RAIVE AI Summer School

September 1-7, 2025

Royal Conservatoire Antwerp

Performance of the '3 1/2' project by Elena Khurgina, Anne Marleen Olthof and Inesa Markava — Performance of the "3 1/2" project by Elena Khurgina, Anne Marleen Olthof and Inesa Markava

RAIVE is a laboratory for young artists from diverse disciplines such as dance, music, technology, and visual arts where artists come together to redefine the boundaries of their craft through the lens of interdisciplinary collaboration. Participants learn to craft their own AI systems from basic principles, creating and curating their own datasets through a very "hands-on" artistic approach.

The programme is structured to encourage autonomy while providing access to expert guidance. As participants, you will work in groups throughout the week. During this process you learn from each other and benefit from the insights of four coaches, skilled in different areas within the arts. These coaches are there to mentor as well as share their personal artistic journeys through lectures and performances, enriching the learning atmosphere.

Introductory workshops will guide you on how to work with AI, interactive audio and performance practices. These sessions aim to provide you with tools to explore new ways of working together.

Performance of the 'Blob' project by Andrés Milán Lara, Sophie Waller, Biyi Zhu and Dualtagh McDonnell-Grundy — "Under Construction" performance by the "Blob" collective: Andrés Milán Lara, Sophie Waller, Biyi Zhu and Dualtagh McDonnell-Grundy

Giusy Caruso explaining to Biyi Zhu how to use the biosensing bracelets

RAIVE warm-up session led by Işıl Bıçakçı

Umut Eldem leading a discussion on the process of the project

Biyi Zhu performing 'Under Construction' — Biyi Zhu performing "Under Construction"

Inesa Markava and Anne Marleen Olthof prepare AI recordings under the watchful eye of Işıl

Umut Eldem discussing the project with Andrés Milán Lara and Sophie Waller

Post-summerschool drinks with the team — After-summerschool drinks and pizza with some participants

The culmination of this week-long journey is a public presentation held in De Gele Zaal of the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp. This sharing isn't about showing polished pieces but rather the raw, intriguing results of a week's exploration of art and technology. It's an invitation to the public to witness the process and the progress of works that sit at the intersection of multiple disciplines, brought to life by the next generation of artists.

Coaches

Giusy Caruso

Giusy Caruso is a pianist and artist-researcher who blends classical and contemporary music with advanced technologies like motion capture, virtual reality, and AI. As chair of the CREATIE group at the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp, she explores the intersection of art, science, and technology through immersive "phygital" performances that merge physical and digital realms. Her concerts, which often feature duets with her avatar in the Metaverse, challenge traditional formats and push musical expression into new territories. Caruso's innovative work has earned recognition such as the prestigious STARTS Prize from the European Commission.

giusycaruso.com

Umut Eldem

Umut Eldem is a composer, researcher, and creative programmer. He works as the coordinator of the research group CREATIE at Royal Conservatoire Antwerp, where he gives courses on music theory and audiovisual composition. As a Max Certified Trainer, he teaches and regularly organises workshops on creative coding for musicians. His compositions and research focus on the exploration of synaesthesia as an artistic medium. He has given lectures on his research of synaesthesia, and had his audiovisual works and installations combining sound and colours presented in many countries around the world.

umuteldem.com

Frederik De Bleser

Frederik De Bleser is a researcher and lecturer at Sint Lucas Antwerp. His research focuses on the connection between art and technology and the development of free software tools for artificial intelligence and data visualization. He is co-founder of the Algorithmic Gaze Research Group. He coordinates the master in digital media at Sint Lucas, and works as a freelance data visualisation artist, creating projects for Belgian news and online democracy platforms.

enigmeta.com

TBD

We're currently finalizing arrangements with our fourth coach. Details will be announced soon.

Location

The Royal Conservatoire Antwerp is located near the vibrant Zuid district and serves as a hub for musical and performative talent. The Conservatory shares a campus with deSingel, an acclaimed arts centre known for its eclectic mix of music, dance, and theatre performances. Together, they form a cultural beacon within the city. The neighbourhood around the Conservatory is lively and artistic, dotted with galleries, cafés, and boutiques, reflecting the creative spirit of the institution.

Royal Conservatoire Antwerp
Desguinlei 25
2018 Antwerp
Belgium

Planning RAIVE 2025

Tue April 22registration deadline

Mon May 19,
Tue May 20
or Wed May 21first online meeting with all participants and coaches. Date to be decided.

Mon Sep 1welcome, workshop, group project work, dinner

Tue Sep 2workshop, group project work, sharing session

Wed Sep 3morning warm-up, group project work, workshop, performance

Thu Sep 4morning warm-up, group project work, sharing session/performance

Fri Sep 5morning warm-up, group project work, group project try-out

Sat Sep 6morning warm-up, setting up, group project work, final presentation, dinner and afterparty

Sun Sep 7feedback session

The total price of the summer school is € 300.00.
Please note: accommodation and travel costs are not covered by the organisation, but depending on the circumstances, your institute might cover the fee and the related costs through scholarships. Sint Lucas awards four €200 scholarships for eligible students.

RAIVE is organised by The Algorithmic Gaze and CREATIE, two research groups situated in Antwerp that combine technology and arts.

Contact the organisers:
Myrthe Bokelmann
Cèlia Tort Pujol

This website draws inspiration from the LAbO summer school, organized by ChampdAction. Many members of our team are proud LAbO alumni, and the event's innovative spirit helped shape the RAIVE programme. Our gratitude for the organizers — and the groundbreaking ideas and collaborations they ignited — remains as strong as ever. We hope to spark that same passion in you.