With a PhD in Modern and Contemporary History, I work at the intersection of sound, memory and identity. My practice blends research, music performance and cultural storytelling, exploring how ideas move across time and how sound shapes our memories and experiences
In Deep
I am a historian, cultural designer and music organiser with a background that moves between research, club culture and public-facing cultural projects, between the structures that shape memory and the frequencies that move souls.
My journey began with the pleasure of listening to music, not just hearing it. Then, in the archives, I studied the ways stories are built and preserved. With a PhD in Modern and Contemporary History and two decades of experience as a lecturer in universities and secondary schools, I have spent years connecting the analytical depth of academia with the immediacy of artistic enjoyment, working with institutions and cross-border networks.
At the same time, I have worked for over thirty years as a DJ, radio presenter and event curator. As a booking agent I produced over 600 events across Europe, collaborating with artists, venues and cultural institutions. I’ve had the enormous good fortune of meeting people who are now legends, alongside hundreds of cultural operators, scene agitators, professors and, above all, enthusiasts.
My work today moves freely between these two worlds.
I write regularly about music, culture, space and identity, and I collaborate with organisations interested in connecting historical awareness with contemporary creativity. My working languages are English, Italian, German and Spanish, with additional experience in Portuguese, Norwegian and French.
My focus is on developing hybrid formats where sound, narrative and memory can meet: from editorial work and DJ sets to cultural consulting, research-led storytelling and the design of projects that explore how communities think, remember and listen.
My name is Vanja, but everybody calls me Uncle.
Contact: uncle@unclevanja.com
Based in Central Europe