Seminar on Jazz for Young people at Maijazz Festival

Europe Jazz Network (EJN) and Vestnorsk jazzsenter are organising a seminar in the framework of “Jazz for Young People” project in Stavanger, Norway, on May 5-6, during Maijazz festival, one of the key international jazz festivals of Norway.
 
The seminar will deal with research-based aspects of how to make and present concerts for children. Kari Holdhus, associate Professor in Music Education at Stord Haugesund University College, will give a lecture on “Quality definitions, power and ownership in concerts for children”, while her colleague and musician/composer Petter Frost Fadnes from the University of Stavanger will talk about “Playspace! The potential values of bringing improvisational practices into music didactics in school”. 

Martel Ollerenshaw from Serious ltd. (producers of EFG London Jazz Festival) will share her experience and knowledge from more then 10 years work with community participation, family friendly concerts and other shows and events addressing younger audiences. 17 Europe Jazz Network representatives from 7 countries will join the seminar, attending interesting lectures and engaging in discussions and exchanges that will provide info and ideas for the final phase of the project.
 
“Working with jazz for young people is like working on the basic pillar of music” said Nina Torske from Vestnorsk jazzsenter. “The questions we are asking ourselves now, when discussing concerts for children, are the questions every musician and promoter should ask herself/himself when presenting music for any kind of audience. This makes this project so important”
 
“Jazz for Young people” is a three-years project launched by EJN and Vestnorsk jazzsenter in 2014 and supported by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union and Norsk jazzforum that aims to research, analyse and identify existing best practices in this field and to provide guidelines to promoters and artists that intend to create and programme music events dedicated to children and young audiences.

In the framework of the project a number of working groups, seminars and conferences has been organised including at the Helsinki European Jazz Conference (September 2014) at EFG London Jazz Festival (November 2014), Voss Jazz Festival (March 2015), Budapest European Jazz Conference (September 2015). The outcomes of the project will include a handbook, that will be used by promoters and artists to address these topics, a database of best practices and an online marketplace where it will be possible to access information on the productions available in Europe.