Curating Lab
Curating Lab
For too long, privileged sectors of society have held the power to define good and bad taste, and to decide what does and doesn’t deserve to be seen or heard. Curating Lab injects fresh voices, different perspectives and new artistic styles into the curation of projects within the experimental music field.
Curating Lab will provide a thorough grounding in the curation process, from ideas and concept development to education, practical implementation, inclusion and social responsibility. The programme is free. Participants will meet and learn from experienced curators and mentors, as well as getting involved intasks relating to curating Ultima Festival’s programme.
Programme schedule
Curating Lab consists of 8 official sessions which take place in afternoons and evenings in Oslo during autumn 2022 and spring 2023. The programme lasts for one year, beginning September 2022.
In addition, there will be various ‘unofficial’ events at which participants will attend different concert and performances together, to get inspiration for our ongoing discussions about the curator’s role, education, execution, quality, insider- and outsiderdom and approaches to experimental music and sound art.
As part of the course, participants are invited to put together an event to be presented as part of September’s Ultima Festival.
Seven participants – seven different valuable perspectives
Throughout the year, seven young adults with some experience of the art and culture scene – for example, culture promoters, curators, artists, musicians, composers or songwriters. They represent diverse experiences, artistic fields and genres, and are mainly recruited via an open call shared in various channels and networks.
Expansion of knowledge and healthy conflicts of opinion
In order to get to know each other, establish a safe space for expressing opinions and to ensure participants get the most out of the programme, the project will be conducted according to the principles of Open Space Technology and Genuine Contact. These formats allow participants to set the agenda themselves, and develop knowledge together. In this way, the course is tailored to the participants’ specific needs. The open format also helps foster a mutual exchange in which the participants and the festival listen toand learn from one another.
The Sounds Now Network
Curating Lab forms a part of Ultima’s partnership with Sounds Now. The network aims to bring about genuine changes to the power structures and curatorial practices in the field of experimental music and sonic art. Via learning, testing and altering curatorial practices, the network will break away from ingrained, excluding practices and systems for decision making, and replace the prevailing ‘expertise culture’, which defines the power-holders, with a more network based, inclusive approach.
