May 1st – May 3rd 2025

Southeast/Northwest celebrates the global diversity of electroacoustic practices, featuring a host of international artists and special guests.

For the first time in the U.K., Indonesian electronic music pioneer Otto Sidharta will present his work, including a new composition created for the hyper-immersive BEAST system. Bangkok-based multimedia artist Jean-David Caillouët returns to Birmingham for the premiere of his documentary on Sidharta’s music, along with a new audiovisual composition developed as a BEAST artist-in-residence.

Sumatran artists Rani Jambak and Hario Efenur join BEAST’s Scott Wilson to transform Minangkabau martial arts into embodied sound and music. French-Canadian multimedia artist Myriam Boucher showcases her innovative practice blending composition vidéomusicale with live performance, while Trevor Wishart, a longtime friend of BEAST, presents The Garden of Earthly Delights—a ‘comic opera’ inspired by Hieronymus Bosch.

Audiovisual artist Mwen brings A Home for Tender Hearts to the Dome, exploring themes of belonging, oppression, and colonial legacies from their perspective as a queer, non-binary, first-generation diasporic African. Meanwhile, Jim Osman, known for his science fiction and fantasy-infused performances, will present his signature dark ambient and experimental soundscapes.

Full Festival Details