UK's First Podcast Festival Opens On Sunday

James Drury
By James Drury Last edited 110 months ago
UK's First Podcast Festival Opens On Sunday

Jack McInroy and Steve Walsh, founders of Hold Fast Network, are organising a podcast festival.

Whether you've long been hooked on podcasts, or got sucked in because everyone around you won't stop talking about Serial, the recent rise of the medium means enthusiasts like us no longer get blank looks when effusing the easy commute to work thanks to our latest discovery.

In the spirit of helping the format grow further, long-time podcasters and producers of South London Hardcore, Jack McInroy and Steve Walsh formed Hold Fast Network in September to bring together fellow creators of the downloadable audio shows, cross-promote each others' work and share experience.

Now they've organised what is believed to be the UK's first podcast festival. The event on Sunday features live recordings of the 150th edition of South London Hardcore, as well as fellow network members Daniel Ruiz Tizon, and Process, who have an interview with artist Babak Ganjei.

"You never used to get two people talking about podcasts in the pub," laughs Jack. "Now you hear whole tables chatting about them. But it's still quite tricky to get discovered when there's such dominance by BBC and US public broadcast output.

"Holdfest will be a bit like a music festival — people will be able to come and hear the podcasts being recorded live, and meet other people who are interested in them."

It's probably one place where having your headphones in won't be considered rude.

Holdfest, January 11, 2pm-5pm, The Cinema Museum, 2 Dugard Way, SE11 4TH, tickets are £5 available from the website.

Last Updated 09 January 2015