nineteen's Summer Stories programme was supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Summer Stories - 99 Jeopardy by Julie Wilson

What would you rather lose: your dignity, or a tasty bowl of Croco Rocks?

Welcome to 'Summer Stories' - a series original audio dramas, written by community participants as part of an audio drama writing and recording workshop series held at 17Nineteen in Sunderland.

Written by Thomas Nixon.

The Cast:
Barry - Lawrence Neale
Director - Corinne Kilvington
Executive - Jamie Brown

Produced by Jay Sykes.

17Nineteen's Summer Stories programme was supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Summer Stories - Voiceover by Thomas Nixon

In July 2023, Jay recorded and edited fifteen 'podcast trailers', written and read by students from Belmont Community School, as part of a project led by Jennie Brewis and New Writing North.

Following a series of creative writing workshops led by Lucie Brownlee, which invited the school kids to design and write their own podcast ideas, Jay joined the team for recording and editing.

We recorded with two forty-minute classes, one class group each week, scrambling to record everything in time. Quite a quick turnaround, but we're ever so proud of the work, ideas, and commitment by the students.

Featuring fifteen podcast ideas created by students from Belmont Community School:

1 - This History is No Longer a Mystery
2 - Boyfriend Material
3 - Hilarious Histories
4 - The Kick About
5 - The Food Fusion
6 - The World of Football
7 - Intel on Adele
8 - Podcast People Now
9 - Football Books Podcast
10 - Mind Over Matter
11 - Fascinating Football Facts
12 - Tried to Change the Ending
13 - Dark Stars that Shine
14 - Trix Centre Podcast
15 - Grande Language

Belmont Community School - Podcast Trailers

Struggling for room to breathe, disconnected from those around her,
Pippa finds herself drawn to the comfort and solace of Seaburn Beach.
But as she feels the pull of the ocean stronger than any family ties,
what will hold Pippa back from embracing the cold of the sea?

Gold winner - "Best Student Drama Program" - New York Radio Awards 2015
Bronze winner - "Best Speech Programming" - Student Radio Awards 2015
Nominee - "Best Drama Producer" - Radio Production Awards 2015

SeaBurn was written & produced by Jay Sykes

To find out more about SeaBurn and other works by Jay Sykes, you can follow @JaySykesMedia on Twitter, or visit www.JaySykesMedia.com 

The Cast:
Chloe Gosling - Pippa
Kylie Ann Ford - Becky
Matthew Korol - Sam
David Foster - Brian
Louise Lyster - April

Also featuring Rebecca Broad, Colin Mason & Ben Tompkins.

Music from Regina Spektor, She Wants Revenge, Lamb, Radical Face, Bettye LaVette and Carol Fran, Cat Power, Tame Impala, Avicii, The London Symphony Orchestra and Clean Bandit.

SeaBurn : Gold Winner at the New York World's Best Radio Awards

Sara Parker introduces a new generation of student features makers, all winners and finalists of the Charles Parker Prize 2023 – set up in memory of her father.

The annual Charles Parker Prize celebrates a new generation of audio producers and storytellers - open to anyone studying radio and audio at Higher or Further Education establishments across the U.K.

Broadcast through the 1950s and 60s, along with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, Charles Parker's series known as the 'Radio Ballads' arguably left a lasting legacy on the landscape of radio storytelling; by interweaving original musical composition with remote interview recordings, and with a focus on highlighting working class voices - a practice until then unheard on BBC radio.

Charles’ daughter Sara Parker, herself an award-winning radio producer, hears this year's very best features; woven between highlights from their features, our ten new storytellers share their experience and journey creating their prize-winning work.

An “expertly montaged” undersea dive exploring how man-made sounds threaten underwater ecologies; the “delicate and mysterious” unveiling of a serial womaniser and his hitherto undiscovered children; the “beautiful and evocative” ode to the Irish language and its ‘life force’; an “engrossing and touching” investigation into the declining numbers of wild house martins; and a startlingly vivid and intimate depiction of two siblings’ relationship with their abusive late father that judges agreed was both “captivating and horrifying”.

There are extracts from the prize-winning features of; Thea Rickard, Dom Brown, Christina Hardinge, George Ruskin, and Lottie Steele, as well as five of our finalists; Kieran Davis, Petra Jones, Lydia Kenny, Matthew Temporal, and Alice Whalley.

You can hear the five winners’ work in full in the series ‘New Storytellers’ on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Producer: Jay Sykes

Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra by Soundscape Productions.

Charles Parker Prize 2023 - BBC Radio 4 Extra

This is 'In Bed with Embedding':

Are you finding it hard to understand aspects of your education role, and struggling to embed some of the more abstract ideas and concepts that we, as teachers, are required to include in our curriculum? Well, this is the podcast for you.

The IFY Education students at the University of Sunderland will demystify 'embedding', one concept at a time. They will get "under the covers" with the nitty gritty side of being in the classroom.

Today, our students are going to discuss the challenges of embedding the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, and how they as aspiring educators can get the job done.

Sustainable development in education allows every human being to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values necessary to develop a sustainable future. Integrating sustainable development benefits students and society, to promote social equity, and encourages economic wellbeing. 

Our guest today, who will develop our students' knowledge of embedding education for sustainable development, is Andrea Brown: Senior Lecturer at the School of Education, at the University of Sunderland.

Andrea has enjoyed a varied career, having worked in marketing, operations, and training, before education. Andrea has taught internationally, as well as across the 3rd sector, further education, and higher education in the UK. Such diverse experience is invaluable for her students, as it brings to life the reality of working as an educator. She is passionate about embedding sustainable education in her own teaching and learning, and is now championing this across the Faculty of Education and Society at the University of Sunderland.

Piloted by Fiona McEwan - Lecturer, Faculty of Education and Society, University of Sunderland

Recorded and edited by Jay Sykes - Lecturer in Audio, University of Sunderland

In Bed With Embedding - Sustainable Development Goals

Mackem Craic is a new comedy drama, staged to sound like a local radio phone-in, but with a supernatural twist — the former host is trolling the show from beyond the grave.

Mackem Craic was written by James Whitman, directed by Corinne Kilvington & produced by Jay Sykes.

Writing and performances were developed and edited through a series of workshops with 6 different schools & organisations across Sunderland and South Tyneside; many of which went straight into the drama.

The project is supported by The Cultural Spring and Back on the Map.

Mackem Craic - Community Development Project of the Year, Community Radio Awards 2017

A short demo of the 'Drawing in the Dark' project.

Visual artist Stephanie Smith discusses her process of skin-mapping, and explores the sound textures of charcoal on canvas.

Produced by Jay Sykes as a Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4.

Drawing In The Dark - BBC Radio 4, December 2018 (extract)

ArtyParti is a weekly radio programme celebrating participatory arts in the North East; we bring artists & creatives together to talk about their projects & passions, their exhibitions & events, and things affecting artists in Sunderland and the wider area.

This is a short radio promo on Spark, advertising the show around their schedule - produced by Jay Sykes.

ArtyParti Promo 2018

"The Wound in Time", written by the Poet Laurette Carol Ann Duffy, and read by 24 members of Sunderland's community, young and old.

The poetry was played on headphones at the Pages of the Sea event, at Roker Beach in Sunderland, on 11/11/2018, making 100 years to the day since the end of the First World War.

This project was a commission by Sunderland Culture, in partnership with 14-18-NOW.  With thanks to Corinne Kilvington for her expert vocal coaching with some of the contributors, and to the University of Sunderland for use of their audio recording studios.

Featuring the voices of; Sue Boyd, Jack Breedon, Jordan Carling, Ryan Dickson, Gordon Donkin, Helena Donkin, Daniel Dryden, Len Gibson, Michelle Hudson, Susan Kerton, Samiya Khan, Holly Kneller, Stephen Marr, Monica Murphy, Thomas Potts, Eileen Robinson, Angela Salkeld, Ann Smith, Cassie Stevenson, Daria Sudomir, Dalia Toader, Dawn Turner and Kati Whiteoak.

Pages Of The Sea - The Wound in Time by Carol Ann Duffy

Speak Up Sunderland is a podcast proudly produced in Sunderland.  We’re all about giving the people & projects of our city a voice on a global scale.  We aspire to be a community-driven mouthpiece for Sunderland; helping to strengthen the city’s reputation, discuss important and challenging issues, and carry the torch for a city with great promise.

If you would like to see more of Speak Up Sunderland, or listen to any of our episodes, you can visit www.speakupsunderland.com

“Fantastic, informative and funny podcast. I’m a local lad and even I’m learning more about my own city!”
- Ryan Booth, a Sunderland-based photographer

Speak Up Sunderland’s journey began in July 2018, when local community radio presenters Betty Ball and Stevie Burnikell came together with producer Jay Sykes to share Sunderland stories which are close to our hearts.  Our mission is to create a positive impact within the community, and not only cover major events in the city, but also talk about issues which are important or challenging; such as mental health, foodbanks, addiction and alcohol harm prevention, human trafficking, and the inclusivity of the city.

“Diverse, interesting range of topics and issues explored in the local area of Sunderland. It’s a fantastic podcast to listen to in the car, out walking, on an evening or weekend.” - Katie Baggott, a student living in Sunderland

Storytelling is a central to our podcast, and we take pride in engaging in interesting and diverse sound recording.  Most of our podcasts include recording with people at various locations, such as the openings of the new Northern Spire Bridge, and the Roker Pier, as you’ll hear in the audio entry.

“Excellent podcast. Local content and covering real local issues. The live events are best, where the public can interact with the guests.” - James Barker, Live Digital Reporter at the Sunderland Echo

Since January 2019, we have been hosting regular live recorded “open mic” style events at The Peacock, a pub in the city centre of Sunderland, in order to cultivate and strengthen trust with our local audience.  Included in our audio entry, for instance, you’ll hear singer/songwriter Marty Longstaff performing live at our February event.

“Absolutely love the live events at the Peacock. It’s fun, friendly and fantastic topics with some great speakers. Keep up the good work guys.” - Alison Elves, an NHS nurse living in Washington, Sunderland

We’ve also hosted live discussions with Sunderland City Council members, mental health and wellbeing charities, poets, and notable people who have grown successfully within the city.  The goal is for the “Speak Up Sunderland Live” events is to grow a community engagement forum, and drive positive change for under-represented bodies in Sunderland.

“Gutsy, funny and compelling listen, whether you are from sunny Sunderland or not. This podcast is going places – listen to this space!”
- Caroline Mitchell, Senior Lecturer, University of Sunderland

Speak Up Sunderland 2019 - Finalist at the New York Radio Awards 2019

“Rainbow Echoes” is a series of composed audio vignettes, woven into an audio tapestry of recorded interviews, field recordings, and experimental sound art.  They cluster into thematic responses, engineering new and existing dialogues about coronavirus and the lockdown; they call and answer each other, echoing over a thirty-minute duration across the Norfolk Street Arts’ gallery.  

The composition is intentionally participatory and investigative in nature.  Beyond collecting colour, my key investigation involved assembling a feeling of lockdown, and “lessons” which we can learn from the lockdown, both as individuals and society:  What emerged chiefly are the clear positive and negative effects lockdown has had on our own mental and physical health, on our work-life balance; but also the strength in collective communities, the need for escapism, the anguish of seeking employment, and a rediscovered ability to recharge and slow down.

In responding to Jayne Parker Johnson’s striking and colourful visual collection of visual artwork, the audio compositions exist to daw resource from a wealth of light and shade, and a rainbow of colours, from dozens of participants.  Asking people to share “what colour is the lockdown to you?” is a superbly abstract concept, but one which roots so effortlessly took hold in the audio element of the project, and bore a rainbow of fruit.  There are many blues and greens - perhaps unsurprisingly, considering how we’ve found a new longing for, and appreciation of, green spaces and blue skies “Angry reds” and “Pink!  Diluted blood!” burst through the “monotonous greys”, just as Jayne’s splashes of colour pop and fizzle on canvas.

This project would not be possible were it not for the dozens of generous people who have kindly donated their voice and their thoughts.  Deserving of special thanks is singer-songwriter Sinéad Livingston, whose lockdown experience gave her both time and motivation to write the beautifully gripping song “Echoes”, about a friend who had lost family members due to coronavirus.  The crescendo and diminuendo of one line of the chorus became an emblematic signature throughout “Rainbow Echoes”; an echo of Sinead’s music again echoed by my own.  Also, Colina Wright, who, unprompted, took it upon herself to ask her friends and colleagues for contributions, leading to over half a dozen further responses.

A full collection of contributors:  Bethany Ball, Dan Brotherton, Danni Brown, Steve Burnikell, Danielle Chamberlin, Katherine Cooper, Phillip David, Jordan Davidson, Michelle Daykin, Hester Dowling, Eva Espinosa, Sarah Gledhill, Paisley & Glue, Liza-Jo Guyatt, Helen Hallows, Gemma Hirst, Jo Howell, Jayne Parker Johnson, Corinne Kilvington, Michelle Lawson, Sinéad Livingston, Kirsten Luckins, Louise Morris-Robbie, Dominic Nelson-Ashley, Rebecca Owens, Mu-Hamid Pathan, Marta Perestrelo, Nikolas Popovic, Merle Preslar, Natasha Rear, Lynn Robertson, Rebecca Robinson, Melanie Shee, Stephanie Smith, Jo Weldon, Sophie Willox, Mark Whitley, and Colina Wright.


Jay Sykes is a multi-award-winning audio producer.  “Rainbow Echoes” is Jay’s first sound art commission for a physical exhibition.  Jay wishes to thank Vinnie Todd, Mark Burns Cassell, and everyone at Norfolk Street Arts for giving him the opportunity to develop creative work.

As “Jay Sykes Media”, Jay is a freelance audio producer, providing training, mentorship, and workshops, and working in partnership with companies and charities on audio projects; including the award-winning “Rich Seams” and the “Ten Words for a Northern Landscape” podcast series for New Writing North.  He has taught at the University of Sunderland as an Academic Tutor since 2015, specialising in audio documentary, drama, and podcast production.  His own podcast series “ArtyParti” brings together artists and creatives for conversations about their practice.

Rainbow Echoes

🎙 Freelance Audio Producer & Storyteller
 🎓 Lecturer (AFHEA), University of Sunderland​​​​​​​
 📻 Dramas & Docs on BBC Radio 4 / 4 Extra

 🎨 Passionate about creative narrative audio
 🥇 New York Radio Awards gold-winning producer & writer
 📖 LGBTQ+ young adult writer

Jay has been teaching at the University of Sunderland since 2015, where he specialises in audio production workshops - drama, documentary, podcasting, and audio journalism.

 📷 Profile photo by Jamie Allison

 🙋‍♂️ 31 years old, he/him
 💍 Engaged to a beautiful man named Kostas
 🐈‍⬛ Cat-dad to Bowser, Daruk, and Riju
 🏡 Sunderland, UK. Originally from Huddersfield
 🌱 Vegan for ethical reasons
 🎮 Nintendo gamer, Legend of Zelda enthusiast
 🎷 Amateur tenor saxophonist
 🇬🇷 Learning Greek (beginner)

Jay specialises in composed feature documentary and “mosaic” structures; using aspects of non-linear narrative construction, interlacing voice, music, and sound-art.

A New York Award-winner for his audio drama ‘SeaBurn’, and an avid reader of queer fiction, Jay is keen to continue developing his writing and production practice in the fictional space. Jay identifies as homoromantic, and yearns to tell stories that resonate with the queer community.

🥇 Gold winner - "Arts & Creative Radio of the Year" - Community Radio Awards 2022
🥇 Gold winner - "Podcast of the Year" - Community Radio Awards 2019
🏅 Finalist - "Best Podcast: Arts and Culture" - New York Radio Awards 2019
🥇 Gold winner - "Community Development Project of the Year - Community Radio Awards 2017
🥇 Gold winner - "Arts & Creative Radio of the Year" - Community Radio Awards 2016
🥇 Gold winner - "Best Student Drama Program" - New York Radio Awards 2015
🥉 Bronze winner - "Best Speech Programming" - Student Radio Awards 2015
🏅 Finalist - "Best Drama Producer" - Radio Production Awards 2015

JaySykesMedia

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