The Unsound Lab Summer School is an experiment in community building through knowledge production, blending the exchange of professional know-how with DIY ethos and practices. It is aimed at self-managing artists, organisers, managers, agents, researchers, curators and publishers who wish to gain a better understanding of the experimental music industry, and especially those whose work embraces more than one of these areas. Over the course of four days it will consist of workshops, panel discussions, experimental lectures, listening and mentoring sessions intended to map out the industry and help you ease your way deeper into it. Featuring some of the industry’s icons and rebels, the school will explore topics from the inner workings of being a manager, agent, or PR manager, through to distribution and cross-industry cooperation, digital technologies and artificial intelligence, social activism and mental health.

The music industry, even on its experimental outskirts, seems like an enigmatic structure, with mysterious architecture, gatekeepers at every turn, and an air of inaccessibility. With the narratives of precariousness and AI takeover floating over our heads, it’s easy to succumb to doomsday scenarios. Suspended between a summer camp, a conspiracy theorists gathering and a collective manifesting séance, Unsound Lab will attempt to craft a survival toolkit for the times ahead.

As for the setting, Sokołowsko is a remote little town in southwestern Poland, which has evolved into a haven for experimental artists and musicians over the past decades. Centred around the ruins of a beautiful yet haunting sanatorium, it offers a perfect nurturing environment for a collaborative learning experience.

You can apply for the summer school here. Please be aware that slots are limited, so we will notify you of your acceptance status by the end of June. The school requires a fee of 1300 PLN, which covers participation in classes, accommodation, and two meals a day. Concession options will be available to a limited number of participants. Half of the slots will be reserved for participants from Poland. Check out our FAQ section for more information.