Open letter: Claiming a front row seat - the place of music in society

76 International, European and national music organisations are calling for better recognition of music in all policy areas.

After more than 15 months of lockdowns, and hardly any concerts, festivals, collective singing, band or orchestra practice, clubbing and music education in or out of schools, the music sector in Europe and the world is at risk of turning into a stigmatised sector where only very few forms will survive.

 Read the whole letter here.

EMC members bid farewell to long-standing EMC President Ian Smith

EMC members bid farewell to long-standing EMC President Ian Smith

In the frame of the EMC Annual Meeting of members on 6 June 2021 the EMC members warmly thanked Ian Smith for his commitment for the European Music Council during the past 9 years on the Board of the EMC, of which he served 7 years as EMC President.

On behalf of the EMC members, former EMC President, Stef Coninx, paid tribute to Ian’s time at the EMC with an informative, emotional and very personal speech. For those who were not able to join, we have selected some highlights of Stef’s praise.

Read the full statement here

EMC: Recap of the European Forum on Music 2021

"Music is at the centre of the well being of our spirit, of our body and mind. It's not only entertainment, it's more than that!"

Angélique Kidjo opened with such powerful words the 10th European Forum on Music, on June 2, 2021. The theme for this year's EFM was "Claiming a front row seat. The place of music in society", which was also reflected in Angélique Kidjo's words.

Her speech devoted particular attention to the effects of the pandemic on the cultural sector, from both an economic and social point of view, by focusing also on the health issues of adolescents and income of musicians. You can watch the full keynote here.

Angélique Kidjo's intense message echoed during the whole European Forum on Music, which took place for three days, bringing together issues such as the place of music in the society, the Sustainable Development Goals and the working conditions of artists.

Discover more on the European Forum on Music with this recap article written by the European Music Council!

SHIFT: Cultural Leadership Annotated Bibliography

The main goal of the collection of resources is to explore the concept of Cultural Leadership by adopting a community-oriented understanding. Going beyond the idea of the leader as the sole enactor of change, the project understands change as a transformational process that can be kickstarted by innovation entrepreneurs in touch with the organisational community.
The collection of resources focuses on different dimensions of this understanding of cultural leadership. Leaders have to root their efforts of change not only in normative ideas and ideal states, but also on the analysis of the current state of their organisation. The collection presents ideas of what cultural leaders are and could be, but also it introduces a series of methodological and analytical tools useful to understand their organisations.

This annotated bibliography is by no means exhaustive and is rather meant as a guide.

This publication has been created by Trans Europe Halles and the SHIFT partner networks as output for the cultural leadership strand of the SHIFT project (Shared Initiatives for Training).

No Culture No Future | #Culture2030goal Campaign launches its strategy document

If you believe that there is no future without culture and that the cultural ecosystems should be integrated in both short-term recovery and long-term development strategies, support the #Culture2030goal campaign. With the launch today of its strategy document the group (where International Music Council is a member) takes this opportunity to extend invitation to interested stakeholders to join the campaign and support its actions.

Read more...

Save the date 2 - 5 June. European Forum on Music 2021: Claiming a front row seat - The place of music in society

The European Forum on Music 2021 taking place online from 2 - 5 June 2021 will offer a variety of sessions, including keynote speeches, panel discussions, interactive workshops and networking sessions for the music sector to exchange and to discuss about the role and place of music in society.

Updates on the programme and opening of registration are coming soon! Watch out for our next newsletter with more information!

Read More

Culture at Work Africa digital showcase

“The African continent must be a laboratory. We must imagine novel forms; we must reinvent a richer and more open humanity.” This is how Senegalese economist Felwine Sarr described a possible reinvention of Africa. The continent’s emerging leaders and activists will undoubtedly play a key role. The Culture at Work Africa digital showcase pays tribute to all of them by presenting a series of recent groundbreaking initiatives that highlight the importance of intercultural dialogue and cultural diversity in the development of inclusive and peaceful societies within the continent’s complex urban spaces and politically sensitive crossroads.

Read More

Culture at Work Africa releases its final publication

Culture is the way we understand our lives and the meaning we make of them. Culture nourishes the values that are the foundation of people-centred development. Culture is also the active participation in the celebration of life, the safeguarding and renewal of heritage, the processes of creative expression, and the discovery of diversity.

Much has been written in the last 40 years on the place of culture in development, but it is difficult to find documents or reports that illustrate in practice, at work, how culture changes our societies in an empowering way. The publication – Culture at Work Africa. The public value of intercultural dialogue for social cohesion in urban Africa – addresses this gap.

Read More