Manhunt at St Leonards-on-Sea is a 7-episode location-based audio drama unlocked via QR codes at historically significant sites across St Leonards-on-Sea. Listeners follow physical traces embedded in the neighbourhood (objects planted in thrift shops, "lost" posters) while characters based on real people observed and documented in the town drift through the plot, blurring fiction and reality until St Leonards itself starts to feel like a film set.
A woman hunts down a con man who stole valuable secrets. They're former lovers. She tracks him using Moscow rules — the private signal system from their relationship, now repurposed as tradecraft.

As part of her XMTR Festival Residency Cristina and Gianfranco explored St Leonards, weaving in their personal experiences with a big dose of fantasy.

M. Cristina Marras is a Sardinian sound artist and immersive audio designer based in Cagliari, creating in Italian, English, and German across location-based audio, documentary, and sound art for over 20 years. Recent work includes the Golden Prize at HearSay International Audio Festival 2026 for Spaciada sa Bregungia (No More Shame) and 1st Prize at the UK International Audio Drama Festival 2026 for A Step by Step Guide to Wooden Spoon Carving.
Gianfranco Bitti has a background in Italy's free radio movement of the 1970s and '80s, and has worked as a journalist, concert organiser, and rally driver and navigator. He is M. Cristina's partner in life and — for this project — in crime: he wrote the original script for Manhunt at St Leonards-on-Sea and co-created its lore.An interactive session for makers and thinkers to collaborate, connect, and spark new ideas.
www.cristinamarras.com

Collect Audio Walk Map at XMTR Festival Hub: Afri-Co Lab, 3, Marine Court, Saint Leonards-on-sea TN38 0DX
FREE EVENT