We Are You - An Investigation into intersections between Western Contemporary Opera and Online Fan Culture
(2025)
author(s): Robin Fiedler
published in: KC Research Portal
Finding an audience we can relate to, or bringing our social circle into our audience is still a struggle for most younger composers. With the Western classical opera audiences ageing and the attempts to bring younger audiences into opera houses and concert halls, we need to ask ourselves as composers who we write for, and how we reach these people. My opera Serenoid which had its premiere in September 2024 at Tête-à-Tête Festival in London came out of a niche space of queer and disabled geek culture in creative online fandom communities that I have been part of since I was a teenager. These groups are hardly engaged with classical music as a genre, their creative focus is on visual art and writing, mostly around an established pop-culture franchise, in this case Star Trek. Often decried as cringy, the spaces in which they move have been melting pots for many people outside of the narrow representation of mainstream media in search for community and belonging since the arrival of the internet. The decision to take Serenoid as a story from an obscure niche space on the internet to the opera stage attempts to speak to its members and therefore open the doors my own community to become part of the “opera audience”. My research describes the process and outcomes of this experiment and hopes to prove that as classical composers we can speak to younger and diverse audiences by openly and authentically being part of the group we write for.
Adding to the Narrative: Intersectional Feminist Critical Curatorial Practices in Classical Vocal Music Performance
(2022)
author(s): Shanice Skinner
published in: KC Research Portal
Diversity and inclusion within Western art music have become topics of elevated importance in in recent discussions. To create enduring results regarding these matters, there needs to be a commitment to in-depth study of practices that will produce visible change. This is one of the goals of my research, in which I tackle issues of representation by focusing on Black women composers and their absence from the canon as overlooked and marginalized artists. It is well known that women have been denied many opportunities throughout history; as composers, many experiences crucial to professionalism were not always available to women, including music education in composition, the publication and circulation of their works, not being hired as conductors, or receiving reviews from influential critics. These opportunities and resources dwindled further if a woman was also a person of colour. Thus, in order to ensure their inclusion within the canon, these underrepresented identities demand and require unique recognition.
I have examined the issue of neglected women of colour composers in classical music from an interdisciplinary standpoint, utilizing the methodologies of history and experimentation to form an “intersectional feminist critical curation” framework. This framework implements knowledge from intersectional feminist theory and music curation practices in order to answer following questions: “What is the impact on new audiences of diverse backgrounds experiencing classical music through an intersectional feminist curatorial framework?”, "Can classical music be an effective device for messages of social and political change?", and “What is the impact on myself as a classical vocalist and a Black woman to implement an intersectional feminist curatorial framework within my musical study and performance?”. The overall goal of this research was to discover an effective way forward to achieving diversity in classical music for underrepresented groups. Drawing from this study, I have created a digital performance project entitled “The Narrativity Sessions,” which functioned as an experiment utilizing this knowledge of intersectional feminist theory and praxis fused with select critical curation strategies applied to my own artistic practice as a classical singer. The outcome was a novel artistic practice that can contribute to creating innovative and artistically fulfilling performances while simultaneously advancing diversity and inclusion in the classical music sphere for audiences, performers, and composers alike.
Untitled*
(last edited: 2025)
author(s): Erika Matsunami
This exposition is in progress and its share status is: visible to all.
Untitled* is practise-based artistic research, which is the exploration of geometry in drawing, (music, visual arts) notation and sound composition (virtuality) and spatial installation and performance (physicality).
Its spatiality will explore in the context of visual arts and architecture in terms of the cross-disciplinary between Music and visual arts, that is through an intervention between two disciplines of visual arts and music towards architecture (design) methodically.
Artistic research Untitled* is a platform between academics and art academics, and between art academics and society.
A/R/Tography in Practice, 5 ect, spring 2024
(last edited: 2025)
author(s): Guro Kristin Gjøsdal
This exposition is in progress and its share status is: visible to all.
Guro Kristin Gjøsdal, A/R/Tography in Theory and Practice in Higher Education - Stockholm University of the Arts 2023/2024.
A/R/Tographic ripples in the water in the development of the theatre production Blindsone (Blind Spot).
How can my positions as an artist, researcher, and teacher continue to be activated and motivate in the theatre production Blindsone through spring 2024?
Gjøsdal as an A/R/Tograph: Research dramaturg and pedagogue responsible for Norwegian Nynorsk as a scenic language in The Cultural Schoolbag-production Blindsone.
Produced by The Centre for Norwegian Language and Literature, The County of Møre & Romsdal, and The National Centre for Norwegian Nynorsk in Education, at Volda University College, and the performing artists Mine Nilay Yalcin, Samir Mahad and Jahanger Ali. The target group is upper secondary school.
Portfolio in process spring 2024.
A/R/Tography is a hybrid research methodology that emphasizes the three positions Artist (A), Researcher (R) and Teacher (T), and how these can be combined.
The concepts hybrid methodology means that A/R/Tography is both a way of doing research throug/with one's own arts teaching practice, and a way of teaching through an artistic and explorative approach.
A/R/Tography in Theory, 2.5 etc, autumn 2023: 1) Interview and Exposition. 2) Analyse my A/R/Tographic process.
(last edited: 2024)
author(s): Guro Kristin Gjøsdal
This exposition is in progress and its share status is: visible to all.
Guro Kristin Gjøsdal, A/R/Tography in Theory and Practice in Higher Education - Stockholm University of the Arts 2023/2024.
The exposition ripples around an interview with Christine Yanco Helland (OsloMet), which is exploring and articulating how she carry out her entangled practice as artist/researcher/teacher. The presentation uses relevant literature to think with.
Christine Yangco Helland is an educated drama teacher, director, and dramaturg, with a master’s degree in fine arts with specialisation in theatre from the University of Agder, Norway. Helland has a burning commitment to diversity and inclusion. In addition to working with professional productions, Helland is motivated by involving children and young people, non-professional, and marginalised groups.
The exhibition and the interview uses rhizomatic thinking. And so does my own work and production within the methodology and thematics.
A/R/Tography is a hybrid research methodology that emphasizes the three positions Artist (A), Researcher (R) and Teacher (T), and how these can be combined.
The concepts hybrid methodology means that A/R/Tography is both a way of doing research throug/with one's own arts teaching practice, and a way of teaching through an artistic and explorative approach.
This task was completed in autumn 2023.
Exploring Japanese (Inspired) Music
(last edited: 2023)
author(s): Martine Mussies
This exposition is in progress and its share status is: visible to all.
Objective:
This proposed exposition aims to critically examine the pitfalls of Orientalism and Occidentalism within the context of artistic research in music. By delving into the complexities of cultural representation and misrepresentation, it seeks to challenge preconceived notions and foster a more nuanced understanding of cross-cultural musical encounters.
Methodology:
Comparative Analysis: Through an in-depth comparative analysis, I will investigate the ways in which Orientalism and Occidentalism manifest in music performance practices. Drawing on diverse musical traditions, including Japanese influences, I will explore the power dynamics, stereotypes, and misappropriations that can arise when engaging with cultural musical expressions.
Sonic Experimentation:
Building on my expertise as a professional musician, I will create original compositions and sonic installations inspired by the concepts of wabi sabi, mono no aware, and ma. These explorations will serve as sonic reflections on the intricate relationship between artistic research, cultural heritage, and personal interpretation, allowing for a deeper engagement with the complexities of musical representation.
Critical Reflection:
Throughout the exposition, I will engage in critical reflection on my own artistic practice, acknowledging and addressing the potential biases, blind spots, and unintended consequences that can arise when navigating the cultural landscape of music. By scrutinizing my own work and interrogating the underlying assumptions, I aim to foster a greater awareness of the ethical and social implications inherent in artistic research.
Expected Contributions:
Providing insights into the manifestations of Orientalism and Occidentalism within music performance practices and their impact on cultural representation.
Illuminating the potential pitfalls of cultural appropriation and misinterpretation in artistic research, while proposing alternative approaches that embrace collaboration and respectful dialogue.
Fostering critical dialogue within the field, encouraging fellow artists and researchers to engage in self-reflection and thoughtful engagement with cultural differences.
Audience Engagement:
To ensure a broad and inclusive audience engagement, I plan to organize interactive workshops and performances, inviting participants to immerse themselves in the sounds and stories that emerge from my artistic research. By actively involving the audience, I aim to facilitate meaningful conversations about cultural exchange, representation, and the potential transformative power of music.
Anticipated Impact:
This exposition seeks to challenge established paradigms, disrupt Orientalist and Occidentalist frameworks, and promote a more equitable and culturally sensitive approach to artistic research in music. By critically examining the pitfalls of cultural misrepresentation, it aims to contribute to a more inclusive and respectful musical landscape that celebrates diversity and fosters cross-cultural understanding.
Analyse en reflectie
(last edited: 2023)
author(s): Kesha Felipa
This exposition is in progress and its share status is: visible to all.
Een cartografie over de spanningsveld in mbo mode en beeldende vorming die tijdens mijn afstudeerstage van mijn docentenopleiding ervaarde.
Waar aan de ene kant de onderwijsinstelling vol inzet op nieuwe en innovatieve (fysieke) leeromgevingen. En aan de andere kant studenten behoefte hebben aan de menselijke maat bij docenten en meer aandacht willen voor creatieve vakken om zich te ontplooien, te experimenteren en vorm te geven aan hun eigen verhaal.
Worlds Connected (Bachelor's project)
(last edited: 2022)
author(s): Kärt Tambet
This exposition is in progress and its share status is: visible to all.
Worlds Connected is Kärt Tambet’s bachelor project and thesis that weaves together aspects of her own roots, experiences, and ideologies of life. The work is inspired by reflecting on the different ways of understanding and interpreting the world, and the ways in which our own world may connect with other surrounding worlds through music making and even in everyday life.
Untitled* is practise-based artistic research, which is the exploration of geometry in drawing, (music, visual arts) notation and sound composition (virtuality) and spatial installation and performance (physicality). Its spatiality will explore in the context of visual arts and architecture in terms of the cross-disciplinary between Music and visual arts, that is through an intervention between two disciplines of visual arts and music towards architecture (design) methodically. Artistic research Untitled* is a platform between academics and art academics, and between art academics and society.open exposition comments (0)