George Powell

Audio producer, sound artist, researcher and journalist. I’ve worked with the BBC, ITN and Sony as well as independent production companies, academic institutions and community arts organisations. I’m currently undertaking a PhD with Royal Holloway, University of London, looking at the cultural geographies of industrial decarbonisation in North-West England.

“Black Gold” BBC Sounds (2023-2024)

Writer, presenter, producer

Five part podcast about the histories and geographies of Stanlow Oil Refinery for BBC Sounds AudioLab. I researched, recorded, scripted and presented the podcast as well as designed original sound effects. Nominated for a British Podcast Award in the Climate category, 2024.

Writing

‘MediaCity: Where are the Pigeons?” Stat Magazine (2024)

Writer

“We’re told it’s a crafted garden of abundant inspiration, but hidden behind this abstraction is the place itself: a concrete and steel amalgam of denied possibilities. Walking round, it’s hard to see anything truly creative. There’s no messiness, no sense of organic potentiality, no true public space. There are no pigeons.” Read more

‘There’s growing uncertainty in the air around Stanlow” North-West Bylines (2024)

Writer

“Thornton-le-Moors, a Domesday Book outpost just off the A5117, sits within a stone’s throw of one of the main distillation units which breaks crude oil down to usable fractions. The larger villages of Elton and Ince to the refinery’s east, lie downwind of the refinery. With that combination of factors, it’s not uncommon for local Facebook groups to erupt with a flurry of posts about an unwanted petrochemical fug descending on the villages around Stanlow Oil Refinery.” Read more

Radio and podcasts

Life Working (2025)

Mix and master

Final mix and master for a number of episodes in series two of Life Working with Vicky Clarfelt.

Dish (2024-2025)

Audio Editor

Content edits, mixing and recording original sound effects for one of the most listened to podcasts in the UK.

StoryTrails (2022)

Assistant Producer (audio)

Discovering, recording and editing compelling audio stories from people around the country, focussed around emotive connections with place. Run in collaboration between British Film Institute, the National Film and Television School and Royal Holloway University of London. Featured in a nationwide series of exhibitions and archived on the BFI website.

Back 2 Life (2022)

Editor, mix and master

Editing, mixing and mastering a series of podcasts about mental health in electronic music. I also created image and video assets including pull-out quotes and audiograms.

Sound from a Town (2022-now)

Creator

An audio blog I use to try out recording, editing or sound design techniques. Was in the top 15% most shared podcasts globally on Spotify in 2022. You can see more here.

Kingston Grammar School Podcast (2022)

Editor, mix and master

Responsible for content edits, and final mix and master.

Investing in Gender Equality Podcast (2021)

Editor

Coordinating delivery of equipment and arranging interviews across South-East Asia. Editing audio and communicating with the mix engineer.

Audio Reel for 2022

Sound Recordist (2021-now)

Recording interviews, actuality and effects for an array of companies, including Microsoft, Ministry of Justice, Politico, Whistledown, Something Else, Acast, Novel and Kerning Cultures. These have included interviews with prison leavers, academics, journalists, and politicians.

BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours (2013)

Assistant Producer

I discovered and produced this lead item on my first placement after graduating. I feel like I didn’t do the story justice. I learnt a lot.

Community and culture

Theatre Porto (2025 – present)

Sound artist

Run workshops with young people recording sounds and creating soundscapes for public exhibitions at the Ellesmere Port-based community theatre.

Nip to Safeway (2019-nowish)

Producer

Music-based radio show where I played music that reminded me of going on family car trips. Mainly to supermarkets and retail parks.

I produced six shows for Balamii weaving in field recordings I took with a Zoom H2N; South East London, Glasgow, Sardinia, Tottenham and the Wirral. They’ll now be archived on Mixcloud.

Threads Radio (2019-2020)

Head of Operations and Content

I managed a team of 15+ volunteers, made sure the studio ran smoothly, produced and engineered live music shows, and created a load of video and audio content. Part of the role was also giving technical and editorial advice to one-off community outreach shows, often working with organisations to produce shows from scratch. Whilst producing the grime-led 140 Project, I managed to book Flirta D and arranged for it to be filmed by James Ward. I edited the resulting footage.

London Community Foundation (2022 – 2023)

Videographer

Filming and editing a series of videos to highlight the work that community organisations are doing across London with support from LCF. This work includes includes supporting homeless people, running over 55s clubs and youth clubs, preventing violence against women and girls, and managing refuges for vulnerable people.

Arti San Toi, The Barras, Glasgow (2021)

Producer, Videographer

I got speaking to people running an art gallery in Glasgow and was invited to film. They’d set it up as they foresaw the creep of gentrification. Currently over 40k views on YouTube.

Stuff for Friends (whenever)

I film and edit video for friends. Anything from promotional content for local businesses to music videos, or just for fun.