"In The Dark" is a UK group that organises 'listening sessions'.

These are events held, in low light, where the public are invited to listen to a variety of audio pieces: documentaries, features, sound fx, jingles, natural sounds, found sound.

Whatever makes for an interesting listen.

The listening sessions take place in specially-chosen locations. For example, a church, a greenhouse, a pub, and a gallery.

As well as running listening sessions, In The Dark also run a competition for short audio features. Producers are funded to make the features following a pitching competition.

The 2013 winners are, a story about pianos being broken up, the treatment of death and mourning in South Africa and a barber who is also a boxer.

The programme features extracts from all three but you can listen to the full pieces here: www.inthedarkradio.org (Click on 'Sound Bank'/Listen.)

September 2013

'The Curious Ear' is produced by Ronan Kelly curiousear@rte.ie

'Documentary on One - The home of Irish radio documentaries - The largest library of documentary podcasts available anywhere. We tell stories in sound, mostly Irish stories, with each documentary telling its own story'