SHAPE+ platform for innovative music and audiovisual art, co-funded by the European Union, announces two collaborative showcases outside of the EU: Serbia’s Polja Festival at the end of June, and the şien Festival in Kazakhstan in July.
Polja Festival (28. – 30. 6. 2024)
Polja is a non-profit, sustainable festival and “music colony”, founded in the spirit of collective
action. It is organized by a community of artists, cultural activists, and enthusiasts gathered
around the Belgrade collective Dis-patch and their collaborators, who have collectively
organized dozens of cultural events both domestically and internationally.
This year’s Polja festival will take place from June 28th to 30th, showcasing artists of traditional
and modern folklore as well as experimental music to both local and international audiences. The
festival aims to create a perfect balance between tradition and modernity within a unique rural
and natural setting. Additionally, Polja will feature an educational component, exploring the
connections between folklore and modern musical forms and their evolution in the digital age. A
key priority of the platform is to promote and develop sustainable ideas for artistic and touristic
practices in rural areas, while also engaging local youth in artistic activities.
SHAPE+ line-up of the event:
şien Festival (4. – 7. 7. 2024)
şien is a festival created by ZVUK team – ZVUK is a collective from Central Asia, working on independent, experimental and electronic music projects via events and releases. They are based in Almaty.
This will be the very first edition of şien festival, and the ZVUK team describe it thus:
“A lot of interesting artists have recently emerged in Kazakhstan, both in electronic and experimental music and in the field of art and media. However, that scene is very fragmented. We want to create a festival that will bring the scene together creating interesting future collaborations. Having this festival will help to bring our independent music and art scene forward. It will also be a breath of fresh air in conservative Kazakhstan. Our aim and goal is to build a place which is multicultural, open for everyone, regardless of background, sexual orientation, gender, curious about others, inventive while sharing ideas in different languages: music, art, technology, dance and performance.”
SHAPE+ line-up of the event (as of June 21):
şien will reveal the line-up of their SHAPE+ showcase gradually, so watch this space for further additions to the program and also keep an eye on their Instagram profile!