Launched in April 2024, SQUARE is an artist-focused networking platform designed to support independent promoters, grassroots organisations, and progressive industry professionals committed to diversity and innovation.
As part of Braga’s year-long celebration as the Portuguese Capital of Culture, SQUARE is pleased to announce its three-day conference, set to take place 29th–31st January 2025, in Braga, alongside an ambitious music programme spanning four cities.
The conference aims to elevate Portugal’s creative talent and foster connections with global cultural movements. By bridging local artistry with international perspectives, SQUARE seeks to enrich Braga’s dynamic cultural scene while redefining the traditional showcase festival model.
Themed around the concept of margin, the conference will feature three days of discussions, panels, and workshops with a diverse group of speakers from a range of geographies, cultures, and artistic disciplines. The programme explores how margins shape and are shaped by the global music ecosystem.
Day 1: Geomusicality, Landscape and Accidentality
The opening panel, Music of the Coast will explore the Atlantic as a creative catalyst, delving into the unique characteristics of city-coast artistry and considering whether the ecological fragility of the Atlantic mirrors vulnerabilities in artistic creation.
Chaired by Paddy Clarke, writer and Deputy Editor of The Quietus, the second panel, Artistic Practice in Portuguese Rural Areas, brings together Evelyne Lopez Mussons, President of the Portuguese non-profit cultural association Rural Vivo and Gonçalo F. Cardoso, an itinerant sound artist and label owner. This discussion will examine the challenges and opportunities of artistic creation in rural and isolated areas, focusing on the impact of geographic distance from decision-making centres and the role of creative freedom.
Featuring Mexican composer and violinist Gibrana Cervantes, Cities and Creative Communities for Music: Idanha-a-Nova, Kampala, Mexico City session will close the day’s proceedings with the examination of three case studies—some organic, others intentionally shaped by local authorities—exploring the concept of cities centred around music.
Day 2: Life on the Margin
The second day opens with Geography as a Catalyst, Geography as Limiting, moderated by The Wire contributor April Claire Welsh. Speakers include Brahim El Mazned, founder of Visa for Music and UNESCO expert in cultural policy and creative industries; Kikelomo Oludemi, Berlin-based DJ, curator, and advocate for diversity; and Saya Mohamed, a multiplatform artist, musical researcher, and anti-racist activist. This session will explore how unique geographic contexts can inspire creativity, while also addressing the challenges that arise when geography limits artistic potential.
Next, The Margin Doesn’t Write History features a conversation between Kenyan artist and researcher Niokabi Kariuki and US cultural writer and film programmer Joshua Minsoo Kim. Kariuki will share insights from her research on the often-overlooked contributions of African artists to electronic music, with a particular focus on the discovery that one of the first electronic works was created by Halim El-Dabh. This discussion will delve into the importance of reclaiming marginalised histories in the music industry.
The day concludes with The Centre Cannot Hold: Redefining the Idea of Success discussion with Djo da Silva, a champion of Cape Verdean culture and industry veteran; Laura Diaz (aka CARNEOSSO), a pioneering force in Brazil’s underground resistance scene; and Mynda Guevara, a powerful voice from Lisbon’s Cova da Moura who advocates for women in rap and uses Creole as a form of resistance. Together, they will challenge the traditional notions of success in the music industry, offering new insights on decentralisation, global cultural exchange, and the evolving landscape of artistic recognition.
Day 3: The Independent Artist’s Survival Guide
Kicking off the final day of the conference, Precarity or Living as an Artist: Living Wage, Health Insurance, Unions. Music at the Centre of Cultural Policy will be moderated by Portuguese music journalist Miguel Rocha and feature a formidable panel of speakers: Latin American promoter and Artistic Director of Buenos Aires’ iconic Niceto Club, Diana Glusberg; half of queer punk duo Comfort, Natalie McGhee. This session will position the artist as a worker, examining cultural and fiscal policies that can support sustainable, full-time artistic careers. The discussion will also explore collective organisation and the potential changes needed to improve working conditions for artists.
Community-Owned Venues and Other Ideas of Horizontal Organisation in the Music Industry will feature Austin Robey, Subvert developer and advocate for collective ownership models; Lenny Watson, co-founding director of Sister Midnight; and Oliver Baurhenn, progressive cultural curator and organiser of the adventurous CTM festival. This panel will focus on alternative, ethical industry models, including Sister Midnight’s ‘horizontal’ venue ownership and Subvert’s co-operative Bandcamp approach. The discussion will highlight how these community-driven initiatives are reshaping the music landscape.
Closing the conference, People’s Assemblies: What is Missing will be moderated by Portuguese musician Ricardo Baptista, known for building communities through the creative process of music development. This session will present the outcomes of popular assemblies held with artists from the four cities hosting SQUARE. The discussion will reflect on the collaborative process, sharing key insights and exploring what is still missing in the broader conversation.
With its forward-thinking programming and bold mission, SQUARE Festival promises to be a vital space for dialogue and connection during Braga’s year-long celebration of culture.
For more information about speakers and tickets, visit https://www.squarefestival.pt/
