HOW radio: Global Club Nights – Aman Askarizad and Yunjia Liu – Catalysti

In this episode we are happy to have with us Yunjia Liu and Aman Askarizad from Catalysti, a network of transcultural artists, that work at the intersection of activism and artistic production.

Today we take a close look at how they promote member activities, organise exhibitions and events, provide networking opportunities, employment possibilities, and promote knowledge sharing between members that want to develop their craft. Diversity, inclusion, and equity are the pillars on top of which Catalysti was created and still functions today. A warm discussion about the crucial work of Catalysti.

Aman Askarizad is an artist dealing with Music, Performance art, Photography and Visual arts. He works with elements that consciously or unconsciously govern and shape us such as memory, individual and shared histories, and politics which all emerge in one word, Identity. Images, camera and photography are his mostly employed materials in terms of artistic expression. In his art practice now he tries to create projects that are socially and spatially engaged. Currently he is focusing on issues such as identity, immigration, language, and international culture associated with urban development and public spaces.

Yunjia Liu is a Guitarist, Composer, Singer
With deep love and a strong passion for music, Yunjia Liu (Stage Name: J. Hermit) enjoys every moment of being an independent artist. She was born in China, studied Bachelor of Music classical guitar at the University of Melbourne in Australia and Master of Music Guitar Soloist and Composition at the University of Music Detmold in Germany. She lives in Finland since July 2020. Yunjia Liu’s music is deeply influenced by philosophical ideas such as Minimalism, Taoism, Yin-Yang and the inspirations of Nature. Her multidisciplinary projects focus on theatre, dancing, painting, poetry, just to name a few. Her music style includes free improvisation, world music, folk music, contemporary music, classical music, and electronic music. She has been performing in Germany, France, Finland, Hungary, England, Australia, and China.

Catalysti
Established in2013, Catalysti is a network of transcultural artists that promotes their activities and events, supports networking and knowledge sharing, and provides equal opportunities. Catalysti operates at the intersection of artistic production and activism, with a strong commitment to promoting inclusion and equity.

HOW radio
Helsinki Open Waves radio, Caisa and the Global Music Department of Sibelius Academy present HOW radio: Global Club Nights, a radio discussion series focusing on the music industry in Finland from the perspective on intercultural collaboration.

The discussions take into consideration both the part of the musician and the business side, focusing on diversity in a neutral, safe space.

The language of discussion is English.

Global Club Nights live club events are held in Caisa monthly! Read more on Caisa’s event calendar.

Helsinki Open Waves (HOW) is a translingual, non-profit, community-driven platform that encapsulates a network of trans-local radio and audio practices.

Read more here: www.helsinkiopenwaves.com