Muzikon Karavan brings contemporary and experimental music to rural communities across Serbia through participatory workshops, concerts, and mentorship programs. By combining artistic excellence with inclusive educational activities, the project empowers children and young people to engage creatively with sound, music, and their local cultural environment.

Across rural Serbia, cultural centers are often inactive, opportunities for artistic engagement are limited, and communities experience increasing social isolation and the erosion of local identity. Muzikon Karavan responds to these challenges by bringing high-quality contemporary music directly to underserved communities. At the heart of the project are creative educational workshops designed specifically for children and young people. These hands-on activities encourage imagination, collaboration, confidence-building, and long-term engagement with music and the arts. A key component is Translating Soundish, a workshop developed by composer Maja Bosnić, in which participants transform everyday sounds into graphic scores and musical performances. Through playful exploration and experimentation, participants discover music as an accessible and exploratory art form.

The project also features performances by the Muzikon Orchestra, presenting contemporary works by composers including Enno Poppe, Pierre Jodlowski, Georgia Koumara, Ana Gnjatović, and Anna Sowa. These concerts introduce audiences to contemporary musical practices and expand access to artistic experiences rarely available in rural settings, with the long-term goal of establishing an annual concert day within local communities.

Workshop Structure

1. Sound Introduction

Participants explore and discuss sounds from their everyday environment, describing, imitating, and performing them. This activity expands awareness of listening, memory, and imagination.

2. Sound Quest (Game of Tag)

Participants embark on a guided exploration of their surroundings, identifying and marking objects, places, and sound sources with sticky notes. The collected sounds become the foundation for their creative work.

3. Graphic Score Creation

Using paper, pens, and examples of contemporary notation, participants create their own graphic scores. Earplugs are incorporated as a tool for focused listening and internal sound imagination.

4. Score Interpretation and Collective Composition

Each participant presents their graphic score to the group. Guided by composer Maja Bosnić and collaborating musicians, the participants collectively interpret the scores and combine them into a shared composition.

5. Rehearsal, Exhibition, and Public Performance

The newly created work is rehearsed and presented in a final public event, either as a concert or a sound walk through the community. Participants’ graphic scores are exhibited as part of the presentation.

Muzikon Karavan is supported by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.

Further Information:
goethe.de

Dates

June 11, 2026
Smartglamp, Bukovik

June 14, 2026
Gasthof Šurička bajka, Draginac

June 21, 2026
Sremski Karlovci

September 4, 2026
Gorobilje, Požega

September 13, 2026
Čačak

Muzikon Karavan – Translating Soundish

Muzikon Music Society, Belgrade (RS)