Alternating Current x Reset! – Reclaiming Spaces Through Sounds & Radio

Our member Dublin Digital Radio is hosting its festival Alternating Current between May 1st and May 4th in the Irish capital.

The theme for this year’s festival is ‘Urban Scores’. Drawn from Elena Biserna’s writing on sonic exploration of urban space, the festival will seek to consider our relationships to city spaces along sonic lines. This goes for Dublin, as well as cities more widely.,As part of this event, Reset! is pleased to curate and present the panel discussion ‘Reclaiming Spaces Through Sounds & Radio’ on Sunday, May 4th.

Community radios play a crucial role in times of crisis, serving as platforms for information, solidarity, and collective action. Kyiv-based 20ft Radio launched the Grains of Peace initiative at the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, providing a “recreational zone and sound oasis” to help restore emotional well-being and support communities affected by war. The initiative emphasises music as an instrument of rebuilding, countering fear and anxiety while fostering hope and resilience. In Georgia, Mutant Radio played an active role during the 2023, 2024, and ongoing protests in the country, mobilising its community by sharing information, calling for action, and raising awareness on an international scale. These examples raise the question of the role of sound in mobilising local communities in times of crisis. How can online community radios serve as a catalyst for collective action? And to what extent can sound be a participation tool for citizens and artists willing to reimagine and reclaim physical and online spaces?

This discussion is powered by the Reset! network and is part of Reset! Yearly Focus, “Reclaiming Spaces”