Close the app, make the ting
In February 2023, I invited renowned grime DJ, producer and writer, Elijah, to perform in Saigon for the first time. And, more importantly, hold his ‘close the app, make the ting’ lecture.
Intending to speak on every continent, his talk focuses on his post-it note ideas, where he hopes to challenge how we think about the creative industry and, in doing so, break down barriers to entry and generate ideas for sustainability.
To generate interest for the event, I printed A1 posters of Elijah’s yellow squares, placing them near Saigon’s iconic landmarks. The idea was to bring Elijah’s concepts into the city landscape, with people able to spot them, question them, and start their own discussions leading up to the event.
I was passionate to see whether Elijah’s ideas would translate into Vietnam’s creative scene, where different politics, music tastes, trends, and social and economic issues are at play. These elements all change creative accessibility and artist possibilities, especially when compared to the UK. I felt it was important to discuss these issues with an experienced artist and, hopefully, inspire Vietnam’s rising creatives and impact a scene in its infancy.
Taking over Arcan’s clubroom, young artists, friends and unfamiliar faces showed up, all with a clear interest in strengthening Saigon’s creative community. It was a full house, which I’m incredibly proud of, and I hope, in some way, this event inspires people to build together, creating a scene that’s stronger than the sum of its parts.
Thank you to everyone who helped out, moved chairs and worked together to make this happen.