Key Areas of Work for 2012

In 2012 the EJN work programme is concentrated on these major areas of concern:
    • Mobility of artists
    • Audience mobility
    • Education
    • Advocacy
    • Networking
    • Research
    • Information & communication

Within the work programme, EJN is also continuing to recruit new members and strengthen its internal structure and operation, including applying for and managing funds from the European Commission.

Summary Action Plan 2012

Mobility of artists

    • Showcases to be visited – Norwegian, British, Catalonian, others to be identified
    • 12 Points festival (Dublin) to be developed as an example of networking collaboration which supports the mobility of artists
    • Collaboration ideas on artistic projects to be concentrated on in sessions at General Assembly
    • Collectives Working Group to develop plans with musicians' collectives
    • Membership information/communication increased on website and newsletter to encourage informal artistic collaborations

Audience mobility

    • EJN members' marketing specialists form Working Group
    • Explore ideas and plan pilot project for 'cultural tourism' across members'audiences at General Assembly

Education

    • Invitation of experts to General Assembly – seminars & exploratory discussions to begin action plans

Advocacy

    • Developing Europe-wide awareness and profile for the value and diversity of jazz/creative music
    • Representing EJN and the importance of jazz/improvised music to national agencies - including governmental cultural departments and national promotional agencies for culture and especially in countries without clearly developed policies towards jazz/creative music.
    • Board meetings in Portugal, Macedonia, Poland to meet other promoters and agencies
    • Participation in and dialogue with other cultural networks in Europe. Designated Board members attending meetings or in contact with EFAH, EFA, Soul for Europe, ISPA, EACEA/EU – and making new contacts
    • Individual members representing EJN to regional and national agencies
    • Participation in European Union meetings and consultations
    • Participation in policy-making debates and consultations

Networking

    • Providing a forum in which members can find project partners in other European countries and build co-operative musical projects
    • General Assembly in Bari, September 2012, in partnership with Pugliasoundsl
    • EJN presence at Jazzahead, Bremen ('trade stand' etc)
    • EJN presence at 12 Points, Dublin
    • EJN presence at Bergen & Barcelona showcases
    • Dialogues with other organisations, alongside Board meetings as above
    • Providing opportunities for members to exchange ideas and contacts via the members-only section of the EJN website.
    • Individual meetings between members
    • Recruiting new members to the network, with a priority given to recruitment in Eastern Europe and the Iberian peninsular

Research

    • Long-term research to determine the scope, and impacts of members' activities & the jazz/creative music sector in Europe. Research Working Group & contracted partners continue to collect, collate and analyse information
    • Beginning to operate an annual research programme with other partners
    • Publishing and disseminating economic research findings to members, national/regional and European institutions and policy-makers

Information & communication

    • Improving communication and information services to members
    • Collating and providing information to musicians to assist their mobility in the European music scene.
    • Collating and providing information to members and musicians on booking, programming, policy and funding opportunities
    • Working Group on media and contracted partners establish European media database
    • Providing regular communications on EJN and EJN members' activities on a pan-European level to specialist music and general cultural press, broadcasting and other media
    • Invitations to media representatives to meetings and General Assembly
    • Working Group developing contacts and potential projects with broadcasters
    • Revising, developing and maintaining the EJN www.europejazz.net website
    • Production & updating of basic publication pack, including translation into other languages
    • Publication of General Assembly report
    • Publication of new Annual Report
    • Regular members e-newsletter produced
    • Planning new publications on significant areas of work
    • Seminars and discussions on significant issues within the jazz and wider cultural domain

Organisational

    • Board review and revision of membership qualifications, to be proposed to General Assembly
    • Recruitment of new members
    • Regular reporting by personnel to Board
    • Planning review and development at Board meetings
    • 3 Board meetings + General Assembly
    • Administrative and planning meetings – small Board group and personnel
    • Full external audit of EJN annual accounts

Future Planning

During 2012 the Board and Working Groups of EJN will develop the broad priority areas for new work in the following two years.
The issues will be discussed in Working Groups and in open sessions at the 2012 General Assembly and the Board will oversee the preparation of plans on the subjects which will be implemented in 2012 and beyond. Plans for 2012 onwards will be submitted to the European Commission in autumn 2012 as an application for continued network funding.