Only two weeks until William's Castle comes to the BBC. We couldn't be more excited. Huge shoutout to the talented Jay Sykes 🎙📻🎨📖🎓🏳️‍🌈🇪🇺 He/They or knocking this out of the park. Image by Jacob Goff. tinyurl.com/mvz966j5

A note found 125 years after it was written by a young Sunderland boy who didn’t want to be forgotten has inspired a new audio drama. Sam Wonfor reports theqt.online/the-story-of-a… Sister Sounds CULTURED. North East Seventeen Nineteen

A letter written by a young orphaned Sunderland choir boy in 1897 is the inspiration behind a new BBC Radio 4 audio drama by University of Sunderland's Jay Sykes 🎙📻🎨📖🎓🏳️‍🌈🇪🇺 He/They - written & produced for Sunderland graduate Chantal Herbert's Sister Sounds sunderland.ac.uk/more/news/stor…

Shout our to @UOSMICE for funding Sister Sounds

Looking forward to this on the radio and incredibly proud that this Sunderland story has transitioned from letter to idea, to script, to broadcast by two graduates (and now colleagues) of our wonderful #MARadio Jay Sykes 🎙📻🎨📖🎓🏳️‍🌈🇪🇺 He/They and Sister Sounds Miranda Sawyer Radio&AudioStudiesNetwork

Many thanks to Myles Ashby for penning this BBC News (UK) piece about ‘William’s Castle’. What a delightful, delicate drama-doc this was to work on with Sister Sounds & Seventeen Nineteen 🥰📻🎉 Broadcasting at 2:15pm on Easter Monday (1st April) on BBC Radio 4 bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

5 min warning! William's Castle will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 at 2.15pm. Inspired by a note left 125 yrs ago by a Sunderland boy who didn't want to be forgotten & the community effort to remember him You can read all about the audio drama The QT theqt.online/the-story-of-a…

In tears - an important story beautifully told. The underlying research and involvement of musicians and community members is fantastic. Well done all and look forward to listening with you on Friday ( I’ll bring more tissues)

William Elliot the boy who inspired #WilliamsCastle written & produced by Jay Sykes 🎙📻🎨📖🎓🏳️‍🌈🇪🇺 He/They Who joined me BBC North East to give us an insight into putting the work together take a listen @17nineteen University of Sunderland link in comments

And a Sister Sounds production.

Just a reminder to anyone that would like to attend the listening party for William’s Castle on Friday. It is free to attend but tickets are needed. You can get them here: eventbrite.co.uk/e/williams-cas…

We’re so excited for the William's Castle listening party on Friday🎶 The songs in the drama come from our “Songs of the Streets” project, and our own Holly Rees & @PaigeTemperley will be playing them live! Come and listen to the drama, it’s free: tinyurl.com/yc695xhn

Glass Ships in bottles Working for Dr Ayako Tani as she delves into the history of the #Glass ship in a bottle. Artwork by Dr Ayako Tani #photography ⁦Jay Sykes 🎙📻🎨📖🎓🏳️‍🌈🇪🇺 He/They⁩ maverickbeyond.com/2019/03/04/gla…

Discover the lost legacy of Sunderland’s glass ships in bottles, as scientific glassblower Ayako Tani meets the pioneers of this now endangered craft. Produced by Jay Sykes 🎙📻🎨📖🎓🏳️‍🌈🇪🇺 He/They for BBC Radio 4. Airing 23/06/25 - 7:15 PM A Sister Sounds Production sister-sounds.com

2024*

A heartwarming moment, when Hugh Levinson sent this review from Radio Times, penned by Simon O'Hagan I’m thoroughly proud of our documentary about Ayako Tani’s journey through #Sunderland’s Glass Ships in Bottles industry This Sunday, 7:15pm on BBC Radio 4 - Sister Sounds

SO excited for this.

TONIGHT at 7.15pm on BBC Radio 4 “Vessels of Memory” radio documentary about glass ships in bottles in Sunderland made by my colleague Jay Sykes 🎙📻🎨📖🎓🏳️‍🌈🇪🇺 He/They commissioned through University of Sunderland #MARadio grad Sister Sounds UoS Research Paul Callaghan Lee Hall Richard Berry

Vessels of Memory is Pick of the Week, alongside some brilliant audio work. Pick of the Week will broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Sunday, 30th June, at 18:15. You can also listen again for 30 days via BBC Sounds.

Friends, followers… I am ridiculously proud to share that Vessels of Memory: Glass Ships of Sunderland has been selected for Pick of the Week @Ayako_Tani | Sister Sounds 6:15pm on BBC Radio 4 📻🎉 Huge thanks to the PotW team: @FelixWhite | @AntaineMacAoidh | Pete Liggins