Infrastructure is the skeleton of life. Linked to systems of profit and power, its stakes are high. But, like a skeleton, they remain largely unseen.

Material Crimes toys with “true crime” storytelling to uncover the “crimes” of infrastructure. It focuses on experiences of and struggles over infrastructure among marginalised communities. To bring these stories to diverse audiences, the project consists of 10 podcast episodes, 4 micro sound-art exhibitions placed in public sites (a post office, hospital, train station, and court), and 3 community listening events co-hosted with local organisations.

The project is animated by two intellectual and political goals: 1) to use storytelling and art to convey radical research on the relationship between infrastructure, capitalism and colonialism to audiences excluded from academic and cultural institutions; 2) to ground research on infrastructure in the voices, stories and organising of those at its sharp end.

Each episode of Material Crimes is written by a different researcher working closely with activists, journalists and impacted community members. Episodes are designed to be used for political organising and in the classroom. The series is therefore an active platform for community movements that challenge infrastructural crimes. When season 3 airs, we will have worked with over 100 researchers and interlocutors. The project is therefore developing interdisciplinarity and research dissemination skills among its participants - an afterlife we hope will continue to change future critical research on infrastructure to make it more engaging and accessible.

The project was recognised for its storytelling, social justice and scholarship by the British Radio Academy, shortlisted for the Grassroots ARIA Award 2023. It continues to work with grassroots organisations, community archives and arts organisations to develop new ways to share stories of infrastructure and build movements towards infrastructural justice.