Andy Cartwright Paper Abstract and Biog

‘Experimenting on the BBC’: The problems of making challenging creative features for BBC Radio 4.


This paper will examine the more experimental features produced by Soundscape Productions for BBC Radio 4. It will outline the problems of commissioning and producing such features for an established speech network from the perspective of an independent producer. It will discuss in detail the production of three features made for the network – The Dance (1999), Voyages (2005) and Then-Now (2007).
Key words: experimental radio, BBC Radio 4, soundscape, radio-poem


Andy Cartwright joined the BBC in 1980 where he worked as a studio manager, reporter, presenter, producer and executive editor before founded Soundscape Productions in 1993. The company and has produced over a 100 programmes for BBC Network Radio from quiz-shows to drama, from concert recordings to experimental features. His work has been nominated for Sony Awards and his radio-poem ‘Then-Now’ was a World Medallist for Best Editing at the New York Radio Awards. He has been involved in training and running a number of community radio stations and ran the experimental station SoundscapeFM during the AV08 Festival in the North East. He is also a part-time Senior Lecturer at the University of Sunderland where he runs the MA in Radio (Production and Management).