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Maria Rylander – EJN Staff Exchange 2025
Sending EJN member: Göteborg Artist Center (GAC) / Knutpunkt (Sweden)
Hosting EJN member: Taller de Músics / JAZZ I AM (Spain)
Dates of the exchange: 11–15 March 2025
I arrived in Barcelona at lunchtime on Tuesday 11 March and went straight to El Molino, the main venue for all activities during JAZZ I AM 2025. While we organised the top floor with chairs and other practical arrangements, we discussed the upcoming programme. The focus of my staff exchange was to follow Cinzia Vernier and the activities surrounding the Swedish delegation, and to observe how the JAZZ I AM team organises a showcase festival with around 70 international delegates attending. In fact, my exchange had already started a month earlier, when the team invited me to take part in their digital hotel booking system.
The first day ended with a team gathering over some food, mentally preparing for everything to begin.
On Wednesday, I followed Cinzia during a guided tour organised by Catalan Arts. I met representatives from the Catalan Government, as well as operational managers from several theatres and a residency space. Cinzia, an excellent project manager, shared many valuable insights on how to plan, organise, and make events more efficient.
On Thursday and Friday, I assisted Mar Estartus with registration tasks, becoming more familiar with their well-oiled system for handing out name tags and checking participants off the list. We discussed their online registration system and the changes they are planning for next year due to some issues. These days were also filled with guiding delegates to the correct venues and providing support in the case of minor emergencies.
I learned that creating a successful event like JAZZ I AM requires a strong team that enjoys working together. It also takes a visionary figure like Rosa Galbany to make it happen and to continuously reinvent the event over the years. I gained many new contacts and had a great number of inspiring conversations.
