EJN Staff Exchange Programme

Sending EJN member: Le Petit faucheux (France)
Hosting EJN member: Südtirol Jazz Festival Alto Adige (Italy)
Dates of the exchange: 30 June – 6 July 2025

During the exchange, I took part in setting up concerts in a wide variety of locations, including cinemas, hotels, squats, and open-air venues in the mountains. I was involved in artist hospitality, audience reception, and signage.

I worked closely with the artistic directors on different projects, and they showed me how they prepare the festival and how they operate on a day-to-day basis. I learned to work with people who have different working habits from my own, as well as in venues that are not designed to host concerts. This was a particularly valuable learning experience, as it requires constant adaptation to the environment in order to properly welcome both artists and audiences.

The festival is also larger, both in scale and duration, than those I usually work on. As a result, the workload is more spread out over time, and naturally involves a larger number of people.

What I consider the most important aspect of this exchange was the encounters with the people I worked alongside. What makes the festival unique is that, both in the office and in the field, it is entirely run by musicians. Everyone is committed to ensuring that the audience has a great experience, and they fully understand both the needs of the artists and the challenges of organising an event that is almost entirely free of charge.

I would like to sincerely thank the entire festival team for their incredibly warm welcome, especially Max, Roberto, and Stephan, who took the time to answer all my questions and explain their respective roles in the organisation of the festival.

Finally, thank you to Andrea, Alma, and Maurizio for the moments we shared. Working alongside them in the field was truly a pleasure.