Open Call for participation in a knowledge sharing project about sustainability

We’re looking for 3 artists/composers from Denmark, Faroe Islands or Greenland and 3 artists/composers from Germany to participate in a development project which takes the form of an artistic think tank with a focus on how, from an artistic perspective, art can contribute to new ways of thinking sustainability and ecological transition.

The project is developed by Art Music Denmark, Danish Composers’ Society, Neustart in collaboration with inm – initiative neue musik berlin / field notes.

Background and theme
In the discussion of sustainability and ecological transition in the field of art and music, there’s so far been an emphasis on the conditions of production, and how one can streamline and rationalise these in relation to ideal objectives for reduction of climate impact. In particular, the discussion has centred around how one can make the conditions of production sustainable.

While this focus on the conditions of production is important, we also believe it’s a crucial task to discuss sustainability from an artistic point of view. By establishing an artistic think tank, it’s the objective to examine how one can work with the themes climate crisis, ecological transition and sustainability in an artistic way.

Through exchange and knowledge-sharing between 3 Danish/Faroese/Greenlandic and 3 German artists/composers, the objective is to create a forum for examining how, as an artist or composer, one can develop projects in a global context about our age, where one takes a stand to questions/themes relating to the climate crisis. One focus will be on questions of what knowledge and transformation potential lies in music and sound and to what extent the preoccupation with sustainability influences composing and music-making itself.

These questions or themes should also be relevant to take into account as part of proposed solutions to global economic inequality, migration, wars and societal polarisation. In a wider sense, the question is; how do we secure a relevant global horizon for an artistic project, which addresses sustainability and ecological transition?

The artistic think tank will consist of 6 artists, who will share and develop new ideas during digital meetings as well as one physical workshop about how one as an artist can work with the theme of the project.

The result of the work will be presented at public meetings in Denmark and at the second edition of the “Time to Listen” Conference by Akademie der Künste and inm / field notes in Berlin in august 2023.

About you
You’re a composer or artist working with sound. You have experiences with the issue or parts of it – preferably through practical work/specific projects. You want to share your knowledge and experience as well as expand your own horizon through meetings with others.

Practicalities of the project

As a participant, you’ll have to be present at online meetings in the starting phase of the project from June till July, where the group develops the frame for the project and further participate in a physical workshop in August. The group will subsequently present the result of the work in Denmark and Berlin. It must be noted that the project is open and the result of the work will depend on the contribution and ideas developed by the participating artists. 

• Honorary fee for participation is 7.500,00 DKK
• Travel and accommodation expenses will be covered by the project
• Application deadline May 31 for German based applicants (NB: application is closed for applicants from Denmark, Greenland and Faroe Islands)
   

What must the application contain

• Cover letter in English explaining your motivation and containing a description of relevant activities (max. 1 A4-page).
• CV

Who assesses your application

Juliana Hodkinson, Danish Composer’s society

Jacob Kreutzfeldt, Representative for Art Music Denmark

Lisa Benjes, inm – initiative neue musik berlin / field notes

Contact

Questions can be directed to the following email: thinktank@artmusicdenmark.org

This project is part of NEUSTART and supported by the Danish Arts Foundation, the Danish Cultural Ministry and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.