How BBC Radio 3 is connecting audiences with pioneering sound

On Thursday last week we marked the 70th birthday of Radio 3’s predecessor the Third Programme, which took to the airwaves at 6pm on 29th September 1946. Against the backdrop of our pop-up glass studio at Southbank Centre, where members of the public can get close to the process of live radio, performance and classical yoga, Alan Davey, Controller of Radio 3, launched 70 days of celebrations and new commissions, underlining the Third Programme’s ambition, values and spirit which live on in BBC Radio 3 today.

On Friday, to honour the moment, and look to the future we launched our new brand campaign - three pioneering films from pioneering artists across classical and contemporary music, poetry and jazz, all commissioned by BBC Radio 3.

Alongside these films, which feature Matthew Herbert deconstructing Beethoven’s last string quartet into electronics, Alice Oswald’s immersive poem Rain sweeping through a house and Soweto Kinch’s hip-hop infused jazz invigorating an urban estate, we have created three online exploration films which investigate each work, offering unique insight into the minds of the artists and the genres they are evolving.

This is nothing new. From its inception amidst the rubble of 1946, the Third Programme brought bold and brave work to its audiences, shaping the musical and cultural landscape and championing new talent who would go on to define the future of their art forms.

‘Above all experiment’ was a founding principle of the Third and this is as true for Radio 3 now as it was then. We are the most significant commissioner of new and contemporary music in the country, we broadcast more live classical music than any other station, continue to break technological boundaries in sound, and support new composers, performers and artists across the UK.

Our new advertising campaign may surprise. It might even shock you. The truth is it is a genuine experience of Radio 3 - distinctive content which can connect, inspire and resonate with culturally adventurous audiences of any age or background.

Through our advertising we want to communicate the breadth, scope and role of Radio 3 as an active player and commissioner across classical, contemporary, world music and jazz as well as drama, poetry, philosophy and ideas. A station which not only reflects and responds to the cultural conversation but leads it.

Alongside the campaign we are also launching a new look across our platforms and at our events with a contemporary and colourful light wave design. Our logo, colour spectrum and backgrounds bring a renewed sense of dynamism and vibrancy to the Radio 3 brand as we look to the next 70 years.

We hope you will experience more pioneering sound with us.

Philip Raperport is Head of Marketing, BBC Radio 3 and Classical Music

• Watch the Pioneering Sounds films on the Radio 3 website.
• Read Controller Alan Davey's blog post marking 70 years of the Third Programme and Radio 3.