What happens when something reaches the end of its expected life? For many materials, the answer is still straightforward. They are thrown away, stored indefinitely, or sent into waste systems where whatever creative potential they once contained disappears from view. ReCreate, the new scrap store established by Kala Arts on Frog Island, starts from a different question. What might this material become next? We visited ReCreate during its soft launch on 15th August, when artists, volunteers and visitors were beginning to explore the space and discover what a scrap store might offer.

The sound of hammering carries through Studio 17 as the final preparations are made for a major retrospective of work by Leicestershire artist Stephen Fox. Curator Paul Dexter is arranging paintings in the Tangent Gallery at Albert Street Artist Studios in Loughborough. Selecting work for the exhibition has meant looking back through an unusually large and varied archive. Stephen has been a member of Studio 17 for 17 years, producing hundreds of paintings during that time. His work includes watercolours, oils, acrylics, abstract pieces, landscapes and still lifes. For Paul, the process of assembling the exhibition has revealed several unexpected highlights.

What happens when people are given the time, space, and encouragement to create something with their own hands? What changes when creativity becomes a shared experience rather than a performance or a product? In this edition of Spotlight on Arts, Rob Watson speaks with Francis Deepwell of Deepwell Arts and Poppy Haritaki of Armonia Music and Arts about the role that creativity plays in everyday life and why accessible arts spaces matter more than ever. Based in a shared creative space, Francis and Poppy have developed a growing programme of pottery, crafts, music teaching, dance, exhibitions, workshops, and collaborative projects.

What happens when artists open their homes and creative spaces to the public? That question was explored during Art-House Leicester, the annual arts event that transforms homes, studios and domestic spaces into temporary galleries, inviting visitors to meet artists, discover new work and experience creativity in an informal setting. For this edition of Spotlight on Arts, Soar Sound visited several Open House venues to speak with artists, exhibitors and hosts about their work and their experiences of taking part in one of the city's most distinctive cultural events.

What happens when the people who spend their lives caring for others are rarely asked about their own experiences? The latest edition of Spotlight on Care on Soar Sound sets out to answer that question by giving carers the opportunity to tell their stories in their own words. The programme was recorded to coincide with Leicester City Council's Carers Conference on 10th June 2026, but its significance extends far beyond a single event. At its heart are a series of personal testimonies from people whose lives have been shaped by caring responsibilities, often over many years and sometimes over many decades.

Each year, Leicester Riverside Festival brings together thousands of people for a weekend of music, arts, community activity, food, culture and conversation. While visitors may arrive for the dragon boat races, live performances or family entertainment, the festival also provides an opportunity to discover the many organisations, projects and people who contribute to community life throughout the year. For this special Soar Sound community reporting project, reporter Estelle Keeber spent the weekend speaking with visitors, performers, traders, charities, community organisations, artists and volunteers across Bede Park, Castle Gardens and Western Boulevard.

Soar Sound is looking for volunteers to help run our presence at Riverside Festival on Saturday 6 June and Sunday 7 June 2026. We will be based in the Castle Gardens area, where Soar Sound will operate as a talks and story-gathering platform. Our role will be to help capture voices, conversations, reflections and local stories from the festival, working alongside the University of Leicester Heritage Hub/Learning Zone and other community media partners. We are looking for people who already have relevant experience, although that does not have to be radio experience.

The first Decentered Media Community Media Café took place on Thursday 14th May 2026 at Bishop Street Chapel Café in Leicester. We were given a warm welcome by the café staff, who helped create the relaxed and friendly atmosphere that these sessions are intended to support. The aim of the café is simple: to provide an open, informal space for people who care about local and community media to meet, share ideas, and talk about practical ways to improve public communication. The first session showed why this kind of regular conversation is needed.

Leicester’s Jubilee Square, under clear spring light on the 25th of April, becomes something more than a civic space. It turns into a meeting point between timelines, where everyday life intersects with fragments of the past. The Old Town Festival, spread across the cathedral, Guildhall, and Jewry Wall, offers a reminder that heritage is not static or distant. It is lived, negotiated, and, crucially, shared. The accompanying podcast captures this movement in real time. Conversations unfold not as formal interviews but as exchanges rooted in curiosity, humour, and observation. What emerges is a textured account of how people encounter heritage when it is made accessible on their own terms.

This podcast explores how art can play a meaningful role in the rehabilitation of people in prison. The discussion brings together Rob Watson, Xiaoye Zhang, and Charlie Birtles, recorded at the Brewhouse Arts Centre in Burton-on-Trent. Each contributor brings a distinct perspective, shaped by their work in community media, arts practice, and engagement with criminal justice contexts. A key focus of the conversation is how art creates space for reflection and expression in environments that are often restrictive and emotionally pressured. Drawing on their experience, the contributors describe how creative practices such as visual art, writing, and performance can help individuals process difficult experiences, manage emotions, and begin to reframe their sense of identity.

What does it mean to have a place where art is not only made, but lived? How does a shared studio shape the way people think, create, and relate to one another? And what happens when a space becomes part workshop, part social environment, and part archive of lived experience? Studio 17 in Loughborough offers one response to these questions. Emerging in the mid-1990s from a small group of artists connected to the Albert Street Artist Day Centre, it has grown into a sustained, working studio that continues to support artists at different stages of their journeys.

Heritage is often spoken about as something fixed in the past, but the conversations recorded at the University of Leicester’s Heritage Hub suggest something far more active. This episode of Spotlight on Heritage captures a day where history, craft, research, and lived experience intersect, not as static displays but as ongoing practices shaped by the people who engage with them. What becomes clear across the interviews is that heritage is not confined to museums or archives. It is something that is continually rediscovered, interpreted, and shared. Archaeologists describe the immediacy of uncovering objects that have not been seen for thousands of years, bringing the past into direct contact with the present.

What does it mean to be a Cockney today? Is it defined by geography, by heritage, by language, or by something more intangible – a sense of belonging shaped by shared experiences and ways of seeing the world? In this episode of Spotlight on Heritage, Rob Watson and John Coster explore the evolving idea of Cockney identity through personal memory and historical reflection. Their discussion begins with the Modern Cockney Festival, a month-long programme of events that invites people to consider how East End culture continues to adapt in a changing city.

How do women working in community media respond when their communities face tension or conflict? What does it mean to tell local stories from within the community rather than from a distance? And how can everyday communication through radio, local journalism, and storytelling help rebuild trust between neighbours when misinformation and misunderstanding threaten to divide them? These were the questions explored in a discussion recorded for International Women’s Day, bringing together women who are actively involved in community media and local communication projects. Sumaila Jafri opened the discussion by reflecting on her own background as a journalist who had previously worked in national and international newsrooms.

Childhood sexual abuse remains one of the most under-acknowledged forms of trauma in society. It often occurs in silence, is carried in private, and continues to shape lives long after childhood has ended. For Deborah Knight, Chief Executive Officer of Quetzal, the starting point is clear: no one should suffer for life because of abuse they experienced as a child. Quetzal works with survivors of childhood sexual abuse on an individual basis. The impact of abuse is not uniform. Some survivors live with persistent anxiety. Others struggle with trust, relationships, or long-term mental health difficulties.

On Monday 23 February 2026, the African Caribbean Centre in Leicester hosted the formal launch of the Better Together report, the most detailed independent inquiry so far into the unrest that affected the city in 2022. Introduced by Dr Subir Sinha and chaired by Professor Juan Méndez, with research led in part by Professor Chetan Bhatt, the report represents nearly three years of investigation, testimony and analysis. The inquiry team interviewed more than eighty witnesses, gathered survey data from over one hundred residents, and engaged directly with hundreds more through public hearings and community meetings.

There is a particular energy that you notice as soon as you step into Wonderland Dance Studio. Mirrors line the walls. Costumes are stacked ready for performance. A gymnastics mat sits to one side. The space is compact, but purposeful. It is designed not simply for dance, but for participation. In this edition of Spotlight on Loughborough, Soar Sound visits Wonderland Dance Studio in Shelthorpe to hear how one local initiative has grown from six children to nearly sixty in seven years. Founder Cary Benze explains that the studio emerged from a simple observation.

The UK is entering a significant period of review for broadcast radio policy. Ofcom is consulting on its future approach to broadcast licensing. DCMS has launched a wider Radio Review that will shape long-term distribution strategy, market structure and public policy into the 2030s and beyond. These processes raise fundamental questions about spectrum management, platform access, economic sustainability, content supply, and the balance between producer interests and the interests of citizens.

On Saturday 21 February 2026, Soar Sound, the Evington Echo and Parallel Lives Network will host a live podcast recording session to mark UNESCO International M

On Saturday 21 February 2026, Soar Sound, the Evington Echo and Parallel Lives Network will host a live podcast recording session to mark UNESCO International M

On Saturday 21 February 2026, Soar Sound, the Evington Echo and Parallel Lives Network will host a live podcast recording session to mark UNESCO International Mother Language Day. The session will take place at Bishop Street Chapel Café, Bishop Street, Leicester, opposite the Town Hall Fountain, between 10am and 2pm. We are inviting members of the community to take part in a recorded conversation about language. This is an opportunity to share your experience of speaking your mother language, learning new languages, or living between different linguistic and cultural traditions.

World Radio Day 2026 invited a clear proposition: technology alone does not build trust, radio broadcasters do. In this discussion, recorded for broadcast on Source FM, that idea was tested against lived experience, professional journalism, and long-standing place-based media practice. What emerged was not nostalgia for radio’s past, but a sober assessment of its present condition. Shamila Jafri, a former BBC journalist now researching Leicester’s media ecology, described radio as intimate and immediate. Without images, sound carries emotional proximity. Her account of a former political hostage who recognised her voice from BBC Urdu broadcasts during captivity illustrates radio’s distinctive capacity to sustain connection across distance and danger.

What does it mean to start where you stand, not as a slogan but as a practice? If art begins on the pavement, by the bus stop, at the edge of a park or in the corner of an adult education building, what changes in how you listen, how you notice, how you belong? When a poem names what is small and close rather than grand and distant, does it ask you to look again at the ground beneath your own feet? Where does performance end if the street becomes part of the stage?

Travel is often framed as escape, leisure, or consumption. In this edition of Spotlight on Travel, the conversation moves in a different direction. John Coster and Rob Watson reflect on travel as a practice of attention, discomfort, and perspective-shifting, shaped as much by winter darkness at home as by encounters abroad. Drawing on recent journeys to India, Nigeria, Japan, and Cambodia, the discussion explores what travel reveals when it is undertaken with purpose rather than spectacle. Sound becomes as important as image, whether it is the organised chaos of a Mumbai junction or the quieter atmospheres of places shaped by difficult histories.

The Intangible Labour and the New Folklore exhibition, taking place at Leicester Adult Education Gallery on Belvoir Street brings together artists, performers, and musicians who are interested in the kinds of work that usually go unnoticed. This is not labour measured in hours, wages, or output, but the quieter effort involved in creativity, care, endurance, and emotional commitment. The exhibition and the accompanying podcast explore how much artistic work happens below the surface. Artists speak about the time, risk, and personal investment involved in making images, performances, and music. Much of this labour leaves little behind once a moment has passed, yet it shapes how culture is felt and remembered.

This edition of Spotlight on Arts explores Computala, a digital and new media exhibition currently showing at LCB Depot in Leicester. Through a Radio Lear podcast conversation recorded at the launch, artists and curators reflect on how artificial intelligence, robotics, and generative systems are reshaping creative practice. Rather than promoting technology uncritically, the exhibition asks open questions about human agency, authorship, systems, and our relationship with machines. Visitors encounter installations, visuals, sound works, and participatory pieces that invite reflection rather than instruction. The podcast aligns closely with Soar Sound’s focus on accessible arts conversations rooted in local cultural life. Computala is open throughout January at LCB Depot, Leicester, with exhibitions, workshops, and events running alongside the main show.

In this edition of Spotlight on Travel, Rob Watson and John Coster return after time away on their respective journeys, bringing with them a conversation that moves far beyond the idea of travel as leisure. Instead, they explore why travel matters, what it changes, and how it shapes the way we understand the places we come from. John begins by reflecting on his recent return to Nigeria, a country he first visited nearly twenty years ago. This latest trip took him deep into the working world of a new media house and into regions that are often described from afar through the language of instability and fear.

In this episode of Spotlight on Art, the conversation turns to the elusive, everyday forms of creativity that often pass without recognition. Artist and curator Miffy Ryan introduces the idea of “intangible labour” as the starting point for her forthcoming exhibition at the Basement Gallery, opening 12th January 2026. It is a concept that emerges not from theory but from dialogue, rooted in the instinctive, often unnoticed forms of cultural work people carry out in their daily lives. The discussion unfolds with Miffy, James Chantry, and Paul Conneally exploring how culture is shaped not only by formal institutions but by gestures, rituals, memories and expressions that rarely make it into official accounts.

This episode of Spotlight on Arts features a reflective conversation with artists Paul Caper Dexter, Laura Dalton, and Miffy Ryan, recorded at Fearon Hall. The discussion explores how artists develop their practice outside traditional art-school pathways, drawing on personal determination, place-based inspiration, and everyday environments. Paul reflects on landscapes, street scenes, and colour-led portraiture shaped by years of self-directed work, while Laura describes an intuitive, expressive approach influenced by travel, community connections, and creative spontaneity. Together, the conversation highlights Loughborough’s re-emerging creative energy and the importance of making space for art that grows from lived experience rather than commercial expectations.

This episode of Spotlight on Heritage features John Coster and Rob Watson reflecting on the Leicester Saturday Heritage Fair and the wider role of storytelling, participation, and local media in community life. Recorded in the basement gallery of Leicester Adult Education Centre, the discussion explores how informal heritage events foster connection, trust, and collaboration across diverse groups. The conversation also considers the future of community reporting, the need for authentic and independent media, and the importance of sustainable local funding models that strengthen civic and cultural life in Leicester. In this week’s…

The Saturday Heritage Fair at Leicester Adult Education Centre celebrates creativity, community, and living history. Produced by Soar Sound Radio, this podcast features songwriter Meg McNeill on Leicester music pioneer Lawrence Wright, Bert McNeal from the Leicester Civic Society on civic heritage, re-enactor Rose on medieval storytelling, volunteers from Satsang Radio on cultural connection, and poet Tim Grayson on creative heritage at Belvoir Castle. Together, they show how Leicester’s people are keeping history alive through music, architecture, performance, radio, and poetry, linking the city’s past with its future. The latest recordings from the Saturday Heritage Fair at Leicester Adult Education Centre capture how creativity and memory intertwine in the city’s living heritage.

The Saturday Heritage Fair at Leicester Adult Education College celebrates Leicester’s diverse history through storytelling, oral history, and community collaboration. Produced by Soar Sound Radio, this podcast features interviews with local historian Ned Newitt, the Media Archive for Central England (MACE), Leicester Civic Society, St. Philip’s Centre, the Silk Road Project, and Gro Social Capital. Together, they explore how art, archives, and civic action connect past and present, highlighting Leicester’s heritage as a living, shared experience. Listen to the podcast to hear the voices shaping the city’s story today. The Saturday Heritage Fair at Leicester Adult Education College once again proved how rich and varied Leicester’s cultural story is.

The Saturday Heritage Fair at Leicester Adult Education Centre (11 October 2025) showcased local history, storytelling, and community heritage. Produced by Soar Sound Radio, the event featured interviews with the East Midlands Oral History Archive, Vikings of Middle England, The Elizabeth Heyrick Society, the Literary and Philosophical Society, and Satsang Radio. Organiser John Coster highlighted how heritage connects people through creativity, conversation, and shared memory. The accompanying podcast captures Leicester’s diverse voices, exploring how oral history, re-enactment, and local media bring the city’s past to life and inspire future generations.

In this episode of Spotlight on Heritage, John Coster and Rob Watson meet artist and creative educator Tina Barton to talk about the value of scrapbooking as a way of preserving personal and family memories. Recorded in the Basement Gallery at the Leicester Adult Education Centre, the discussion looks ahead to the Saturday Heritage Fair, where Tina will be running a hands-on scrapbooking drop-in session alongside other creative workshops and displays. Tina describes scrapbooking as more than just a craft activity. It’s a way for people to explore their own stories, reconnect with the past, and record moments that might otherwise be lost.

Radio Lear, Leicester Emergent Arts Radio, is a metamodern sound platform broadcasting on the Leicester and Loughborough multiplexes. Combining AI-generated audio with artist-created soundscapes, it offers an experimental, PRS/PPL-free space for creative exploration. Supported via Decentered Media’s Patreon, it invites artists to collaborate, contribute, and expand the possibilities of artistic radio. The launch of Radio Lear marks a milestone in developing…

The Challenges and Opportunities for UK Local Media report offers a vital assessment of declining local journalism and fragmented media policy. Its call for coordination and innovation aligns with Decentered Media’s advocacy for social value communication. However, it underplays issues like social cohesion, corporate extraction, and Foundational Economy innovation. The next step is developing transformational, hybrid models of civic communication—linking information, deliberation, and learning—to build sustainable, community-rooted media ecosystems.

This episode of Spotlight on Business on Soar Sound features James Burkmar, Workspace Development Manager at LCB Depot in Leicester. He reflects on his career journey, explains the growth of the creative economy, and shares how LCB Depot has become a hub for networks, events and collaboration. The discussion highlights the role of initiatives like Last Friday and the new Canopy development at Pilot House in supporting creative enterprises and strengthening Leicester’s identity as a centre for innovation and community. The first edition of our new Spotlight on Business series on Soar Sound features a conversation with…

This episode of Spotlight on Heritage marks National Sporting Heritage Day with John Coster and Rob Watson discussing the importance of preserving grassroots sport. They reflect on the legacy of major events like the Olympics and Paralympics, the challenges of sustaining community clubs, and the role of volunteers in keeping local sport alive. The conversation highlights how photographs, programmes and memories from cycling clubs, football teams and minority sports all contribute to a shared civic heritage that deserves recognition and support. In this week’s Spotlight on Heritage, John Coster and Rob Watson mark…

This episode of Spotlight on Leicester features Dave Bushby from Age UK’s Carers Support Service. The discussion explores the realities of unpaid carers in Leicester, the support available through groups, trips, and activities, and the importance of carers’ health and well-being. Dave highlights the role of community connections, GP referrals, and social prescribing, as well as the challenges of funding and recognition. The conversation shows why carers’ contributions matter and how services help them feel supported and valued. In this episode of Spotlight on Leicester, John Coster and Rob Watson are joined by Dave Bushby, Team Manager of the Carers Support Service at Age…

The latest Spotlight on Arts podcast explores the work of the Bell Foundry Community Committee in Loughborough. Rob Watson speaks with Trevor Potter and Miffy Ryan about grassroots responses to deprivation, poverty, and social isolation. They describe how local residents are developing self-sustaining projects such as gardening, upcycling, and community-led creativity to strengthen resilience and independence. The discussion highlights questions of class, empowerment, and the value of grassroots action in shaping stronger neighbourhoods built on trust, talent, and shared responsibility. This edition of Spotlight on Arts comes from Loughborough town centre, where Rob Watson spoke with Trevor Potter and Miffy Ryan about the Bell Foundry Community Committee.

In this edition of Spotlight on Arts we talk with Nicholas Daniel OBE, one of Britain’s most celebrated oboists and the long-standing Creative Director of the Leicester International Music Festival. Nicholas shares his story of how he first came to prominence as BBC Young Musician of the Year at just 18, and how his passion for performance, teaching, and commissioning new works has shaped a career that now influences audiences worldwide. The conversation explores the themes and programme of the 2025 Leicester International Music Festival, which takes place from…

The latest Spotlight on Heritage podcast features Rob Watson in conversation with John Coster about the upcoming Saturday Heritage Fair in Leicester. They discuss the importance of independent heritage, where family stories and personal artefacts are valued alongside official narratives. The fair offers a space for intergenerational learning, storytelling, and authentic community connection. With live broadcasts from Soar Sound and contributions from Radio Lear, the event highlights how lived experience shapes understanding of the past, present, and future. This edition of Spotlight on Heritage turns the tables, with Rob Watson interviewing John Coster about the upcoming Saturday Heritage Fair.

At the Leicester Communities Together Festival on 13 September 2025, Jubilee Square hosted advice stalls, performances and family activities. Reporting for Soar Sound, Helen Pettman, editor of the Evington Echo, interviewed local organisations including Citizen's Advice, Age UK, Leicester Libraries and Turning Point. Her conversations highlighted support for housing, mental health, carers, fostering and community creativity. Well attended and energetic, the festival showed how Leicester’s communities share knowledge and build connections, with organisers praised for delivering an event that was both informative and enjoyable. The Leicester Communities Together Festival, held on 13 September 2025 in Jubilee Square, proved to be a lively and meaningful occasion, bringing local people and organisations into the heart of the city.

The Leicester Communities Together Festival on 13 September 2025 brought Jubilee Square alive with advice stalls, performances and community spirit. Hosted by John Coster for the Spotlight on Leicester podcast, the event featured engaging conversations with local leaders, artists and volunteers. Topics ranged from diversity and resilience to mental health and creativity, showing how Leicester’s communities work together. Well attended and lively, the festival proved both informative and entertaining, highlighting collaboration as a strength of the city. The Leicester Communities Together Festival, held on 13 September 2025 in Jubilee Square, brought hundreds of people together for a day of shared learning, celebration and connection.

Spotlight on Leicester explores the Communities Together Festival in Jubilee Square, where services, charities and community groups meet residents. In the podcast, Kate Galoppi outlines council support, Mo Peberdy shares lived experience of volunteering, and Krupa Bhatt highlights inclusion. Together they show why face-to-face contact matters and how the festival builds stronger connections. This event is part of Leicester’s wider commitment to accessible support, participation and wellbeing across the city. In this edition of Spotlight on Leicester, we focus on the upcoming Leicester Communities Together Festival, which brings people, services and community groups into Jubilee Square for a day of connection and celebration.