What makes the arts sustainable? This months guest Ralph Christoph, the director of the c/o pop convention shares his views on how the current political climate will effect the founding of the arts and specifically pop music. What kind of structures are needed in order to navigate a political agenda that does not include diversity and focused on the misconception that pop music is a self sustaining profit oriented industry. We talk about how much work and thought goes into both understanding different segments and age groups of stakeholders and guests of the festival. He gives us insight on the ground work done behind the scenes to ensure that the event is relevant, educating and entertaining for a diverse audience. In the process we talk about how trends come into fashion and go and how the narratives, business models, challenges and approaches adjust to that.

We go through how the business models of the pop and performing industries have changed over the years between recording and touring the current dead-end situation due to inflation and exploding touring costs. How will this fragile biotope of music survive the current financial situation, the closed borders and the wars happening around Europe.

Additionally Ralph Christoph is giving us insight on the panel that will discuss how radical pop music could be in the next years if it follows other art-forms breaking norms and having an edge. A healthy reaction to the extreme right propaganda that is taking the internet by storm. How can pop music affect the current political climate as a form of aesthetic resistance and what is the soundtrack of the years to come. This years convention will explore exactly that!

More information on this years co pop convention on April 16 -17 in Cologne Germany

https://c-o-pop.de/programm#convention