{"id":252470,"date":"2025-07-10T03:42:18","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T03:42:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/252470\/"},"modified":"2025-07-10T03:42:18","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T03:42:18","slug":"kitchen-radio-its-a-space-for-people-to-express-themselves-and-a-platform-for-us-to-push-sheffield-artists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/252470\/","title":{"rendered":"Kitchen Radio – “It’s a space for people to express themselves and a platform for us to push Sheffield artists”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A<\/p>\n

Sash in the Kitchen Radio studio.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKitchen Radio.<\/p>\n

Sash and Connor join me virtually from a parking lot in Sheffield. The hurried day has seen them deal with a lot of moving parts before our call. Separated by continents with me in humid New Delhi but connected with a mutual love for music, they explain why we had to move it from 2 to 3.30pm. \u201cWe\u2019ve just applied to register Kitchen Radio as a CIC [Community Interest Company], it helps us get funding from the Arts Council, National Lottery funds and more,\u201d says Connor.<\/p>\n

The name Kitchen Radio itself explains the vibe the duo have been aiming for with their newly-launched community radio station. Operating out of Plot 22 on Exchange Street, they\u2019ve made use of Connor\u2019s highly popular Steel Dancin<\/a> brand, known for putting on some of the city\u2019s finest raves. The logo for the night, featuring some dancing cutlery, served as the inspiration for the radio station\u2019s name.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted a physical space to invite DJs and performance artists that we were booking to come down, have a mix and a chat, because at events you don\u2019t get time to really have a quality conversation or connection with the people you’re booking,\u201d Connor tells me.<\/p>\n

\n

It’s totally free for people to come and do a show with us, which I felt was really important and which I stand my ground on<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Combining the growing need for a \u2018third space\u2019 for artists, where people gather to build community, and Sash\u2019s vision for an accessible platform that gives space to passionate creatives regardless of their experience, the seeds for Kitchen Radio were sown in autumn 2024.<\/p>\n

They quickly gained a following when one of Sheffield\u2019s existing community stations, Mondo Radio, went back to the drawing board and stopped producing shows, and presenters quickly found a home in Kitchen\u2019s humble abode. And trust me when I say, it is humble. \u201cWe need money for rent for hopefully at least a month, and we need a fan for the comfort of our show hosts and a new amp,\u201d says Sash. \u201cIt’s totally free for people to come and do a show with us, which I felt was really important and which I stand my ground on. However it does mean that we have no money. So we have to do fundraisers like the one on the twelfth.”<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A<\/p>\n

Connor is a co-founder of Kitchen Radio.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKitchen Radio.<\/p>\n

Sash and Connor\u2019s excitement for the upcoming fundraiser<\/a> this Saturday (12 July) is palpable despite us being thousands of miles apart. Oh how I miss Sheffield \u2013 and how jealous I am of everyone who\u2019s gonna be there. They\u2019ve put together a day party<\/a> from 2pm until 9pm at Spring Tank Studios off Bramall Lane, and they\u2019ve got something for everyone, promising good tunes (from some of the station\u2019s finest mixers), handmade art for sale (from Spiral\u2019s brilliant hand-drawn collection), delicious cold brews (from the amazing Sonny Anderson of Ten2One Sound) and sunshine (fingers crossed). \u201cOpening duties fall to Masha, they\u2019re gonna be kicking things off,\u201d teases Connor.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re referring to the host of the monthly program Mash It Up, an up-and-coming DJ in the Kitchen community. In between sifting through their vinyls and deciding on a setlist, they occasionally sit still to answer my questions before resuming their manic quest to find the best tunes. \u201cKitchen always felt really welcoming from the start \u2013 I didn\u2019t have a lot of experience with spinning tunes, but they gave me full support. I just showed up with my ideas and they helped me figure out the rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Masha is a university student in Sheffield, and they\u2019ve seen some of the city\u2019s iconic music venues and community initiatives crumble under the pressures of declining funds and a lack of government support. The creation of Kitchen Radio and its ongoing collaborations with similar projects provides Masha and other artists an outlet to keep pushing Sheffield\u2019s music scene forwards.<\/p>\n

\u201cI probably spend a couple of hours prepping each show, researching the story and culture behind each track, and figuring out what works well for my listeners,\u201d Masha tells me. \u201cPeople think it\u2019s just pressing play on a playlist, but there\u2019s thought behind every song\u2026 I\u2019m guiding my listeners through a musical journey. There\u2019s not really a need to be polished however, and that allows me to have so much fun.\u201d I get a track-by-track breakdown of their setlist so far, and I can tell they\u2019ve really partygoers in for a treat.<\/p>\n

Masha is just one of a growing number of hosts who\u2019ve been sharing their thoughts and spinning their favourite tracks on Kitchen Radio\u2019s Mixcloud<\/a> channel, through which Sash and Connor have been able to expand their programming to Thursday evenings from their usual Monday and Saturday shows. \u201cI think at the end of the day it\u2019s just a nice space for people to express themselves and a nice platform for us to push Sheffield artists, and I’m happy with it being that,\u201d says Connor. \u201cIt’s super important for us to have the basics right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sash reiterates Connor\u2019s ethos when it comes to the station. \u201cWe keep it super simple so the costs are low. It’s basically just rent and then subscriptions to Mixcloud. One of our hosts, Dan, eats all the biscuits, so keeping up the biscuit supply is important for him. One of the benefits of keeping it really simple and not thinking too big too soon is that it’s pretty easy to run.\u201d<\/p>\n

But their vision for Kitchen Radio is not small-scale at all. \u201cWe want to potentially do more streaming days, eventually full week streaming,\u201d says Connor. \u201cYeah, that would be the dream.\u201d Sash adds that, \u201cfor me, the dream is paying the artists. They have a skill and it’s something worth paying for. So I’d like it to be set up in a way where the producers are paid for the work they do. I think that’s how the world should be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKitchen Radio.<\/p>\n

According to them, Sheffield is the perfect place when it comes to understanding that spirit. The free party culture that Sash\u2019s family were a massive part of in the nineties brought her here from Nottingham, while Connor\u2019s obsession with sound-systems, throwing events and connecting with like-minded people found him a home up north. Having spent six years in Sheffield, he notes, \u201cI think Sheffield has a bit of a problem with having too many party-throwers and not enough party-goers. There’s not enough people on the dancefloors and everyone’s a DJ. That definitely works in Kitchen Radio’s favour because everyone can listen to it and have their own space to dance.\u201d<\/p>\n

For now, they turn their attention to this week\u2019s tasks. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to go and buy a toastie maker,\u201d Sash reminds Connor, \u201cand we\u2019ve also got a meeting this week to get suggestions from people, hear what they like or don\u2019t like. It\u2019s the first time we\u2019re all gonna be together since we realised there\u2019s so many people involved now!\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all small steps at the moment, but in the clatter of stocking up on biscuits, fixing tech issues and inspiring a new generation of Sheffield creatives, Kitchen Radio is quietly building something that has the potential to transform the city\u2019s music scene. So grab your mates and head down to their fundraiser<\/a> on 12 July at Spring Tank Studios for a day of unmissable fun (and some bloody good toasties).<\/p>\n

\t\tLearn more<\/p>\n

Kitchen Radio runs from 9am on Mondays and Saturdays, and from 6pm on Thursdays. For more information or to apply for a show, email [email\u00a0protected]<\/a> or drop them a message on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\t\t