On Friday, students of the BA/MA programme "Popular Music and Media" at Paderborn University presented the results of their seminar "Artivism. Creativity and Activism", which was led by the renowned music journalist, author and musician Vivien Goldman as part of the 6th Popdozentur. The focus of the event at the AStA city campus was an unusual, artistic-political performance between theatre, musical, film projection, spoken word, soul and punk: a staged funeral that deliberately left open who or what was being laid to rest - was it US America, Paderborn or democracy? The audience was invited to reflect by filling in slips of paper, while musical contributions, artistic videos and poems negotiated socially relevant topics in a polyphonic manner.
"We did a fantastic experiment and I think it worked beautifully. I was confident that I would find a wide range of different artistic skills in Paderborn that would allow me to put on a show like this very quickly," summarises Vivien Goldman. The British music icon, who is internationally known as the "Punk Professor" and was one of the first female music journalists of the late 1970s, was impressed by the local talent: "The music here is very unique and original - it can hold its own with anything else I hear. There is also a strong commitment to production, graphics and organisation. The team here was brilliant, I really fell in love with Paderborn."
For many students, the seminar was an extraordinary experience - both artistically and personally. Felix Kaup reports: "I never thought the seminar would be like this. It was more work than I thought, but I'm glad I took part. Vivien really pushed you beyond your own comfort zone." He found working in an unfamiliar field particularly enriching: "I was assigned to the video department, although I usually have very little contact with videos. It was a welcome change from the medium of music, especially on the Popular Music and Media degree programme."
His conclusion: "I can recommend the seminar to anyone - the content is extremely interesting, especially thanks to Vivien, who is an incredibly exciting personality with an extraordinary musical biography."
After the moving and inspiring presentation, the evening ended in a relaxed atmosphere on the terrace of the AStA city campus. Here, students, lecturers and guests chatted and reflected on the experiences of the previous weeks.
Prof. Dr. Christoph Jacke, co-initiator of the Paderborn Popdozentur and deputy managing director of the research centre "C:POP. Transdisciplinary Research Centre for Popular Music Cultures and Creative Economies", emphasises the importance of the format: "Vivien Goldman works in a very transdisciplinary way between music, the arts, journalism and research - and is therefore ideal for C:POP and our students. Her commitment to involving everyone in the digital pre-meetings and forming creative teams is particularly remarkable. We hope Vivien will come back to visit and support us again." The C:POP Popdozentur was supported by the Centre for Gender Studies at Paderborn University.
Vivien Goldman, one of the pioneering international female voices in international pop culture, was a guest in Paderborn. As a world-renowned author ("Revenge of the She-Punks"), musician ("The Flying Lizards"), director, songwriter (including Massive Attack) and lecturer at New York University's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, Goldman has been crossing genre boundaries and pointing out the socially explosive power of music for decades. Published in 2024, the book "Rebel Musix, Scribe on a Vibe: Frontline Adventures Linking Punk, Reggae, Afrobeat and Jazz" by the British-born artist, who lives in New York and Jamaica, is a journalistic journey through five decades of feminist pop history and emphasises the connections between music, politics and culture.
The results from the seminar "Artivism. Creativity and Activism", in which the established German music journalist Christina Mohr (Frankfurter Rundschau, Musixexpress, Missy Magazine, Spex) also gave a session, impressively demonstrate the great creative potential that lives at the interface of art, music and political engagement in Paderborn - and how new things can emerge from encounters with international players. So whoever was symbolically laid to rest faded behind the birth of a creative, shared experience, as Prof Jacke said in his concluding words of thanks to Vivien Goldman and the students.
Text: Paul Schuldig
Photos: Paul Schuldig, Joshua Wick, Dr. Johanna Sackel
Contact: Prof. Dr Christoph Jacke
