This summer, the IN.TUNE Universities Alliance offered students the opportunity to take part in summer schools at partner institutions, exploring the connection between artistic practice and societal engagement. Dārta Liepiņa, a student from the Vocal department, was one of the students who received an IN.TUNE grant to attend the Barcelona Arts Summer School (BASS). For two weeks, she joined around 150 young creators from different countries and artistic disciplines to experiment, collaborate and create.
BASS brings together several arts institutions in Barcelona, including ESMUC, one our IN.TUNE partners, ESCAC and Institut del Teatre. Participants from disciplines ranging from music and theatre to film and circus were divided into smaller groups. Each group had two weeks and a budget to develop a project, guided by professional mentors from different artistic fields.
What did you do during BASS?
I went there as a classical singer, but during the two weeks I didn’t sing a single note. I did almost everything except what I usually do, which was very refreshing.
Our group eventually created an immersive installation in an old factory that had been transformed into a residency space. It was a kind of maze that visitors could walk through and experience with different senses. We projected videos onto fabric walls, created soundscapes and used field recordings from people in the neighbourhood.
The organisers deliberately put obstacles in our way. Halfway through the process, for example, each group suddenly had to abandon one of the elements they had already planned. The whole point was not really the final project or performance. The process itself was the reason for being there.
We worked with four mentors. They all came from very different disciplines, so each of them led the project in a slightly different direction. Our ideas kept evolving throughout the two weeks.
How was it to collaborate with artists from different disciplines and backgrounds?
It was chaotic! Putting 13 artists together can be frustrating because we’re often used to being leaders and having our own ideas. Besides, none of us knew each other beforehand. A large part of the experience was therefore about learning to communicate. You learn things about yourself as an artist, as a creator and as a person who has to collaborate with others.
It was also interesting to see how different cultures and ways of communicating influence a group. Differing cultural ideas on how to communicate can create irritation, friction and tension. At the end of the day, we always tried to say: whatever happened today, we leave it here. Tomorrow, we start fresh. We tried to really listen to one another, be there for each other and remember to have fun.
Why did you want to take part in BASS?
I was looking for a kind of artistic freedom and the experience of doing something together with other people. Very often, we sit alone in our practice rooms, working hard to make something perfect. Then, as a singer, you bring it to a singing lesson, which is again usually one-to-one.
I definitely found that collective feeling, although sometimes in ways I hadn’t expected and perhaps wouldn’t have chosen myself. I think that was good for me. It challenged my romanticised idea of collaboration. Working together can also be very difficult.
But then you have those moments when everything clicks. You can see everybody’s eyes light up about an idea and you think: yes, we’ve got it! It was exciting to see how something could constantly evolve and change. Someone with a dance or circus background could suddenly introduce an idea I would never have thought of myself.
What stands out most when you look back on the experience?
One of the things I remember most clearly happened right at the beginning. We played an association game to find the questions and ideas that could become the driving force behind our project.
Several shared questions emerged. How can I approach something broad from my own individuality? How do I avoid feeling insignificant when thinking about changing the world as an artist? How can I use my privileged position in art? And how do we create something collective towards a common goal while preserving everybody’s individuality?
It was so satisfying to hear that other people were thinking about the same issues. I remember having a feeling of recognition, of not being alone. It turned out that many of us were thinking about these things.
For me, the project was an exercise in exploring these questions by doing things together. You try to overcome the boundaries you create for yourself and speak to real people. You can put art in a neighbourhood, let people come in from the street, let them see and experience it.
Is there a lasting impact on your own artistic practice?
What I found touching about the performances at BASS was that you could sense a subtext. They made you think more deeply. It doesn’t always have to become a crazy multidisciplinary performance-art project. It can be very simple. But if the question or driving force is clear to you as an artist, I think the audience will feel that too. I want to think more about the driving force behind something I create.
Another important thing was being encouraged to put aside what I normally do. I didn’t need to show anyone what kind of singer I was. I could spend three days stapling 150 metres of fabric onto metal wires and enjoy it. I could work on lighting and colour combinations. Suddenly, as a classical singer, I was creating large installations out of metal wire and neon lights. It was great.
Would you recommend IN.TUNE opportunities to other students?
Absolutely, experiences like these are about changing the way you think about certain things, learning to look at the act of creation from a different perspective and learning to communicate with other people.
The IN.TUNE scholarship made a big difference for me. I had already been accepted for BASS when I saw the open call for the scholarship, so I applied separately. Barcelona is expensive in July, the scholarship meant I didn’t have to worry that. I could focus on the experience and make the most of it.
I got to see places in Barcelona that I would never have visited otherwise. I didn’t go to any of the tourist attractions because I simply didn’t have time. We went to one of the biggest festivals in Barcelona to hang out, listen to music and experience the atmosphere together.
It was intense, but very worth it.