Masterclass with Princess Room

The six-week residency "Parallel Sounds" in cooperation with The Button Factory and Silk Collective connects German electronic producers and Aotearoa-based artists and the wider community.

Finding Your Voice in A World of Beats
At a moment when the underground is in danger of giving way to the mainstream, Princess Room offers a collaborative session on the importance of using authentic voice to keep the dance scene from turning beige.

The focus of the class is the question of why: Why dance? Why create? Why celebrate? Participants are invited to share their stories, forming the basis for a deeper discussion on how our personal why shapes ourself and our community. They will also present the why of known artists and party collectives in both Germany and New Zealand, including their own.

Drawing on their experiences in Berlin—and asking why it has retained such influence—Princess Room proposes that the underground’s longevity is rooted in holding on to its authentic voice, even as it faces growing threats such as commercialisation, the disappearance of independent spaces, and limited funding. Together with participants they will examine these topics and discuss what can, and is, being done.
The session will include a live performance by the duo, blending dance music with lyrics that express the why behind their own artistic practice.
The session welcomes anyone interested in club and festival culture and its values, and any artists, promotors, or dancers needing a reminder of why they’re doing it in the first place.