Audio Olney is a podcast envisioned to share the stories of the diverse ethnic and socio-economic neighborhood of Olney in Philadelphia. It is was launched in 2021 by Olney Culture Lab of CultureTrust Greater Philadelphia, in collaboration with Amber Art & Design, Sound Designer June Lopez and Journalist Malcolm Burnley.
Hosted by Linda Fernandez and Keir Johnston, Audio Olney aims to bring community voices to the table, highlight cultural expressions and examine what makes the neighborhood unique in its history and current beauty and complexity.
The first season of Audio Olney featured six inaugural episodes. After the departure of Burnley as lead scriptwriter, Olney Culture Lab picked up the baton and the launched the second season on February 2023 with six more episodes of in-depth interviews and rich narratives that reflect the dynamism of Olney.
Audio Olney can be found on Olney Culture Lab’s YouTube Channel, Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn, and other podcast platforms.
Season 1
Audio Olney is a podcast envisioned to share the stories of the diverse ethnic and socio-economic neighborhood of Olney in Philadelphia. It is being launched by Olney Culture Lab, in…
Episode One of Audio Olney debuted on February 26, 2021. This episode focuses on why we started the podcast and on a brief history of the Olney section of Philadelphia.…
Episode Two of Audio Olney debuted on March 26, 2021. This episode focuses on some of Olney’s music makers, featuring four distinct voices that span several generations of music practice.…
Episode Three of Audio Olney debuts on April 30, 2021. This episode focuses on Olney’s rich artistic community, featuring 8 individuals that span a wide variety of mediums. It features…
Episode Four of Audio Olney debuts on May 28, 2021. This episode focuses on the topic of public spaces in Olney from the built environment to the green spaces that…
This episode focuses on the topic of spirituality in Olney, featuring a profile of a local pastor and how the pandemic impacted his church. Plus, Audio Olney shines a spotlight…
Episode Six of Audio Olney debuts on July 30, 2021. This episode celebrates one of Olney’s biggest calling cards and that is the diverse food culture that permeates the neighborhood…
Season 2
Today, Olney is a linguistic, multicultural melting pot; its evolution reveals the multi-layered narratives of its residents who bring their diverse lived experiences and resilience to this mostly blue-collar neighborhood.…
This episode features some of the vegetable gardeners and food growers in the neighborhood and how their gardening practice plays a role in community restoration and connecting with the traditions…
This episode features two home chefs from the neighborhood (one Cambodian-American and one Haitian-American) and how their love of cooking is intertwined with their family’s heritage. The preservation of their…
This episode features Olney residents – Ellen Somekawa and Reverend Roger Zepernick – two lions of social justice who have fought and continue to fight the good fight for the…
Audio Olney’s latest episode is out now (technically a continuation of Ep. 3 – Social Justice Warriors) where we profile two Olney residents – Ellen Somekawa and Reverend Roger Zepernick…
This episode features our good friends and neighbors – the Olney Eagles Youth Sports Organization – a group of tireless volunteers who have served the children and youth of the…
This episode features two Black-owned businesses in Olney, each one with their unique stories that capture the ups and downs of establishing a business and brand and what it takes…
This episode is the finale to our second season and as the title “Full Circle” implies, it is a look back in order to move forward. Two of the series…
The Podcast Production Team for Season Two
Keir Johnston & Linda Fernandez (amber art & design)
Keir and Linda are members of Amber Art and Design, a collective of international artists that work with individuals, organizations, and leaders dedicated to making positive, lasting, and sustainable changes within their community. Amber believes in the greater power and potential of a collaborative approach to art making and has been using social practice as a method to engage and contribute. Their mission is to leverage art from a point of renewal and service – a platform that unites people in communities to grow, express and advocate for positive change.
Linda and Keir serves as Co-Hosts of Audio Olney in Seasons One & Two.
June Lopez
June Lopez is an interdisciplinary artist: a freelance photographer, musician, sound designer, composer, and an experimentalist of Afro, Latin, jazz, techno, and electronic music. His work includes multimedia projects with acoustic and digital sounds, visuals, live performances, modular synthesis, and field recordings.
June Lopez has collaborated and worked with the legendary bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma, The Last Poets, Brian Keith, Kurt Boyer, Richard Waller III, Max Martinez, Marco Berry aka Fantasy, Tony Catastrophe, Sean Dexter, Wadud, Philmorebrown, Malik B, cellist Monica McIntyre, Tommy Hogunz, and among others.
June Lopez serves as sound designer and editor for Audio Olney.
Olney Culture Lab Team
Ambrose Liu serves as the executive producer, researcher and writer on the second season of Audio Olney. (Malcolm Burnley served as the researcher and writer for season one.)
Additional support for Audio Olney is provided by Varissa McMickens Blair, Clamor Thomas, Melissa Talley-Palmer, and Wesley Brown.
Lead support of Audio Olney is provided by
Additional support is provided by
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