Audio Flux is a home for independent audio, new voices, and big ideas in podcasting. We invite people far and wide to create short audio works (“fluxworks”) in response to a set of prompts, which are inspired by a new creative partner each circuit. In our first (!) year we’ve partnered with writer Wendy MacNaughton (01), documentary filmmaker Sam Green (02), and New York pet portrait artist Ben Lenovitz (03), and fostered the creation of 87 original three-minute audio works from around the world. We’ve featured dozens of fluxworks online and debuted each circuit at live podcast / storytelling events. You can learn more about and listen to fluxworks from Circuits 01, 02, and 03, here.

On the heels of last month’s wildly successful (and very fun) world premiere of Circuit 03: Pet Sounds and The Audio Flux Podcast at the Tribeca Audio Storytelling Program, we’re powering up our next circuit of short audio works.

Our creative partner for Circuit 04: Firsts is beloved DC-based writer and literary artist, Jason Reynolds. As with previous circuits, we’ve commissioned four premier audio producers to create original fluxworks ($1000 each), who we’ll publicly reveal later this summer.

And once again we’re inviting the public to participate through an open call! Submissions will be accepted August 1 – September 15, 2024. Each must respond to the following prompts directly inspired by Jason Reynolds’s writing practice and upcoming novel Twenty-four Seconds from Now, an unfiltered and undeniably sweet story of a teen boy about to experience a huge (!) first.

Each fluxwork must:

• Run exactly three minutes
• Reference an object related to a “FIRST” time or thing (yours or someone else’s)
• Include the sound of time passing (forwards or backwards, no clocks please)
• Be accompanied by a handwritten document (i.e. outline, title page, transcript, or something else entirely)

Four public submissions will be chosen as Circuit Selects, and will receive $750. All eight Circuit 04 fluxworks will debut publicly at the (sold-out) RESONATE Podcast Festival, October 25-26 in Richmond, VA and will be featured in The Audio Flux Podcast (coming, fall/winter 2024.) Additionally, Jason Reynolds will respond in writing to each. (Cool, right?!)

More information and submission guidelines will be available at audioflux.org.

Circuit 04: Firsts is supported by Canadaland.