Common Grounds, Global Music Lab

Music Connection Lab 2026

📍 Quartair Contemporary Art Initiatives, The Hague

📅 Sunday 8 March 2026

🕖 19:00 (following iftar)

🎟 Free entry – open to the public

In collaboration with Rotterdam Arab Film Festival

In partnership with Van Damascus naar Den Haag

About the Global Music Lab

The Global Music Lab is part of Music Connection Lab 2026 and brings together musicians connected to The Hague for an intensive process of musical collaboration, exchange, and collective creation.

Running in parallel, the partner programme Van Damascus naar Den Haag organises a three-day interdisciplinary workshop with Syrian artists and participants with a Syrian background, focusing on visual art, video art, and painting.

The two programmes intersect during the public presentation on 8 March, while maintaining their own artistic focus and autonomy.

Workshops

The music workshops of the Global Music Lab focus on collaborative music-making and experimentation across genres and traditions. Musicians work together to develop new material and performance formats in response to the shared context of the exhibition and public presentation.

Dates: 6 & 7 March 2026

Location: Quartair Contemporary Art Initiatives, The Hague

At the same time, within the framework of Van Damascus naar Den Haag, participants collaborate on a collective installation around the theme of just transition (rechtvaardige transitie).

This interdisciplinary process is informed by poetry, short films, group conversations, and moments of reflection.

Concert & Public Presentation

On Sunday 8 March 2026, the outcomes of both trajectories come together in a public moment.

Following the iftar, at 19:00, the exhibition opens and is accompanied by live music and performances developed within the Global Music Lab. The evening creates a shared space where music, visual art, and dialogue meet, while clearly reflecting the distinct artistic contributions of each programme.

Date & time: 8 March 2026 — 19:00

Location: Quartair Contemporary Art Initiatives, The Hague

Entry: Free

Music Participants

(Global Music Lab – confirmed so far)

• Guido Langranchi — cajón, vocals
• Pepe Herpen — vocals, guitar, harmonica
• Jules van de Port — saxophone
• Christo Wijnroks — accordion
• Kourosh Jdadi — saxophone, bass guitar, or drum set (flexible)
• Ayman Sandouk — synthesizer
• Alex Hadeed — guitar, oud, bass, percussion
• Anan Al-Kadamani — violin
• Hannibal Saad — guitar
• Alejandra Gomez — hula hoop dancer (performance artist)

Guest musician:

• Amel Sdiri — vocals

More musicians and guest artists will join and will be announced in due course.