As a tutor, Jay offers one-to-one support, coaching, and mentorship in audio production and storytelling.
About Jay Sykes
Jay has been teaching at the University of Sunderland since 2015, where he specialises in audio production workshops - drama, documentary, podcasting, and journalism.
🎙 Freelance Audio Producer & Storyteller
🎓 Lecturer in Audio (AFHEA), University of Sunderland
📑 External Examiner, University of Salford / University of the West of Scotland
📻 Dramas & Docs on BBC Radio 4 / 4 Extra
🎨 Passionate about creative narrative audio
🥇 New York Radio Awards gold-winning producer & writer
📖 LGBTQ+ young adult writer
Jay Sykes Media
As a freelance audio producer, Jay’s work often explores the intersection of art and audio - whether exploring Sunderland artist Stephanie Smith's tactile practice of 'skin-mapping' (Drawing in the Dark, BBC Radio 4), investigating how writing has seeped into the landscape and heritage of Weardale (Ten Words for a Northern Landscape, New Writing North), or celebrating independent bookshops through community creative writing workshops (Hills Are Alive, Norfolk Street Arts).
ArtyParti
Jay founded ArtyParti as a weekly radio programme celebrating participatory arts in the North East UK in July 2015. Since then, the platform has changed and evolved; now a fortnightly podcast which brings together artists & creatives for conversations about developing practice, alongside this online platform celebrating the work of artists and creatives worldwide.
Here, Jay is recording with community poet and artist Hester Dowling, as part of the Heritage Lottery Funded project ‘Hills Are Alive’, a sound-art commission for Norfolk Street Arts.
Jay and one of his wonderful cats, Bowser. They’ve been inseparable since Jay adopted Bowser in May 2021.
🙋♂️ 33 years old, he/him
🏳️🌈 Boyfriend to a beautiful man named Kostas
🐈⬛ Cat-dad to Bowser, Daruk, and Riju
🏡 Sunderland, UK. Originally from Huddersfield
🌱 Vegan for ethical reasons
🎮 Nintendo gamer, Legend of Zelda enthusiast
🎷 Amateur tenor saxophonist
🇬🇷 Learning Greek (beginner)
☕️ Coffee lover - mine’s a black Americano
A New York Award-winner for his audio drama ‘SeaBurn’, and an avid reader of queer fiction,
Jay is keen to continue developing their writing and production practice in the fictional space.
Jay identifies as homoromantic, and yearns to tell stories that resonate with the queer community.
Visual artist Stephanie Smith working with artist/participant Sabby Lou, as she introduces her practice of ‘skin-mapping’ in ‘Drawing in the Dark’ for BBC Radio 4.
‘Art of Living: Drawing in the Dark’,
BBC Radio 4, 2018
In December 2018, Jay’s first documentary for BBC Radio 4 released; documenting Sunderland visual artist Stephanie Smith’s process of “Skin-Mapping” , as she invited participants to close their eyes and put charcoal to canvas, to really feel the tactile sensations in their faces & bodies.
Produced by Jay Sykes, as a Soundscape Production for BBC Radio 4.