Within the framework program of “digging deep, crossing far. second encounter: Karachi”, the Goethe Institut Pakistan is calling artists, musicians, scholars, translators, writers, historians, field recordists to participate in workshops with the Berlin based sound artist Gilles Aubry.

The workshops deal with sound recordings from prisoners-of-war in the German “Halfmoon Camp” who originally came from today’s Pakistan and were recruited to fight for the British in World War I (1914-18). The 100 year old recordings are in Urdu, Balochi, Pashto, Punjabi and Hindustani and include tales, songs, personal stories and sample words. The short recordings are well preserved and come with questionnaires about each singer/narrator.

Workshop I: Listening Sessions /// Tuesday, May 31st, 11am – 6 pm /// at the Arts Council Pakistan, Karachi

Workshop II: Artistic working Sessions /// Wednesday, June 1st, 11 am – 6 pm /// at the Arts Council Pakistan, Karachi
Re-interpretation of selected recordings via music practices, field recording and other art practices (please specify your practice in the application). The participation to WS I is desired, but not mandatory.

The Workshop results will be presented on Friday, June 3rd at 6 pm.

Listening to selected recordings, interpreting them from various perspectives (cultural, historical, material and epistemological) and engaging in collective translations.

To participate, please send an e-mail to program@karachi.goethe.org stating your interest in Workshop I and/or II, and giving brief information on your background. For Workshop II, please state whether you have recording equipment and/or an instrument to bring with you.

Participation is free, but we ask you to register until May 5th, so we can coordinate the workshops according to the participants. They will probably be split into shorter sessions in small groups.