Led by Sounds Now mentors and experts from the music world and other professional fields, this course, held this year at Onassis Stegi in Athens, Greece, explores conceptual notions of curating.
The new music world is often perceived as elitist, niche and cut off from ‘the real world’ in an ivory tower of institutionally protected experimentalism.
Although there have been many counter-examples of composers, performers and ensembles who have engaged in radical ways with the social issues that they consider critical, and although new production, distribution, and consumption models have blurred the boundaries between genres it remains the case that new music, like all other contemporary creative sectors, needs to think hard and deeply about the engrained structures of power that perpetuate exclusions of many kinds and distort programming in favor of Eurocentric aesthetics and performance practices.
The Sounds Now project focuses on curatorial work as a way to promote inclusion in contemporary music and sound art. One of the key activities that aims to move this process along is this series of curator courses, specifically focused on music. Exploring conceptual notions of curating, the course addresses topics such as how to reach new audiences, whom do curators in music serve exactly, what does curating mean in our time, the importance of inclusion in curating practices and more. In this way, emerging curators are offered a rare space to reflect and exchange on their role in art and society, in a uniquely musical context.
The first curator course will take place in Athens, at Onassis Stegi from November 30th to December 3rd 2021 and will be led by Julia Gerlach, Du Yun, and Vigdis Jakobsdottir. The course is addressed to young (max. 35 yrs) cultural professionals with a proven interest in musical programming that goes beyond received stereotypes of genre, and who conceive of their work as engaged with critical issues of social justice. An ability to follow presentations and participate in workshops using the English language is a prerequisite. The course will include plenary sessions, breakout work sessions, and one-on-one sessions with the mentors. Participants will be required to prepare for the course using assignments that will be sent to them in advance.
General Information
Onassis Stegi is located in Athens, Greece.
The curator course will take place from the afternoon of Tuesday November 30th to the afternoon of Friday December 3rd, 2021.
Participants can depart on December 3rd or can choose to remain in Athens for the Athens Tectonics Festival (December 3rd to 5th) at their own expense. Complementary tickets to the festival events will be provided.
Sounds Now will cover economy class travel to and from Athens, accommodation and meals in Athens, and the cost of the course.
Participants must be present for the entire duration of the course.