Sonic Infrastructures of Solidarity

In this lecture, Casco Art Institute: Working for the Commons team members Aline Hernández and Luke Cohlen join the School of Commons Cohort to explore how Casco’s work with community economies and radio-based initiatives can foster networks of solidarity. Together with participants, we will map out practical methods for collaboration and exchange.

The session opens with an overview of Casco’s ecosystemic approach, grounded in long-term involvement with the Arts Collaboratory and Lumbung networks. We focus on translocal and transnational models of cooperation, collaboration, and redistribution—particularly as practiced through our kiosk/market and radio initiatives.

Following the presentation, participants take part in a group exercise that invites them to map their own needs, resources, and relationships, and consider how these could be reshaped or supported through shared radio practices. We encourage thinking on a translocal scale, which we see as essential for imagining and organizing effective networks of solidarity.

We then collectively explore the role of radio as an infrastructure: How can it support the commons? What does it mean to create a radio practice that others—especially those just starting out—can use to navigate their own organizational processes? This discussion also serves to nurture and archive the evolving relationships and participants within the School of Commons constellation.

The workshop concludes with a recorded session, where participants present their ideas. These contributions will be post-edited and incorporated into a radio play, co-edited with School of Commons alumni, and streamed via Station of Commons. This recording will also form the foundation for future Casco x SoC collaborations around shared radio practices.

Facilitators: Aline Hernández and Luke Cohlen

A collection of links, recordings, concepts—to get acquainted with what we'd be discussing:

soundcloud.com/cascoartinstitute/sets/radio

artscollaboratory.org casco.art/activity/arts-collaboratory-assembly-harvesting-and-futurecasting

fo.am/publications/radmin-reader-2020 feraltrade.org/cgi-bin/courier/courier.pl

lumbungradio.org lumbung.space

casco.art/activity/spring-market casco.art/activity/lumbung-kios-at-casco

casco.art/activity/radio-solidarity-with-mafas-transdisciplinary-studies casco.art/activity/radio-for-palestine