MUSIC THAT CHANGED THE WORLD #3

• Date: 27 November
• Time: 20:00 - 21:30
• Location: PAARD

Sounds of precariousness: why do musicians protest?

This event takes place in English.

We often look towards artists as political subjects who comment on and confront conditions in society. At the same time, however, creative work brings with it a lot of precariousness, and artists often have to navigate different political and economic realities. This talk reflects on the opportunities and constraints that cultural workers face when it comes to political protest today, and thinks about how we can connect the fight for better working conditions in the arts with broader political projects for equality and justice.

About the lecturer;
Kristina Kolbe is an Assistant Professor in Sociology of Arts and Culture at the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication at Erasmus University Rotterdam and a Visiting Fellow at the International Inequalities Institute at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Holding a PhD in Sociology from the LSE, she is the recipient of a VENI grant from the Dutch Research Council (2023-2027) and an Early Career Fellow of the Independent Social Research Foundation (2023-2025). Her works explores key sociological questions around inequality, social reproduction, and social change with a focus on the role of music, the arts and the media. Her first book The sound of difference: race, class and the politics of ‘diversity’ (Manchester University Press, 2024) was shortlisted for the 2025 British Sociological Association’s Philip Abrams Memorial Prize for the best first, sole-authored book within the discipline of Sociology. Kristina’s current research explores how grassroots music collectives in Germany, the UK, France and the Netherlands engage in care practices, protest and activism both in and beyond the creative industries.

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