Apparently the emperor Nero never really played the fiddle whilst he passively watched the city of Rome burn to the ground, but the myth is ripe for our times. Our biosphere is being wrecked by a system that puts the economy in front of life, the climate is burning and even the (NOT revolutionary!) EU is suggesting that humanity could join the list of species pushed into extinction if we continue »business as usual.« But what are the artists and musicians doing?
Playing (or streaming) gigs, writing tunes? Some are turning the crisis into material for a track, others might be doing fundraising gigs or even releasing whole albums in support of a social movement, but is this enough? In these extraordinary times should music and sound just represent the sounds of the crisis, or could it be using its creative force to transform our worlds directly? Surely the sensitive affective power of music and sound could be used for more direct forms of action and disobedience?
This participatory workshop invites participants to explore the synergies emerging from the fusion of music/sound and activism. Together we will learn about principles that can turn sonic direct actions into aesthetically and politically powerful tools for a liveable future. The workshop aims to involve a mixture of artists and activists and those already balancing on this edge.
Apparently Emma Goldman never said »if i can't dance it's not my revolution« but it's an attitude that shouldn't be abandoned.
Requirements
Please note that this workshop will require a bit of preparation ahead of time. We ask that participants prepare by reflecting on and choosing ONE example of an action where music/sound was key and that for them is on the edge between being aesthetically powerful and politically effective. It has to be an action that ACTUALLY TOOK PLACE, not a fiction. It can be your action or one you read about, heard about, or participated in. It can be as old as spartacus or as recent as Black Lives Matter. Please bring the story of this action to the workshop, you can bring photos, short videos, sound of it if you wish, but just the story is also enough. Be prepared to tell the story in 3 minutes–about the length of a punk song.