FRANCESCA PANETTA is a multi award-winning producer and sound artist. She is currently working as Special Projects Editor leading on innovation in storytelling and new platforms, at The Guardian’s audio department. She also works as an independent producer and sound artist. She specialises in feature montage with specific attention to sound-design as illustrated in her Hackney Podcasts. She has won awards nationally and internationally for her sound-rich work including three Sony Radio Awards, a New York Festivals Award, and two Radio Production Academy Awards. Her smartphone apps (Hackney Hear, Soho Stories and Kings Cross Streetstories) have been recognised as leading in this field, winning Prix Europa’s award for Radio Innovation in 2012, Tech Hub’s Race For Apps Award in 2012 as well as being nominated by the Radio Academy’s TecCon Innovation award in 2011. Francesca runs training courses at the BBC and guest lectures at the Universities of Bournemouth, Southampton, City and Goldsmiths. She speaks about innovation and creativity in audio around the world most recently at Metropolis in Copenhagen, Third Coast Festival in Chicago, WFMU in New York and the EBU’s Future of Radio conference in the University of the Arts’ Field Recording Symposium.

Francesca spoke at Close and Remote’s Sound City Talk on 25 April 2013 at Goldsmiths College, London. A short excerpt of the talk is below.