We are very happy to announce that Europe Jazz Network (EJN) is one of the European networks, across different artistic and cultural fields, that will receive funding from the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union (Networks strand) for the period between September 2017 and August 2021.
67 applications were submitted for this strand and 28 networks, 9 of which from the music sector, have been selected for funding.
Four years of intense activities for our network and the whole jazz/creative music sector in Europe are ahead of us. Key strategic objectives of our future action plan include: acting as a hub for new exchanges and collaborations; reaching out to new audiences; empowering professionals; advocating for our sector; crafting tools for today’s cultural players, including new digital approaches, and leading by example, particularly in identifying new models of working with communities and encouraging debate around gender balance and other forms of discrimination (both on the artistic and management sides of the music industry) through resources, training and the adoption of a Manifesto.
The first year of the project will be granted by Creative Europe with a sum of 248.500 €, the full amount that was requested. Some of the activities to be implemented during this first year are:
- The 4th European Jazz Conference in Ljubljana, 21-24 September 2017;
- The bestowing of two EJN Awards in 2018 for music promoters in Europe, the 7th EJN Award for Adventurous Programming and the first one for Social Inclusion;
- The expansion of EJN digital tools including a training toolkit on streaming of events for live music promoters;
- The beginning of a 3-years activity on social inclusion through creative music with preparatory meetings and the organisation of a professional workshop;
- The organisation of a training seminar on gender issues in the music sector and the adaption in English of the resource “Audience in focus” on these topics;
- Organisation of an expert conference on the influence of jazz/creative music on the contemporary popular music scene;
- Meeting of the working group on “Jazz for Young People” for the development of external projects and gathering of information and good practices for the expansion of the resources already developed;
- Collection of information and research on the mobility of audiences & cultural tourism opportunities linked to jazz festivals;
- Organisation of an Artistic Exchange Platform meeting in 2018 for the creation of joint artistic projects between EJN members;
- Commissioning of a new study on national taxation/visa/logistical issues about touring of musicians to and outside of the EU;
- Continuation of EJN Staff Exchange programme & trainings for music professionals;
- Continuation of the work on artists development and new talents in collaboration with music education institutions and networks.
We look forward to continue to strengthen collaborations and exchanges between music professionals all around Europe and to include new partners in the exciting activities ahead!
