Alejandro Van Zandt Escobar works for ButPop, an organisation based in France whose aim is to make music more accessible through events or workshops. Thanks to the British Council’s International Collaboration Grants, BrutPop was able to take their connection to a British partner, LifeSize, to another level.
‘BrutPop had already met LifeSize a few years before we started this project. We met them online at the beginning of the pandemic when we reached out to interview them about their work.
We are happy to have been able to participate in the International Collaboration Grants programme by the British Council. It allowed us to take the time to meet up in person, both in Hastings and in Paris, and to work together effectively by sharing best practices. We could also organise two Sonic Fairs on each side of the Channel.
These events are a mixture between a funfair and a contemporary art experimental sound exhibition with instruments that are open to play with. The Sonic Fair’s objective is for people to experiment and interact with sound through playfulness, even people with complex access needs.
Our organisations share a common interest in experimental approaches to music and sound-making and how that can be related to questions such as inclusion and accessibility. We are thankful for participating in this project which we consider a big second step after our first online collaboration with LifeSize, and we hope it will lead to many more years of cooperation.’