DIY MUSIC CAREER Lab
Artist Empowerment Program
a free workshop series designed for musicians who want to build a sustainable, independent music career in Berlin.
Across a series of practical sessions, participants will gain tools to navigate the Berlin’smusic ecosystem, from collaboration and production to self-management, legal structures, funding, and live performance.
This program focuses on real-world knowledge: how to present your work, connect with others, release music, and develop your artistic identity without relying on traditional industry structures.
Led by Niki Yaghmaee, the program brings together guest facilitators from Berlin’s music and cultural scene, including Soheil Soheili, Pamela Owusu-Brenyah, Sebastian Hoffmann, Belén Marinato, Dornika, Marcela Villanueva, and Volker Greve. The lab combines workshops, discussions,
and hands-on sessions.
The program concludes with a live concert and recording opportunity, where participants present their work in a professional setting.
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funded by Musicboard Berlin GmbH.
Supported by:
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The DIY Music Career Lab is fully booked.
We are currently planning more workshops, and a community event is coming soon.
If you would like to stay connected and be the first to hear about upcoming opportunities, please fill out the form below.
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Meet the facilitators
Niki Yaghmaee is a Berlin-based Iranian multi-instrumentalist, composer, and music producer. Classically trained in viola and violin, his work spans experimental music, alternative hip-hop, electroacoustic production, and sound design. As co-founder of Duos Duet, he blends cinematic, classical, and Iranian influences in international performances. Supported by a Berlin Senate Scholarship, Niki brings strong insight into the Berlin music scene and practical expertise in DIY self-promotion, improvisation-based collaboration, and community building. In 2025, he co-led the UdK Berlin / Artist Training course “Building Your Music Life in Berlin”, mentoring early-career musicians in freelancing, networking, and artistic self-management. In the same year, he founded Borderless Creatures, a Berlin-based collective organizing genre-free concerts and workshops focused on acoustic instruments, experimental collaboration, and transcultural exchange.
Soheil Soheili is a Berlin-based Iranian multimedia artist, label producer, sound collector, and radio maker. He began as a musician, DJ, and audio engineer before building an international career through music publications. Since launching aNoise in 2019—the independent label bridging experimental electronic and contemporary classical music between Iran and Germany—Soheil has collaborated with initiatives, platforms, collectives, and festivals, forging vital international connections. As a recipient of the "Artists and Cultural Actors at Risk" scholarship from the Martin Roth Initiative, he relocated to Berlin in 2023 and has since published several music albums and organized many music events. He draws on his sound theory background and post-production expertise to mentor emerging talent with practical, hands-on skills. In 2025, he co-led UdK Berlin's "Building Your Music Life in Berlin" Artist Training course, guiding musicians through independent releases, collaboration, and technical foundations. His practice centers on high-quality sound, archiving, and fostering community across intercultural contexts.
Pamela Owusu-Brenyah is a Berlin-based freelance curator and music consultant working at the intersection of music, community, and politics, with a focus on contemporary African and diasporic culture. She has been active in Berlin’s cultural sector for several years, curating music programs and developing new formats. She is currently a curator of the Pop-Kultur Festival and the monthly Sound Base Berlin series at Haus der Kulturen der Welt, bringing together live performance, DJ sets, and conversations around Berlin’s music scenes. Pamela regularly serves as a jury member for funding programs including Musicboard Berlin, the Listen to Berlin Award, PopCamp, and Initiative Musik. Through her platform Afro x Pop, she initiates projects such as songwriting camps and unplugged sessions, creating spaces for artists from the African diaspora. As a board member of Music Women* Germany, she advocates for equality and visibility of FLINTA* in the music industry, and recently produced her first documentary, Adikoro – Women in Music Ghana.
Iranian-American artist Dornika has become an icon in Berlin’s queer underground scene. She is known for bold anthems such as “I Like Boys in a Miniskirt” and “Nobody Fing Owns My Body”*, empowering listeners to challenge norms around gender, identity, and freedom. Her sound ranges from experimental and dark electronic to hyperpop and club-driven music, bringing a punk spirit to the dance floor. She works across multiple disciplines as a singer-songwriter, rapper, producer, activist, fashion designer, model, performance artist, and award-winning director. Dornika has performed over 150 shows across Europe, including appearances at Lollapalooza, Fusion, Garbicz, and Whole Festival, and collaborations with brands such as Spotify and Netflix.
Volker Greve is a Berlin-based sound engineer, composer, and educator with over 30 years of professional experience. Trained in percussion and jazz composition at the Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf and the Musikhochschule Köln, he has worked with institutions such as RIAS Berlin and the University of the Arts Berlin. Since 1996, he has directed Greve Studio Berlin, producing and engineering numerous recordings across jazz, classical, and contemporary music. He also teaches music production at the Hanns Eisler Hochschule and Jazz Institut Berlin, sharing his expertise with emerging artists.
Marcela Villanueva is a Berlin-based project manager and cultural producer specialized in public funding for the arts. She is the founder and director of Karne Kunst gUG, through which she develops and manages publicly funded projects in collaboration with institutions such as the Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion, Fonds Darstellende Künste, and European programs. Her work focuses on project development, grant writing, and financial management, supporting artists and organizations in accessing and sustaining public funding.
Belén Marinato is a cultural manager, programmer, and producer from Argentina. In 2022, she founded ardea, a platform promoting mainly women and queer artists from Latin America and the SWANA region. She has organized and programmed concert series such as BUMMM! Jam Sessions and RADAЯ, and led the artistic direction and coordination of RESONANCE, a residency for migrant FLINTA musicians. Belén has also worked on festivals including Pop-Kultur and MW:M, and regularly gives talks and workshops on production and community building. Since 2022, she has been part of the Performing Arts Programme (PAP Berlin), and since 2024, part of Lola Arias’s company production team. She also leads an artistic project with Chris Sergeant and Florencia Ondona.
Sebastian Hoffmann works at the German Centre of the International Theatre Institute (ITI), where he coordinates the “touring artists” help desk, advising on administrative regulations for cross-border work in all cultural disciplines. He studied North American and Film Studies at FU Berlin and Reed College (USA), and has worked as a music agent, promoter, and consultant for Music Pool Berlin and the Smart Cooperative.
Explore past concerts, jam sessions,
and moments from the Borderless Creatures
Borderless Creatures Live - Recycled Roots
Borderless Creatures Live - Rira trio
Borderless Creatures Jam - Artist Training
Borderless Creatures Live - Persian Chamber Music
Photo Gallery
100 Sounds Of Belonging: Berlin - Photos by: Berliner Flaneur
100 Sounds Of Belonging: Berlin - Photos by: Berliner Flaneur
100 Sounds Of Belonging: Berlin - Photos by: Berliner Flaneur
100 Sounds Of Belonging: Berlin - Photos by: Berliner Flaneur
100 Sounds Of Belonging: Berlin - Photos by: Berliner Flaneur
100 Sounds Of Belonging: Berlin - Photos by: Berliner Flaneur
100 Sounds Of Belonging: Berlin - Photos by: Berliner Flaneur
100 Sounds Of Belonging: Berlin - Photos by: Berliner Flaneur
100 Sounds Of Belonging: Berlin - Photos by: Berliner Flaneur
100 Sounds Of Belonging: Berlin - Photos by: Berliner Flaneur
100 Sounds Of Belonging: Berlin - Photos by: Berliner Flaneur
100 Sounds Of Belonging: Berlin - Photos by: Berliner Flaneur
Recycled Roots -Photos: Shirin Sheybanizadeh
Recycled Roots -Photos: Shirin Sheybanizadeh
Recycled Roots -Photos: Shirin Sheybanizadeh
Recycled Roots -Photos: Shirin Sheybanizadeh
Recycled Roots -Photos: Shirin Sheybanizadeh
Recycled Roots -Photos: Shirin Sheybanizadeh
Recycled Roots -Photos: Shirin Sheybanizadeh
Recycled Roots -Photos: Shirin Sheybanizadeh
Recycled Roots -Photos: Shirin Sheybanizadeh
Recycled Roots -Photos: Shirin Sheybanizadeh
RIRA TRIO - Photos by: Shirin Sheybanizade
RIRA TRIO - Photos by: Shirin Sheybanizade
RIRA TRIO - Photos by: Shirin Sheybanizade
RIRA TRIO - Photos by: Shirin Sheybanizade
RIRA TRIO - Photos by: Shirin Sheybanizade
RIRA TRIO - Photos by: Shirin Sheybanizade
Donavazi - Stills from the concert
Donavazi - Stills from the concert
Donavazi - Stills from the concert
Donavazi - Stills from the concert
Donavazi - Stills from the concert
Borderless Creatures Jam - Artist Training Photos: Berliner.Flaneur
Borderless Creatures Jam - Artist Training Photos: Berliner.Flaneur
Borderless Creatures Jam - Artist Training Photos: Berliner.Flaneur
Borderless Creatures Jam - Artist Training Photos: Berliner.Flaneur
Borderless Creatures Jam - Artist Training Photos: Berliner.Flaneur
Borderless Creatures Jam - Artist Training Photos: Berliner.Flaneur
Borderless Creatures Jam - Artist Training Photos: Berliner.Flaneur
Borderless Creatures Jam - Artist Training Photos: Berliner.Flaneur
Borderless Creatures Jam - Artist Training Photos: Berliner.Flaneur
Borderless Creatures Jam - Artist Training Photos: Berliner.Flaneur
Borderless Creatures Jam - Artist Training Photos: Berliner.Flaneur
Borderless Creatures Jam - Artist Training Photos: Berliner.Flaneur
Chaotic Creatures - Templehofer Feld
Chaotic Creatures - Aeden Photo: Martin - Aaron
Chaotic Creatures - Templehofer Feld
Chaotic Creatures - Templehofer Feld
Chaotic Creatures - Aeden Photo: Martin - Aaron
Chaotic Creatures - Aeden Photo: Martin - Aaron
Chaotic Creatures - Aeden Photo: Martin - Aaron
Chaotic Creatures - Aeden Photo: Martin - Aaron