The Listening Lab

The Listening Lab is a space for honest and intimate conversations. Made possible by Walmart Foundation's “Creating Community in Northwest Arkansas through Bridging and Belonging Initiatives” grant, The Listening Lab strives to solve the perceived problem that communities in Northwest Arkansas are more disparate than they are similar. Inspired by the StoryCorps initiative created in 2003 by MacArthur Fellow David Isay, KUAF wishes to create the opportunity for listening and sharing, without distraction and without outside influence.

KUAF believes in the impact of listening and creating spaces where people can share openly and without fear of reprisal or judgement. As StoryCorps found when they surveyed listeners in 2019, 94% said that StoryCorps content helped them better understand the experiences of people who are different from them.

KUAF will air these conversations on our locally produced program Ozarks at Large, will distribute them as podcasts, and will archive them on the Listening Lab website (coming soon) – creating another accessible third space where connection and community are the focus.

if you are an organization or individual interested in using The Listening Lab to record conversations, please fill out this form and we will be in touch with you to discuss your proposal.