FLOKKR 2019: DEBATE, ACTIVISM AND SOLIDARITY IN THE CAMPING CITY

There will be activists, climate experts, musicians, writers, hackers and dancers in FLOKKR this year.

FLOKKR-what-now? The name of our community centre at Roskilde Festival is old Norse and means gathering point.

That's exactly what it is: a place to meet, listen, debate, get smarter and create together.

You will find FLOKKR in Camping East between GAME and East City.

"Thanks for the geography lesson," you say. "But can you give some examples of what's going on in there?" Sure thing!

Climate focus

Representatives from the wind power and the nuclear power industries meet for a debate where the audience will hear inspiring speeches. You will also have the opportunity to ask critical questions and cheer for those with whom you share opinions. Are we ready to try new forms of energy or do we say no to nuclear power? Is there any alternative for a country like Denmark, which has no mountains or endless quantities of deserted land? Presented by CERN and the Niels Bohr Institute.

Have you ever heard of a climate lecture concert? You have now!

The climate crisis and democracy crisis call for action now. We are busy, and technology solutions can help us. Smart energy systems and peer-to-peer economy can help us, but can also do the opposite. Attend this climate lecture concert where the dialogue between spoken word and live music offers moments for reflection. In an interaction between hope, doubt and solutions, Kirsten Hasberg, researcher in energy and data democracy, talks about 100 % renewable energy systems and democratic peer-to-peer economy. The music, which supports the subjects we touch upon along the way, is performed by a six-woman strong ensemble with singers and musicians, and is written by Pernille Sejlund.

Sleep laboratory and an ethical hacker

At Roskilde, you probably don’t sleep like you do at home. But what does sleep deprivation actually mean to us? And is it true that you can learn while sleeping? Sleep researcher Birgitte Kornum knows more about this stuff than most. Get an introduction to the science behind sleep when Bloom – a festival of nature and science – invites all festival guests to take part in an unbiased study of the sleep rhythms at Roskilde Festival’s campsite. Bring the noisy night owls from the neighbouring camp to live sleep research at FLOKKR and see if you can pass Birgitte Kornum’s fatigue test.

You will want to stay awake when ethical hacker Freaky Clown visits FLOKKR. He has worked in the field of information security for over 20 years and has been responsible for cyber research and worked closely with intelligence agencies. As an ethical hacker, he breaks into banks and public institutions – not with hostile intentions but to illustrate their security flaws for them. His list of clients includes some of the largest banks in Europe as well as various political boards. At Roskilde Festival, he takes you on a trip through security holes – both physical and electronic. Holes he knows and can bypass with his years of experience. Presented by CERN and the Niels Bohr Institute.

Poetry and dance

Things will get artistic in FLOKKR.

Unzip your chest, hold your heart in your hands and expect something amazing when the literary activists from the writers’ workshop, Ordskælv (translates to wordquake), open up a vulnerable, safe and powerful narrative space in FLOKKR. Here, the audience works collectively on a text. Ordskælv prepares a framework for a creative cross-pollinating chaos where you meet yourself and others in a creative narrative community that plants the seeds of an international book release exploring the power of the narrative.

Noise rockers Baby In Vain and modern dance company Corpus will perform both on the Gloria stage and in FLOKKR this year, but with two very different performances. In FLOKKR, the three musicians and five dancers will present a deconstructed version of their performance The Real Raw where we are at close hand and can experience the raw energy that arises in the meeting between Baby in Vain's noise and Corpus's powerful expression.

Solidarity, activist rap and a theremin birthday

Meet the Egyptian activist rapper Yukka Shahin and the Iraqi singer and guitarist Adel Haley. In a talk, the two artists will unfold how music has formed their identity, been a free space as well as a path into new communities. Two short films about the artists are shown, and they will perform two showcase concerts. By giving the microphone to the young people from countries with political tensions and war and hearing their perspectives on the importance of music, RAPOLITICS aims to show how music can be a free space and a focal point for new friendships, communities and stories.

Or do you perhaps want to celebrate a birthday with us?

Congratulations to the theremin. 100 years old! On this occasion, you can meet Dorit Chrysler who is recognised worldwide for her skills on the theremin. During the talk she will teach the audience all there is to know about Léon Theremin’s musical invention from 1919. There is something magical about the theremin; it makes music without being touched – no strings, no buttons – only the air around it. Dorit Chrysler illustrates not only the musical wonder, but also the development and understanding of the science of electromagnetism.

There will be cause to celebrate at FLOKKR this year, and there will plenty of chances to think, debate and enjoy the many events. See you there!