OORtreders Festival 2024

A weekend of groundbreaking sound and art!

Are you ready for an unforgettable art experience? From 18 to 20 October, sound, art and nature melt together at the OORtreders Festival 2024. This year’s theme is reconnecting through sound: reconnecting with yourself, nature, and the people around you. Be enchanted by groundbreaking performances and sound installations that will touch you deeply. Access to the expo is free, and with advantageous day passes you can enjoy all the beauty the festival has to offer all weekend long.

Check out some of the special performances below and make sure you are there. Book your tickets now and experience this unique festival!

Everybody Lives Here

On Friday, get carried away by a special live performance by Stijn Demeulenaere and The Third Guy in Het Klankenbos. After days of intensive listening and recording, they bring the sounds of nature to life in a compelling soundscape. Immerse yourself in the wondrous sounds of the forest and experience how music and nature come together.

Sounds Now Symposium

During the OORtreders Festival, the Sounds Now Symposium will take place on 19 and 20 October. This international network is committed to diversity and inclusion within contemporary music and sound art. Be inspired by engaging keynotes, panel discussions and listening sessions, and discover new perspectives on the role of sound in our society. More info and registration via sounds-now.eu.

Come and watch iRRooTTaa (4+)

Saturday at 2:00 pm in CC Palethe, Grensgeval and Circus Katoen will tickle your fancy with a playful circus performance full of imperfection. In a world of white balls, young and old learn that failure can also be magical. A visual experience full of acrobatics, humour and wonder for everyone aged 4 and up. Be surprised by this festive journey of the senses!

RrrRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr in KANL

Sunday at 11:00 am, the KANL Showroom transforms into a vibrating world of sound. Discover the hidden sounds of everyday objects together with Wannes Deneer and Yinka Kuitenbrouwer. This playful performance transforms the smallest vibrations into a musical spectacle. After the show, you can experiment yourself during an interactive workshop. A unique experience for the whole family!

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to immerse yourself in art and sound that will surprise and move you. Book your tickets today and be there!

Klankenbos

OORtreders Festival 

KlankenbosOORtreders Festival 

OORtreders Festival 2024

18 to 20 October 2024

OPEN CALL: Showcase Emerging Sound 2025

STUK, Q-O2 and Musica present an annual showcase of emerging sound artists in Belgium. The showcase shines a light on the diversity of the Belgian sound art landscape, and gives a boost to an upcoming generation of makers. We are looking for recent, existing sound work in any format: performance, installation, soundwalk, radio piece, intervention or other innovative formats. The selected works will be presented in STUK on Thursday 8 May 2025. Please read the detailed conditions specified below.

For whom

• You are an emerging sound artist. In other words: in training, recently graduated, at the start of a career or still in need of developing a network within the Belgian or international sound art field.
• You make sound-based work such as installation, performance, soundwalk, participatory work, radio art or intervention in public space.
• You are asked to propose only one existing work or work-in-progress that is not older than 2022. Submissions with more than one work will not be considered.
• You have a link to Belgium: either by residence, education or nationality.

What do we offer

• Presentation of the selected work or work-in-progress during the Showcase Emerging Sound 2025 at STUK in Leuven on Thursday 8 May 2025.
• Exchange session at Q-O2 to discuss your work with the organizers and other participants.
• An optional preparatory residency with overnight stay and technical support at Musica in Pelt (Klankenbos). 
• Visibility and support in terms of communication and documentation towards Belgian and international programmers and the broader professional sector.
• Compensation for the presentation of the selected work: €500 
• Fixed travel costs: €50 

When

Thursday 8 May 2025

Where

STUK – House for Dance, Image & Sound, Leuven

Register

Please apply before 15 October 2024 using the following online registration form:  

Additional files can be mailed to: info@q-o2.be

The selection does not take the age, gender, ethnicity, religion, cultural background, ability or education into consideration. Selected artists will be informed by mid-November 2024 at the latest.

Previous editions

• Edition 2024: Anouk Kellner, Kaat Vanhaverbeke, Pavel Tchikov, Lawrence McGuire & Amarante Net
• Edition 2023: Stijn Wybouw, Tom Malmendier & Emilie Skrijelj, Florence Cats, Diana Duta
• Edition 2022: Raphael Malfliet, Vica Pacheco, Marija Rasa Kudabaitė, Léa Roger
• Edition 2021: Anne van de Star, Charlie Usher, Dominik ‘t Jolle, Arzu Saglam, Beyt Al Tapes, Andres Garcia Navarro
• Edition 2019: Lore Stessel & Rubén Martinez Orio, Jonathan Frigeri, Oona Libens, Lukas De Clerck

Klankenbos

Klankenbos Residencies 

Artists explore sound environments in interactive performance

It’s almost time! In October, Musica, in collaboration with C-TAKT, presents the newest edition of OORtreders Festival. This year, the festival brings, among other things, a special collaboration between sound artist Stijn Demeulenaere and the dynamic duo The Third Guy (percussionist Ruben Orio and guitarist Primož Sukič), who will present an updated version of their performance Everybody Lives Here.

In Everybody Lives Here, the artists explore the sonic essence of spaces and places by adding their own sounds to them. Using field recordings and live musical instruments, they allow their sounds to interact with the natural sound environment of the location. This real-time interaction results in a layering of sounds that in turn interact with each other, creating a unique listening experience.

A crucial part of the preparation for this special performance was the short residency at Het Klankenbos in early April. Listening, recording, playing: during these five days, Demeulenaere and The Third Guy explored how to realise a connection with the vastness of the domain. The result of their research will be heard on Friday 18 October 2024, in the ever-changing setting of Het Klankenbos.

Don’t miss this unique event! OORtreders will take place from 18 to 20 October 2024. Be there and immerse yourself in the fascinating world of sound art and interaction.

Klankenbos

OORtreders Festival 

Het Klankenbos comes to life with the ErfgoedApp 

Het Klankenbos is all about enriching sensory experiences, where sound art plays the leading role. Ensuring your visit is all the more fascinating, we proudly present our Klankenbos tour in the ErfgoedApp – your digital companion, that guides you through a wealth of information about our sound installations.

Download here

Optimise your visit by downloading the ErfgoedApp in advance. Available on both iOS and Android, this application brings Het Klankenbos to life with rich and accessible information.

Make your choice

Once you have downloaded the app, open it and click on the red compass symbol to get started. You will be welcomed with a selection of engaging tours – choose Het Klankenbos and start your journey of discovery.

Discover

Now you are ready to explore! Consult the interactive map in the app and be guided through Het Klankenbos. Along the way, you will receive fascinating details that will help you understand and appreciate our sound installations.

Have fun discovering Het Klankenbos!

Klankenbos

Het Klankenbos

A unique participation project for amateur horn players

Discover Across the Distance

Are you a passionate horn player? Musica Impulse Centre invites you to take part in the participative project Across the Distance as part of OORtreders Festival from 18 to 20 October 2024.

This project, inspired by the visionary composition of American master John Luther Adams, is steeped in the search for authenticity and connection. Adams’ masterpiece Across the Distance for eight horns, invites participants to merge with nature and space, while conveying a powerful message of unity.

Between 24 and 32 passionate horn players will rehearse this impressive composition under the expert guidance of the Korpus Quartet. The climax of our adventure? Its performance during OORtreders Festival on Saturday 19 October 2024 at 6 pm, amidst Het Klankenbos in Pelt.

For whom

24 to 32 (amateur) horn players (students from the third grade, horn players active in harmonies or brass bands, conservatory students and even professionals are welcome! In short all or those who have the passion and determination to participate in this unique project.

When

13 October 2024: rehearsal from 2 to 4 pm

19 October 2024: rehearsal from 1 pm + performance at 6 pm

Where

Het Klankenbos, Pelt

Register

Would you like to participate? Register now via our registration form.

Besides the indescribable experience of being part of this extraordinary project, participants will also receive free tickets to a number of OORtreders Festival performances.

More information

Feel free to contact Stijn Boeve, artistic coordinator at Musica, at stijn@musica.be.

Klankenbos

OORtreders Festival