Cathy Lane established the department of Sound Arts and Design at London College of Communication (LCC) and previously directed and co-directed, with Angus Carlyle, Creative Research in Sound Arts Practice (CRiSAP). She is interested in how sound relates to the past, our histories, our environment and our collective and individual memories. This informs her current work as a composer, sound artist, lecturer and researcher. 

Books include In the Field (Uniformbooks, 2013), a collection of interviews with eighteen contemporary sound artists who use field recording in their work and On Listening (2013) a collection of essays about some of the ways in which listening is used in disciplines including anthropology, community activism, bioacoustics, conflict mediation and religious studies, music, ethnomusicology and field recording.

Tsunagu つなぐ is Japanese for ‘to connect’, and you can take that quite literally during this workshop. You’ll be connecting with your hands, with wood, with light and with the creators behind the design.

Volmaakt’s Tsunagu lighting collection, developed in collaboration with Dirk van Gogh’s team, blends sleek Japanese design with the craftsmanship of our local social economy. The secret? Sipo wood and clever wood joints without a single drop of glue or screw. Made to last a lifetime.

After a brief explanation from Dirk about the story behind the collection, you’ll roll up your sleeves. You’ll get your hands on the wooden joints and set to work alongside the designer: building, sketching and experimenting. You’ll immediately sense how material, light and form come together.

Directions to Bar Edward

Tucked away in the shadow of the Vrijdagmarkt, on the banks of the River Leie, lies the stunning pop-up venue ‘Bar Edward’.

After an impressive 120-year history as a bakery for the people, a printing works, a community clinic and a cultural and political secretariat, the owner, COOP, temporarily handed over the keys to this site to Trefpunt. Thus, Speldenstraat 1 became a place for doing and thinking, a crossroads between culture, wellbeing and social enterprise.

We all know knitting and weaving, but what about braiding? Time to rediscover this forgotten technique! In this workshop, the team at Soft Connection Lab will guide you through four clever basic movements: Crossing, Winding, Twining and Pulling through.

Using their self-designed oversized tools (Hard Tools), you will unravel an age-old craft in no time. You will learn how relaxing braiding can be and how naturally it connects with sustainable design. Think repairability, smart disassembly and reuse. Roll up your sleeves, meet fellow makers, and discover how bringing people together through making can create meaningful connections!

Participation is free, but registration is mandatory via softconnectionlab@gmail.com. Don't wait too long, capacity is limited to 12 participants!

Soft Connection Lab

Soft Connection Lab is a Ghent-based research project (KASK & Conservatorium) centred on the power of making together. Inspired by age-old braiding techniques and the ritual of the maypole dance, the lab explores how hands-on craft can bring people closer again. In a society that often feels distant, the team uses the making process to encourage care, empathy and dialogue. Alongside the creation of an object, building meaningful human relationships is equally important.