Open Call | Curator for Sound Art Projects
The European network Sounds Now is looking for a curator who will become the central point of contact between five partner organizations of Sounds Now, including the Onassis Stegi, and five selected sound artists for the project “Sound Art in Public Spaces: Reinventing Public Space (For All).”
The interpretation, importance, and even the very definition of public space has been under enormous pressure this past year. Luckily, great pressure often leads to valuable learnings and outcomes. We only need to think about diamonds to be reminded of that. Critically approaching and ultimately reinventing public space assumes a central role in the challenges we face today. Not only are traditional social systems and structures changing rapidly, but for the first time in our lifetime, we’ve experienced the devastating effects of a pandemic on public space.
Depending on a list of variables – income, place of residence, age, gender, cultural or religious background – public space has either been significantly limited or enriched this past year. Some people and communities felt the need for a valuable public space much more than others. Some people discovered the importance of access to public space for the very first time in their lives, others were faced with losing it altogether. How do we ensure that this space becomes and remains accessible to the enormously diverse groups in our society? And how do we fill it in so that it is safe and meaningful for all of us?
With "Sound Art in Public Spaces: Reinventing Public Space (For All)," we investigate how people from different backgrounds interpret public space, and to what extent it is (in)accessible to them. We invite five artists to take a critical look at how the public space is perceived for and by various groups in a society under unprecedented pressure, as a result of this health crisis. What has been the most important function of public space throughout this pandemic? And (how) should it shift in a post-pandemic future? How can we, as a society, reinvent public space if we want it to be an inclusive and equal environment for humans, regardless of their income, place of residence, gender, age, cultural or religious background?
Their sound art installation will be presented by 5 partners of Sounds Now at their according festival:
- Wilde Westen (Belgium) October 2021
- November Music (The Netherlands) November 5-14, 2021
- SPOR festival (Denmark) 2022
- Onassis Stegi (Greece) 2022
- Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival (Norway) 2022
Sounds Now is looking for a curator who will become the central point of contact for the five partners of Sounds Now on the one hand, and the selected sound artists on the other
Who are you?
- You have experience in production/project management.
- You have experience in the field of sound art.
- You rely on an extensive network in the sound art world.
- You have a proven track record in, and have an eye for, diversity and inclusivity, two key factors in this Sounds Now initiative.
- You can envision, develop and execute an artistic project.
- You are inventive and creative and aren’t put off by the current (travel) restrictions.
Your responsibilities?
- Your task is to present an artistic concept that explores the future of an inclusive public space.
- In consultation with the festival partners you will select five artists who will each create a sound art installation for this project. Their work should be presented at every partaking festival, taking into account the current traveling restrictions.
- You are also charged with budget control, research, and implementation of the artists’ work in different locations in Europe.
- You are the first point of contact for the production team of every festival.
Your conditions?
- You work from the comfort of your own home.
- You will be allocated a total budget of 5,000 euros as a curator. A separate budget is of course provided for the artists.
Applications (CV, motivation letter with artistic proposal and examples of artists that illustrate your curatorial preferences, references...) should be sent to info@sounds-now.eu before February 28, 2021
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
Sounds Now is a network of 9 European music festivals and cultural/music organizations that promote contemporary music, experimental music, and sound art. In this project we are concerned with the way in which curation reproduces the same patterns of power and exclusion that are dominant at all levels of our societies.
Sounds Now aims to actively stimulate inclusion in our professional field and thus open up the capacity and possibility for different experiences, conditions, and perspectives in shaping the sonic art that reaches audiences today. The project includes a range of actions including labs for curators, learning programs run by artists, composers, and experts, new productions, symposia, and research. These actions will generate a much-needed discourse on music curation, provide experience to participants in a variety of social and cultural contexts, and diversify the current pool of curators by providing new pathways into the profession.
