LYRA

In collaboration with the Latvian festival Skaņu Mežs, Insomnia is working on LYRA – a project aimed at kids and teens that is supported by the EEA Grants and Norway Grants funded by Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway.

The project title LYRA is a fusion of two words – the Norwegian word “lytte” (“to listen”) and the Latvian word “radīt” (“to create”). The result is LYRA – a reference to both the ancient musical instrument and the northern hemisphere constellation of stars.

Lyra is a two-year collaboration between Insomnia festival and Skanu Mezs (LV) which started in April 2022. The aim of the project is to introduce young people to electronic music, a very free genre, without strict frameworks and rules one finds within others music genres. Furthermore, the project seeks to create meeting places (through workshops and concerts) where young people can be together and experience music. The project consists of two parts, one focusing on listening (2022), and a second one with a focus on creating (2023). In addition, the project also involves cultural exchange between the festivals, where the project manager from the Norwegian side went to Riga to attend the world premiere of the works during Skanu Mezs festival in September 2022, and a delegation from Latvia visiting Insomnia during the festival in October. 

The project aims to introduce kids and teenagers to experimental music and to get them involved in its creation. As it is democratic and non-hierarchical in essence, experimental music gives trained and untrained kids the chance to take part in making music. Since the project crosses social and ethnic divides, it is also socially inclusive.

LYRA ACTIVITIES: