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RELAY
(2025)
RELAY ARTicle
RELAY is a three-year EU-funded research project supported by the ERASMUS+ programme „Cooperation Partnerships" that focuses on developing the artistic and educational fields of choreography, dance and music.
The concept that gave our project its name – RELAY – is based on deep trust in the transiting and transmissive foundation of both artistic production and knowledge development. RELAY underscores a fluid and processual element in the intersection of art and education. Not only does the actual production and development of knowledge and artworks depend on collective – and therefore transmissive – efforts, but the future life of those productions depends on how they are shared. For example, a dance technique only lives through those who practice it. A piece of music is passed on (through ear, instrument technology, or score) between practitioners, producers, and listeners. Every hand-over gives the possibility for development, re-iterations, and productive misunderstandings.
The exposition here gathers the findings, reflections and insights into the principles and methods of RELAY as well as obstacles, hiccups and (creative) failures as a work-in-progress.
Authors and Contributors: Ana Papdima, Andreea Duta, Catalin Cretu, Evita Tsakalaki, Jan Burkhardt, Konstantinos Tsakirelis, Laura Lang De Negri, Maia Means, Max Wallmeier, Mihai Mihalcea, Nadine Kribbe, Rasmus Ölme, Sergej Maingardt, Stella Malliaraki, Vera Sander
Project D - Public Space | Equilibrium at De Zandwacht
(2025)
Marjolijn Breuring
This project explores the transformative relationship between the human body, its emotional landscape, and the environment through site-specific choreography. The concept centers around the theme of releasing ingrained patterns and embracing vulnerability, inspired by the metaphor of "letting go" to find healthier ways of navigating discomfort and tension.
Set against the striking backdrop of De Zandwacht, an architectural sculpture symbolizing transience and resilience, the choreography invited dancers to engage somatically with their surroundings. Through breathwork, weight shifts, and embodied improvisation, they responded to the structure, the landscape, and each other, creating movement that reflected themes of connection, resistance, and transformation.
The goal of the project was to investigate how dance can serve as a bridge between inner struggles and external environments, fostering deeper awareness for performers and audiences alike. The outcomes included a layered, evocative performance that highlighted the interplay between natural and man-made worlds, leaving audiences with lasting impressions of human fragility and strength.
Resonating Voices - Waves of Sound and Spirit in a Palestinian Musician's Quest for Identity and Freedom
(2025)
Shafeeq Alsadi
This thesis emerges as an exploration of the multifaceted nature of music, identity, and the enduring spirit of a people living through profound challenges. Based on autoethnographic reflection, it provides an introspective exploration of how sound becomes a vessel for presence, a mirror for resilience, and a space for transformation. Through music, this inquiry seeks not merely to articulate personal narratives but to connect them with the common pulse of a collective memory—a memory that is influenced by the persistent realities of displacement and the yearning for freedom that Palestinians, no matter where they are in the world, experience.
At the heart of this research lie three case studies that illuminate the potential of music: Sonic Exile, where traditional Arabic modalities and experimental soundscapes dissolve into a single, resonating voice; Echoes from Bethlehem, an improvisational encounter with Palestinian Nay master Faris Ishaq that brings forth a meditative state of being wholly present in sound and spirit; and the work of the Amwaj Choir, where human voice rises above cultural and physical confines, embodying a living, enduring presence.
The findings suggest that music is not a static act but a living practice—an unfolding dialogue between tradition and innovation, self and other, silence and sound. Improvisation, as a way of being, becomes a method of both reflection and resistance, enabling a deeper connection to the present moment while engaging with the complexity of the past.
The research reveals music’s profound capacity to heal, to resist, and to imagine new pathways for freedom and belonging. Rather than offering definitive conclusions, this thesis extends invitations: to listen, to witness, and to remain open to the spaces where sound and silence meet, where identity and memory evolve, and where the human spirit, despite all, continues to create and endure.
recent publications
Home page JSS
(2025)
Journal of Sonic Studies
Home page of the Journal of Sonic Studies
iTouch Store
(2025)
Jewellery witch Seraphita
iTouch Store is a video created for the eponymous exhibition, where physical jewellery is presented in a speculative advertising style. Rejecting words, it offers the viewer a tactile experience through visual perception, reminiscent of advertisements for beauty industry devices. Jewellery, animated video effects, and a multi-layered composition transform this film into an exploration of the boundaries of touch in the digital age. How does jewellery feel when it can only be touched with the eyes?
iTouch Store, 2019, A-Gallery, Tallinn
Editing and effects: Ando Naulainen
Sound: Andres Nõlvak
Concept and jewellery: Darja Popolitova