Sonorities Festival Belfast and SPACE21 in Slemani began an inter-festival collaboration last year (2022) to exchange artistic programmes, including live performances, workshops and artistic research activities. This collaboration aims to establish long-term projects involving both Sonorities and SPACE21 to support local artists and promote local audience development in and across both locations, with a particular focus on experimental music and sound art practices.

We are delighted that Cafe OTO is hosting our shared programme on the 13th & 14th May 2023. This will be the first time our new inter-festival collaboration has been showcased outside of Belfast and Slemani. The work will feature an audio-visual exhibition of materials from site-specific performances and other artworks developed through remote collaboration. This exhibition will form a site for collective improvisation, featuring performers from our new collective of artists commissioned by our two festivals.

SPACE21 curator: Hardi Kurda
Sonorities Festival Belfast artistic director: Paul Stapleton

This project is made possible with support from British Council in Northern Ireland and Iraq.

SPACE21 is also pleased to present an additional work as part of the 14th May programme: a new collaboration between SPACE21 and Melos Female Vocal Collective from Vilnius to perform EVERYTHING is ILLEGAL LONDON 145 by Hardi Kurda. Supported by Lithuanian Culture Institute.

SPACE21 Artists:

Hardi Kurda
Khabat Abas
Mohammed Ali
Bryar Ismaeel

Sonorities Artists:

Paul Stapleton
Adam Denton
Emily DeDakis
Hadi Bastani
Georgios Varoutsos
Rodrigo Romero Flores