Bergen Centre for Electronic Arts

Join us for a concentrated two-day workshop on SuperCollider at BEK, led by sound artist Tijs Ham. SuperCollider is a coding platform used by musicians, artists and researchers working with sound and music. It’s free and open source software for Windows, macOS and Linux.

Time: Wednesday 15 May 10:15–17:00, Thursday 16 May 10:15–17:30.
Place: BEK, C. Sundts gate 55
Sign-up: The workshop is now fully booked. Sign up for the waiting list via this form. The workshop will be held in English, with explanations in Norwegian if needed for a group of ten participants. Please contact us at resources@bek.no for any questions. No former coding experience or knowledge is necessary. Bring your own laptop or computer to BEK to work on during the workshop days, or get in touch if you need us to help set you up with a machine!
Join digitally: You can also sign up just for the digital introduction on zoom at the start on 15 May. This is for people who are interested but cannot attend physically, or those who just want an introduction to the coding platform. Sign-up in the same form. 

Participants will receive a thorough step-by-step course in the programming language of SuperCollider, and hands-on knowledge on how to code elaborate digital programs to generate sounds and manipulate recordings. They will learn what to do when encountering errors and how to embrace chaos and glitch.

On day one, the basics of SuperCollider are explained, and the participants will make their first sounds. The second day will be all about sound, synthesizing bursts of noise, and filtering them into compelling soundscapes.

The results of the workshop will be shared 6 June at Østre, as a performance at Bulldozer, a concert series for noise music in Bergen. Participants are invited to take part in the performance, or opt to lend their soundscapes for Tijs Ham to perform for them. 

SuperCollider

SuperCollider is a platform for audio synthesis and algorithmic composition used by musicians, artists, and researchers working with sound. The software is a text-based coding environment with a steep learning curve for beginners. SuperCollider is an open-source project and, as such, a powerful yet affordable artistic tool. The coding language is used by artists worldwide, frequently featuring in live-coding or Algorave settings as well as part of sound art installations or live electronics performances. 

Tijs Ham

Tijs Ham (Netherlands, ‘81) is a sound artist and researcher living and working in Bergen, Norway. His artistic practice is situated in the field of live electronic music, focused on chaotic processes and emergent behaviors. He releases his music on international labels such as Moving Furniture Records, Point Source Electronic Arts, and Ant-Zen, using the artist name Tapage. He has a Ph.D. in Artistic Research at the KMD/UiB, and has worked for STEIM (The Studio for Electro-Instrumental Music) as a producer of concerts and workshops and as a member of the artistic board, initiating many projects and collaborating with visiting artists. After moving to Norway, he initiated a series of artistic projects focused on audio-visual performances within the field of live electronic music. These works include Refract/Recurse (In collaboration with Birk Nygaard, performed at Bergen Kjøtt, Landmark, USF Verftet Visningsrommet, V2_), Ecdysis (Resulting in a tape release and performances at Landmark, Østre, STEIM), Multiple Minds (Performed at KMD, Østre, University of Canterbury), STATES (In collaboration with Kjetil Møster, performed at Lydgalleriet, Østre, Bergen Kjøtt), Follow the Unfolding (In collaboration with Carmen Bóveda, performed at Bergen Kjøtt).

All of the works mentioned above extensively use the audio programming language SuperCollider. Tijs Ham has also performed at various Live-coding and Algorave events.

Accessibility

BEK’s space unfortunately is not wheelchair accessible. Please send us an email at bek@bek.no if you’re using a wheelchair, and we’ll do our best to facilitate your needs. Our space has all gender toilet facilities. Service dogs are welcome. We also provide the option of a quiet room.