In times gone by, people would listen to the radio on the way to a festival. Nowadays, many festivals broadcast their performances live for listeners at home – Dorset’s We Out Here festival does this on founder Giles Peterson’s own Worldwide FM. But We Out Here is also one of few festivals to actually weave radio stations into the fabric of the festival itself, this year spotlighting 14 community broadcasters from all corners of the UK on their own dedicated WOH Radio stage (read: shipping container). It might seem backwards to bring the recording booth into the field, especially when the likes of Pa Salieu, Noname and MJ Cole are performing just metres away, but it actually strikes to the heart of We Out Here’s history and values as a festival.

“Giles Peterson is synonymous with radio, he is a broadcaster first and foremost,” explains Josh Aitman, marketing manager for We Out Here and community radio expert. “This festival is about all the different ways in which we can celebrate and discover music and different artists and radio is the perfect tool for that, it’s a platform of storytelling and discovery, and stations play just as much a part of the musical ecosystem as artists, musicians and DJs. It just slots perfectly into the festival to not only have all these amazing artists, but also those who are purveyors of music, the storytellers as well.” 

Aitman is better positioned than most to understand this role. Before landing at We Out Here, Aitman ran his own station, Melodic Distraction, in Liverpool for eight years, gradually snowballing from a tiny project with just half a dozen shows a month to providing a home to 450 different presenters a month. This experience in community broadcasting not only helped Aitman discover a multitude of musical niches, but also played a key role in his own personal development. “I was listening back to our station the other day and I heard the voice of one of my closest friends and the first person I came out to, a lady called Danielle Moore,” Aitman recalls. “She actually passed away last year, but I realised that I’ve now got this beautiful time capsule of this person who meant so much to me, immortalised in radio. That’s what radio creates for us. It’s an incredible landscape for documentation.”

This intimate connection with community broadcasting also reflects a shift that the medium has undergone in recent years. In community radio circles, it’s common to hear the article dropped from the front of ‘the radio’ – Aitman said it himself, rather than being on the radio, his close friend was immortalised in radio. This small detail speaks to the more diffuse role that radio has taken on in the internet age: freed from the chains of centralised public service announcements, in the last ten years, community stations have sprung up all over the world, showcasing musical niches to the world, and also creating integral networks in their own local environments. Far from being rendered redundant by the internet, it has led to a revolution in the medium.

It’s exactly this development that WOH Radio aimed to spotlight this year, featuring shows from 14 community radio stations centred around the theme ‘Out of the Shadows’. There were broadcasts on gender non-conformity in Japanese culture, queer jazz, women running record labels, and dozens more. Below, we profile five stations that appeared on the lineup. 

CROP

CROP is a community-led radio station based in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. They platform voices, sounds and talent from across England’s north-west, with weekly live streams, social content and print magazines. 

CROP: “It all began when we had the chance to transform an old pizza kitchen in the heart of Manchester into a DJ booth. We were given complete creative freedom to shape it into something new. Nowadays, we broadcast five days a week, and our doors are open for the community to come by, grab a drink from the bar downstairs, and experience live radio up close. There are not many places where you can hang out with friends while the broadcast happens right in front of you. Beyond the station, we collaborate on events across Manchester and the UK, always bringing our residents and affiliates along and creating opportunities outside of radio.

“If you look back to the early days of radio, from offshore broadcasts to pirate stations risking everything on tower blocks, the spirit has always been the same. Communities that do not see themselves represented in the mainstream decide, ‘let’s do it ourselves.’ That same purpose still exists today, but it now lives on through online radio. The internet made it safer and more accessible, but the essence remains. As long as you stay true to your community and continue to amplify voices and create opportunities for all, it feels right, rooted in what radio has always been.”

VOICES RADIO

Voices Radio is a community station broadcasting from Kings Cross, London to the world.

Kit Lockey, co-founder: “Launched off the back of an almost decade-long stint as a nomadic party series, Voices was intended as a small remedy to some of the issues we were seeing in the night-time industry. Initially, we continued as an events platform, but centred around discussion about things like gender and racial imbalance in the industry, and mental health and addiction, as well as a fundraising platform for those causes. When Covid lockdown hit, after some trial and error, we realised a radio station could still address those things and many more, as well as be a non-judgmental space for creative expression and personal development for our community. Four years later, and the mission is still very much about all of that, and we’re proudly broadcasting the sounds of London 24/7!

“Now more than ever, we need real human tastemakers, to find the gold amongst the AI- and algorithm-generated slop that’s out there. For me, radio is about sharing ideas, finding your tribe and enjoying the supremely human experience of listening to something unfold live, mistakes and all.”

REFORM RADIO

Reform Radio is a multi-award-winning online and DAB station and social enterprise working with local creatives in Manchester. They aim to platform the best in music, arts and culture from Manchester to the world, as well as delivering accessible skills training through their studios, production company and workshops.

Nadya Abdella, station manager: “Back in 2013, three friends – Jemma, Rachel, and Sam – had a simple yet radical idea: use the power of the emerging online radio scene to help young people break into work. What started as a self-funded pilot quickly proved its potential. In just one week, five young people produced a world-class radio show. The only issue they had was that they didn’t have a station to air it on. They began broadcasting from the basement of the shared house in which they met. DJs were met with hearty, home-cooked meals, and Reform Radio was born – a DIY, community-rooted initiative.

“Since our founding, we've continued to grow to meet the needs of Manchester communities. From our space in Bonded Warehouse, we now work with over 300 participants each year, with over 450 individuals broadcasting on our station each year. As an organisation, we’ve now branched out into an award-winning production company, commissioned by large media organisations like the BBC to create high-quality audio pieces, as well as our BBC Six Music show, the People’s Party. 

“The resurgence of radio has been really interesting to see. I think that before the pandemic, people thought it was a medium that might die out, but during the pandemic, it gave people a central point of connection in a time when we were in silos. Throughout the history of radio, it has given underrepresented communities a place to share their sonic identities!”

1BTN

1BTN is an online, DAB and FM radio station and not-for-profit organisation based in Brighton, providing a platform for like-minded music heads in the city. 

Mickey, founder: “When 1BTN was founded in 2015, I was disillusioned with the radio on offer back then. There wasn’t really a lot going on in Brighton: clubland had slumped and the scene seemed fragmented. The opportunity of starting a radio station came up, and with no idea what to do, I just thought: “if you build it, they will come” – community is important to us. Lockdown was a real positive for us, as it was for many others in our field. We engaged with some wonderful artists from around the world, which led to a real spike in interest.  It’s been a tough 3 years or so, but we are right in the middle of very exciting plans, which will see us move out of the basement for the first time and into public view.

“Radio is a vital and important medium; it always has been. I was hooked on pirate stations as a pre-teen, and my love for them has never dwindled. It’s trusted, it’s honest, and it’s raw – the DIY model is for sure. The soul of pirate radio remains at its core, really. It’s about that unique ability to have an emotional connection with your audience. You don’t get that accessibility anywhere else. Radio is boss.”

FORGE RADIO

Forge Radio is the University of Sheffield’s student-run station, operating out of their student union. Shows range from music, sports and talk segments, and also include event coverage and live gigs.

Arko Dutta, head of music: “Forge was founded in 1995 under the name Sure FM. In 2000, we were honoured as the Student Radio Station of the Year by College Music Update, and a year later, we made national headlines, albeit for different reasons. The station gained national attention when it defied a university ban on playing Eminem’s music, leading to a fine from the Students’ Union, but helped cement an ethos of putting students first. In 2008, the three arms of Sheffield’s student media combined under the name Forge, broadcasting online live 24/7 and inspiring a generation of radio presenters who’ve gone on to do some amazing things.

“Right now, the role of radio is more important than ever. In an age where people are bombarded with endless playlists and algorithms, radio gives you something those platforms can’t – a real human voice, a sense of community, and a space for discovery. It’s about connection: whether that’s a Sheffield student tuning into Forge to hear their mate’s show, or someone finding a new artist they wouldn’t have come across otherwise.”