Everyone at Western Front has been really welcoming, and it’s been an amazing experience thus far. I’ve had two meetings with Allison Collins, the Media Arts Curator, and Gabi Dao, the Artist in Residency, in which we have discussed the upcoming events and how I can help out, and I have also started working with Gabi on her ongoing projects that she is currently pursuing with Western Front. This includes me transcribing recordings for her podcast series called “Here Nor There”, and the episode I am currently working on is an interview with CITR and Discorder magazine, and it’s been really interesting listening in on the dialogue about the Vancouver Arts community between Gabi and the directors of Discorder.

One thing I really like about helping Gabi with this project is that in addition to being able to pick her brain about the music and arts industry, I also get to learn even more from different perspectives from the people featured in her podcast interviews. For instance, for this current episode in progress the fact that it features Discorder, an initiative that was founded at UBC and operates mainly out of UBC, it’s been really neat to see the overlap and link between the UBC Arts and Culture fanatics and the wider community outside of the university, and also learning about the struggles that this organization shares and experiences within that community.

Then, the other part of my role at Western Front is helping out with the upcoming events, and the first one was actually just yesterday on September 30^th. It was the New Forms Festival Symposium, which featured some workshops and panel discussions. At this symposium I really recognized how Western Front operates as a space that facilitates exhibits, and experimental art practices that also engages audiences in dialogue. My favourite part of the afternoon was the finishing panel discussion, which was hosted by Mutya Macatumpag, who is an interdisciplinary artist and a lovely, really friendly and kind person herself. The discussion was about shifting narratives in the electronic art & music industry and social change through curation and reclaiming of space in the global underground. Even though I am just now getting real exposure to electronic art and music and thus far really have not experimented in this medium at all, and maintained my practice in solely visual art, I could relate to the conversation and the challenges for female and non-binary artists.

It’s hard to put into words how incredible the experience of this panel was, and it far exceeded my expectations of what I would be exposed to and observe during my partnership with Western Front. I left the space with goosebumps, still after the clean up. It was my first time experiencing such an open, honest, empowering and vulnerable discussion. People in the audience, as well as the panellists, were not afraid to open up about their personal struggles and experiences within the electronic music community, and the entire room seemed to share this vision for inclusivity and hope for moral justice. It was one of those moments that sounds cliché when put into words, and you just had to be there.

One thing I took away from the experience is the validation of my passion for art and knowing that I share that passion with a community of people. Which felt really great, and left me incredibly motivated to continue my pursuit of this movement academically and professionally, as an artist, or even better as someone that helps other artists. I think that this experience will be one of many that will push me towards figuring out what part I want to take within this community and how I can make my mark.

 

Here is the timeline for the next month that I discussed with Allison.

Meetings: every Thursday at 3pm with Allison Collins and Gabi Dao

Ongoing Work:

• Work on transcriptions for Gabi Dao’s Podcast “Here Nor There”

Week 2:

Thursday, September 28^th 3-5pm

• Check-in on transcription #1
• Discussed set up/clean up and assistance for New Forms Festival

Saturday, September 30^th 12 – 7:30pm

• New Forms Festival Symposium
• Assist with drinks, set up, clean up
• Observe the events

Week 3:

Wednesday, October 4^th 6-10pm

• Live Performance by LIVE Bienniale
• Assistance with event space set up/clean up
• Runner throughout evening
• Observe and counting attendance

Thursday, October 5^th 3-5pm

• Meeting to discuss transcriptions
• Preparations for assistance at October 13^th event

Week 4:

Thursday, October 12^th 3-5pm

• Work on transcriptions

Friday, October 13^th 5-11pm

• Assist with set up/clean up
• Work the door and count attendance

Week 5:

Wednesday, October 18^th 6-10pm

• Aki Onda Concert
• Help take tickets
• Runner for front of house in assistance to music program

Thursday, October 19^th 3-5pm

• Staff lunch at 1pm
• Work on Transcriptions