Żummara | overwhelmingly positive response at this years KampuSajf

Żummara: A Collaborative Music Residency at KampuSajf 2025

In August 2025, a groundbreaking musical residency project titled Żummara took shape as part of the vibrant KampuSajf festival. The initiative was the result of a collaboration between three dynamic music and arts collectives: REA, ORFEW, and Funky Monkey. Set against the innovative backdrop of MCAST Mosta, Żummara became a space for communal creation, musical experimentation, and lyrical exploration, inviting festival-goers to take an active role in shaping its artistic direction.

The Residency

Żummara was conceived as a collaborative residency that blurred the lines between artist and audience. Rather than a static performance or exhibition, the project was process-based, relying on public engagement to evolve organically over several days. The goal was to co-create original music and lyrics using inspiration drawn directly from the audience attending KampuSajf.

The residency emphasized experimentation, focusing on two core areas:

Musical exploration: Utilizing diverse genres and soundscapes.

Lyric development: Inspired by the lived experiences and real-time contributions of attendees.

By inviting the public to shape the direction of the work, Żummara challenged traditional top-down models of art production, instead fostering a collaborative creative community.

Central to the Żummara experience was audience interaction. Over the course of three days — Wednesday 20th, Thursday 21st, and Friday 22nd August 2025 — attendees were invited to actively participate in the residency at specific times between 16:30 and 19:30.

This interaction took place in two primary forms:

Corridor Installation

An open-access installation was set up in the corridor of MCAST Mosta, featuring recordings and visual materials from the residency. Here, attendees could:

• Listen to the developing music.

• Leave written words, thoughts, or phrases that resonated with the sound.

• Respond emotionally or intellectually to what they experienced.

These contributions directly influenced the ongoing compositions and lyric-writing process, with artists incorporating submitted words and themes into their work.

Studio Drop-In Sessions

An intimate studio space was established on-site, welcoming visitors during the same time slots. In this immersive environment, festival-goers could:

• Suggest lyrics or write verses collaboratively with artists.

• Sing or record vocals for choruses and refrains.

• Offer ideas or feedback on in-progress compositions.

This format allowed for a unique kind of real-time co-creation, where contributors were both muses and makers, shaping the project’s final output.

The Final Showcase

The culmination of the Żummara residency took place on Friday, 22nd August at 21:30, with a live performance and listening session. This event showcased the compositions developed over the course of the residency, highlighting the collective efforts of artists and contributors alike.

Attendees who had been part of the creative process had the opportunity to hear their influence reflected in the final works — whether in a lyric they inspired, a melody they helped shape, or a vocal line they performed themselves.

Żummara succeeded in its aim to reimagine what a residency can be: not a retreat into isolation, but an open forum for dialogue and experimentation. Key outcomes of the project included:

• A multi-track EP composed of collaboratively written songs (available for streaming/download).

• A public archive of submitted words and phrases, capturing the emotional and thematic spectrum of the festival audience.

• Strengthened creative networks between artists and community members.

• An expanded understanding of the audience’s role in art-making.

The residency not only generated new music, but also fostered a sense of ownership and connection among those who participated — a shared memory tied to sound and place.

Żummara was made possible through the collaboration of:

• REA

• ORFEW

• Funky Monkey

• KampuSajf Festival 2025

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the festival attendees who contributed their voices, words, and ideas to make this project a reality.

Żummara was more than just a project. It was a living, breathing testament to what happens when creativity is shared and when music is made not just for the people, but with them.