Meet ALICE’s Music Group

It is unique to ALICE to have a music group responsible for booking the venue’s music programme. The strength of the group lies in the bookers’ very different backgrounds, networks, experiences, and tastes. Together, they shape ALICE’s artistic profile in a democratic working community and move ALICE one step closer to a more diverse live music industry.

ALICE’s Music Group takes the venue a step further toward a more diverse live music industry: four bookers and a programme coordinator support the demanding task of defining ALICE’s profile and concert programme.

Isabel Douglass, Ulf Eriksson, Mero Cimen, and Susi Castelo jointly set the direction for ALICE’s artistic profile and make up the Music Group. Maria Nøhr Wiuff is programme coordinator at ALICE.

With its diverse composition and collective working process, the Music Group is a defining feature of ALICE and the heart of the venue’s efforts toward broader representation and stronger concert experiences.

“After the first reshuffle of ALICE’s Music Group, I am truly proud that we have now expanded our wingspan even further. With the three new, highly skilled and very different bookers, we have succeeded in creating representation behind an even larger part of our programme at ALICE, while also taking part in an important conversation about the many different needs of music. At ALICE, it is essential that every single concert rests on a strong foundation of artistic decisions and an embrace of cultural expressions,” said venue director HC Gimbel in connection with the latest reshuffle of the group.

A progressive approach to programme planning

The four bookers bring competencies, insights, networks, and perspectives that span widely across the music industry. Together, they have experience from, among others, Roskilde Festival, the club music collective Bukhar, and in-depth knowledge of music from Southeast Europe, the Spanish-language music scene, African artists, and the Nordic emerging scenes.

“We come from very different backgrounds and have different experiences, networks, and tastes. All of this influences how we listen to music. That’s why it’s so important that we are several people curating ALICE’s music programme. As a collective, we are best positioned to move beyond individual habits and preferences and ensure broad representation in our bookings,” the group states jointly.

Each member of the Music Group has a distinct profile, but as part of the group they work closely together in a shared process to create a complete concert programme. Before an artist is booked, there must be consensus within the group.

“Together, we will work to ensure that at ALICE one can experience everything from iconic musical virtuosos to radical sonic experiments, explore all corners of the musical landscape, and be exposed to a wealth of expressions and worldviews,” says the Music Group.

In a broader perspective, the collective approach aims to ensure that many different people experience access to all levels and layers of ALICE’s activities—from curating the programme and participating in the organisation as collaborators, to standing on stage and having new experiences as audience members. This approach to artistic leadership is unique in the industry, both in Denmark and internationally.

Mero Cimen is a performing musician under the name Muskila and has worked for the past eight years with booking, tech, and partnerships. Together with Yasmina and KUCHULU, he runs the music collective BUKHAR, which works to promote greater diversity in Danish cultural life. In addition, he serves on the board of the music magazine Passive/Aggressive and holds an MA in Market Creation and Communication.

Isabel Douglass is the founder and agent of the booking agency Tone Chamber, known for working across new composition, jazz, and global music. She is project manager for Lux Boreal, a festival for Nordic music. Isabel is educated at the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus and California State University in San Francisco in performance studies and ethnomusicology, and has over 20 years of experience in the music industry, including as a booker, project manager, and manager.

Ulf Eriksson is the artistic director for music at the interdisciplinary venue and performance space Inkonst in Malmö. He is also the founder and director of Intonal Festival, which has existed since 2015 and is today Sweden’s leading festival for experimental contemporary art and contemporary music. In addition, he runs the record label Kontra-Musik, which has also expanded into a booking agency with a focus on experimental music. Ulf is based in Malmö.

Susi Castelo comes from a position as a booker at Roskilde Festival. She was born and raised in Madrid and holds a master’s degree in Film Studies from the University of Copenhagen. In addition to her work in the music industry, Susi Castelo has experience as a film director and screenwriter, as well as an art and culture communicator.

Maria Nøhr Wiuff is programme coordinator at ALICE. She has a background in project management from, among others, Roskilde Festival, as well as a master’s degree in Management of Creative Business Processes. She is also responsible for music at Øhavet Festival and a programme planner for Roskilde Festival’s First Days programme.