What does the sustainable music of today and tomorrow sound like? Sustain: Music and Sustainability brings together art, music-making, concert and production activities with environmental thinking. The theme of sustainability in connection with music in the Czech Republic has not yet come to the fore, this program changes the rules of the game. Conferences, debates, panel discussions, workshops as well as practical audio demonstrations and installations - all focused on the present and future of music in the era of climate change.
First action with subtitle Promoters, artists and the planet: on sustainability in the music industry took place on 23 May. The second series is titled Natural Voices in the Creation of Experimental Electronic Music held musical productions by Kampus Hybernska on June 6 and 7. The third episode in October of the Sustain series focused on the music of the future.
6PM–7:30PM Nehudba nerovnosti | Workshop (D.1 Ateliér)
What soundscapes do we live in? Who and what is heard, who and what is silenced? Who breathes noise, and who lives hi-fi? Join a walk through various soundscapes and their transformation with Maria Čtveráčková aka Mary C from the Synth Library in Prague following the critical listening walks Nehudba nemíst a Nehudba nemístních.
Admission: 100 CZK
Lecturer: Mary C.
Single admission to all events: 190 CZK
6PM–6:30PM Lecture and presentation of the project by Tomáš Šenkyřík Soundscape.cz (E.0 Sál)
The landscape that surrounds us leaves behind often fascinating audio testimonies, soundtracks. Every living organism has its own unique sound signature, every place on earth sounds unique. Penetrating into these planes and uncovering sound signs is related to listening carefully to the sonic landscapes in which we live. Czech musicologist Tomas Šenkyrik will zoom in on his work, which focuses on focused listening to soundscapes, talk about wilderness and the sonic adventure that begins beyond the doorsteps of our homes.
6:45PM–7:45PM Panel Discussion: Field recording and environmental crisis as alarming inspiration (E.0 Sál)
In a panel discussion with Slovenian experimental sound artist and archivist Ida Hiršenfelder, Portuguese sound artist Sara Pinheiro and Czech musicologist Tomáš Šenkyřík will focus on connecting focused listening and sound recording with ecological communication through artistic performances, compositions and installations.
The debate will begin with a reflection on the previous presentation of the Soundmap project, from which we will reflect on broader considerations on how sound testimonies can be translated into messages with environmental impact. Next, we explore what is behind Sasha's performance Anatomy of Symbiosis and Sara's performance Vertikal Chain. For Sara, we will dwell on the importance of “earthy” and “heavenly” sounds in her work. Sasha and I will then explore the sonification of biological processes and how this approach can help us understand what is happening in chemically treated soil through sound perception.
Presented by Jiří Slabihoudek, student of the Institute of Music Science at FFUK
8:00PM–9:00PM Performances Sary Pinheiro - Vertical Chain (E.0 Sál)
Vertical Chain is a live performance for speakers. It toys with the idea of “earth sounds” and “sky sounds” to create a verticality effect. Coming out of two speakers on the floor and their dedicated audio sources, it slowly moves to two raised speakers on the floor. Speakers and their airborne sounds. As these two layers interact vertically, they evoke what is known as a sense of spatial depth and encourage the listener to experience the sonic tension and resonance between these spheres. Field recordings, synthesized as well as vividly processed sounds are used in the performance to form a fluid, evolving meditative experience.
21:00-22:00 Ida Hiršenfelder: Under Beech Trees (E.0 Sál)
Under Beech Trees is a site-specific sound walk. It revolves around short sound stories that blend elements of reality, mysticism, and speculative fiction. The sound walk guides the listeners from one location to another, immersing them in an imaginary future where humans coexist strangely with other entities. It encourages empathy for the sentient beings and invites the walkers to listen to all beings, including those nonvocal or inorganic. It offers an experimental journey, immersing participants in a sonic world distinct from the human experience.
#hyb4sustain
Sustain promotes the development of the competences of professional artistic and professional professionals in the cultural and creative sectors, the acquisition of new knowledge and skills applicable to their future professional lives and to increase their competitiveness in the international context.
The project is being implemented with the financial support of the European Union.
Media Partners: Radio Wave, HIS Voice, Full Moon, Radio 1, UNI Magazine