Stumbled into the world of culture – now nominated for a cultural award

Omnibus meets Julia Choma in familiar surroundings at Kasernen, the day before the Artbeats Spireprisen is awarded in the theatre Aveny-T in Copenhagen. She’s currently in her sixth semester of the Aesthetics and Culture bachelor’s programme.

She is both excited and proud of herself.

"It's very big for me just to be nominated," she says.

Spireprisen is awarded to young talents working with cultural communication, with significant potential in the music industry. Julia Choma has been nominated for her work and leadership of the project Kulturambassadører Viborg, which helps young people set up their own events.

Her interest in cultural creation and communication goes back further than the start of studies at AU in 2022. But it has largely arisen because of coincidences.

While Julia Choma was celebrating her graduation from Midtbyens Gymnasium in Viborg in 2021, she reached out to Viborg Municipality to learn more about Karriereby Viborg – an initiative that supports young people in finding their way in education and employment within the municipality.

She was thrown straight into the deep end, helping plan Vibstock Festival and Connectival as her first projects. What both festivals have in common is that they are created by and for young people.

"When the festivals were held, I was introduced to some people from a local venue in Viborg," she says.

Shortly after, Julia Choma accepted an internship at the venue Paletten in Viborg.

"I didn't even know that we had a venue in Viborg," Julia Choma says, who reasoned that if she didn't know, it probably also applied to other of the city's young people.

"And I thought: shouldn't we do something about it?"

At Paletten, Julia Choma found a taste for cultural communication and project management.

Shortly into her internship at Paletten, she discovered that very few people attended the venue's frequent event, Jam Nights.

"I thought it was so strange that not so many people came," she says.

"The manager said that they had been trying to attract more guests for years," she says.

Julia Choma thought that the solution was to involve the audience – especially the young audience, as she was not aware that the Palette existed when she was in high school. She focused on visibility and involvement, and after a few months, according to Julia Choma, more guests began to come to Jam Nights.

"Suddenly 75 people came, the next time 100 and the next time 170," she says.

At the events, Julia Choma overheard young people talking about the lack of a cultural institution where they can express themselves and cultivate their musical interests.

That’s what led Julia Choma to launch the initiative Kulturambassadøren, which is the project behind her nomination for Spireprisen.

"In the provincial cities, there is a lot of focus on families with children and seniors, but not so much on young people," she says.

Kulturambassadøren is therefore an initiative that allows young people in the municipality to learn how to organise their own cultural events.

"You can attend workshops on PR, marketing, booking in the music industry and lighting and sound technology," Julia Choma says.

"At the same time, they plan and hold their events," she says.

"I was very unsure whether I should study medicine or chemical engineering. My family really wanted me to study something scientific, as no one in my family works in a creative field," she says.

"But when I was at the Vibstock Festival, I thought, this is what I’m meant to do with my life," she says.

"The feeling I get when I create something for others is what drives me," Julia Choma says.

As mentioned, Julia Choma is in her sixth semester of the bachelor's degree programme in Aesthetics and Culture, which complements the practical knowledge she gained during her internship at Paletten with theoretical insights.

She still works at Paletten, but part-time alongside her studies.

At the same time, she is involved in her degree programme, in student politics and in several student-run projects at AU. She is a member of the Kasernebaren, a volunteer at Studenterhus Aarhus, a member of the Board of Education and the Arts Council. It would undoubtedly result in a calendar that could make others break a sweat just by looking at it.

"I don't get stressed because I love what I do," she says.

The award ceremony is approaching. Julia Choma is excited about what lies ahead, including the opportunity to connect with industry peers and expand her network. She has already experienced how it can create opportunities. At the same time, she is aware that it is necessary to put yourself out there in order to be seen.

"Being visible as a person is necessary to gain recognition in the industry," she says.

So how did it go? The Spireprisen Award was awarded on Friday evening and went to the Aarhus gospel choir Praise.

This text is machine translated and post-edited by Cecillia Jensen.