I want help funding production and staging of a hybrid experience that combines the intimacy of a podcast with the visceral energy of live performance, bringing to life the story of a post-collapse community radio fighting to survive—and thrive—in the face of ecological disaster and interspecies conflict.

Radio New Cahokia and WZKP

Set in 2067, Radio New Cahokia is a genre-blurring hybrid podcast/live show that immerses audiences in the Federation of Watershed Districts—a decentralized, river-bound society rebuilt after climate collapse and digital apocalypse. Through WZKP's community radio broadcasts, analog grit, and haunting melodies, the story follows fisher-turned-salvager Fish and tech-savvy composer Rory as they uncover a mysterious phone containing a message from Rory’s long-lost grandfather. Their quest to decode its secrets unravels themes of collective memory, resistance against corporate decay, and the fragile beauty of human connection in a world where analog survival and fractured tech coexist.

This project merges intimate audio drama with live musical performances, evoking the DIY spirit of grassroots radio. It reimagines post-collapse storytelling as hopeful, not dystopian—a celebration of community resilience, barter economies, and the power of shared meals over algorithms. With a soundtrack blending delta blues and experimental electronica, Radio New Cahokia invites listeners to question what we salvage from the past to build a future worth fighting for.

Why fund this?

In an era of climate anxiety and digital alienation, Radio New Cahokia offers a radical vision of solidarity. It’s Station 11 meets A Prairie Home Companion, amplified by participatory live shows that turn audiences into temporary citizens of New Cahokia. Your support fuels a story where survival isn’t solitary—it’s syndicated.

About Conor J. Nolan

I'm a writer, stage and voice actor, and musician in practice for 20 years. I've performed in numerous plays, musicals, and festivals in the Portland Metro area since 2017, and written scripts for stage, screen, and audio. My work is informed by lived experience struggling to make art in an economy that often works against the artist. As an individual with a disability and a member of the working class, I want my success to be the shared success of my community.