Norient conveys worlds with sound and image

This year, the Norient Festival took place from January 10 to 14 at various locations in the city center of Bern. Like its predecessors, it was not an event for the faint-hearted. The name Norient (No-Orient) stands against orientalism and exoticism. Norient sees itself as a global community of artists who bring their ideas to a broad, interested audience and create a cultural exchange. They do this by addressing various socio-critical and geopolitical topics. This year's program included formats such as (short) film and podcast screenings, panel discussions, DJ sets and online/live hybrid concerts by artists from all over the world. These formats addressed topics such as the connection between sound and storytelling, the Israel-Palestine conflict, the extinction of the Hmong musical language or the Western exploitation of African resources, with the musical aspect usually taking center stage.

In the midst of this difficult-to-digest food for thought, it was somewhat surprising to find two workshops for school classes, organized by the Bernese association Bee-flat. Bee-flat and Norient are ideal partners for this. Both search the world over for exciting topics that can be translated into music to broaden the audience's horizons. The Kenyan DJ, photographer and cinematographer Emma Mbeke Nzioka (aka DJ Coco Em) routinely explained the basics of electronic music production using the Ableton program during the 90-minute event. Nzioka, the artistic director of this year's festival, skillfully encouraged the children to participate. They creatively produced beats and at the end asked with interest about the software presented and Nzioka's artistic work.

Creating respect, questioning what is taken for granted

Despite the light-footedness with which Nzioka and the leader of the second workshop, Justin Doucet (aka DJ Huilly Huile), conveyed music, children are not the festival's core audience. When asked how such workshops fit into the festival program, Nzioka says: "There should be a certain respect for what you consume, how it is created and the work behind it. It is important to understand the entire process and come into contact with it." Even if the workshops at the festival seem strange at first glance, they harmonize with Norient's role as a "messenger".

It is about questioning what we take for granted in the modern world, both in the events for children and in the complex content of the rest of the festival. Freedom to travel, for example, is not something that Nzioka takes for granted. On January 12, she spoke at a panel discussion about her own experiences with Europe's visa policy. She has also been the victim of arbitrary refoulement because, as a childless and unmarried African woman, she is classified as a risk by the European authorities. It is assumed that she wants to stay here illegally and will not fly back. Evidence of appearances, work and return flights was not enough. As if to prove it, two artists were also unable to perform at this year's Norient Festival. "The freedom of movement of African artists should not be taken for granted, neither in Europe nor within Africa," added Nzioka.

New thoughts that stick

In the evening, films were shown in two cinemas. One highlight was the documentary Songs That Flood the River. Nziokas highly recommends this film. It deals with the eradication of spiritual cultural practices in connection with the exploitation of natural resources. It also addresses the artistic process of songwriting and the extent to which external factors can influence it. The audience is left with thoughts that cannot be shaken off. Nzioka says: "The audience won't find: 'We're going to change the world today', no, but perhaps viewers will at least change one aspect of their lives ... Perhaps their dealings with other people or the education of their children."

For Norient festival-goers, as diverse as they are, music and images promote an understanding of little-known parts of this world. It is to be hoped that Norient can create a new kind of cultural awareness through this mediation.