EMC Newsletter 9
             EMC Newsletter – November 2009
                                                                                            
Content

Editorial
Dear Reader,

Coming back from the International Music Council’s 3rd World Forum on Music in Tunis we would like to share some important information on the activities of the European as well as International Music Council.
Read more about the latest publications of the EMC, such as the ExTra! final report and the ExTra! publication “Music in Motion. Diversity and Dialogue in Europe” or the documentation on the Israel 2008 conference “Music on Troubled Soils”. Find out about the prize winners of the IMC Musical Rights Award and about the First European Forum on Music in Vienna and get informed about the state of cultural policy at EU level.

Enjoy reading the EMC Newsletter!

With kind regards,

Simone Dudt                                                         Ruth Jakobi
Secretary General Policy and Communication             Secretary General Development and Finances
3rd World Forum on Music by the International Music Council
The 3rd World Forum on Music (WFM) organised jointly by the International Music Council (IMC) and the Ministry of Culture and Heritage Preservation of the Tunisian Republic was a great success.
Entitled Access to Musical Diversity, the WFM focused on five areas which IMC considers being of crucial importance to the world of music:
  • Supporting Musical Diversity: How UNESCO, governments and music organisations are implementing (or obstructing) the UNESCO Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions
  • Tunisian Music and Musics in Tunisia. Converging and distinctive aspects
  • Riding the Digital Tiger: New developments in digital distribution and the shake-out of the music industry
  • The Changing Paradigms of Cultural Policy: Perspectives from different regions of the world. Speakers were Abderraouf Basti (Minister of Culture and Heritage Preservation of Tunisia), Xavier Troussard (Head of Unit for Culture Policy and Intercultural Dialogue at DG Education and Culture, European Commission), Lupwishi Mbuyama (Executive Director, Observatory of Cultural Policies in Africa), moderated by Silja Fischer (Secretary General of IMC)
  • Music Education from Advocacy to Practice: The challenge of creating and managing a global network and partnership system
  • Challenges to Art Music: In a world overrun by celebrity and superficiality, is there an audience for the disciplines and profound truths of art music?
In the frame of the forum the IMC Inaugural Musical Rights Award was celebrated. The first winner is:
  • Freemuse – The world forum on music & censorship.  Denmark (global). This unique programme advocates freedom of expression for creators and performers of music. It documents and often publicises incidents of censorship and oppression, some of which may see musicians gaoled or even killed. It acts in a variety of ways to support musicians who experience limitations in their freedom to express themselves, in some cases by lobbying offending governments directly. It collaborates with other organisations working to implement the principles outlined in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, and with researchers and journalists to focus on issues of music censorship. Hence, the programme goes to the roots of the five musical rights defined by IMC. 
Furthermore, the following two projects/programmes were presented with the IMC Musical Rights Awards 2009:  
  • Musical Programme of “Centro Andino para la Educacion y la Cultura” (CAPEC).  Argentina. This programme targets groups of young people in Argentina who for various reasons do not easily have access to musical education and involvement, partly high-risk children. From the very start more than 20 years ago, the centre of the programme has been a small village, distant from major national institutions. Over the years, the programme has reached out to young people in the surroundings of this centre. Systematically over the time of its existence the programme has grown to encompass musical workshops, choral and instrumental ensembles, training of musical promoters, establishment of a music school, and organisation of competence building seminars for musical leaders, musicians and music educators. The programme thus builds, in a most systematic manner, the whole chain necessary to create an environment in which the five musical rights can be practiced in direct relation to a underprivileged group of young people.
  • Revival of Music Education in Afghanistan.  This project aims at bringing music education and involvement in music back into the Afghan society after the Taliban period and its virtual obliteration of music life in Afghanistan and continuous threat to all those who exposed themselves as musicians. In the aftermath of this period, and under political circumstances which are still highly fragile, an initiative has been taken by an expatriate Afghan musician to establish a music institute, as a first step towards a national programme for music education. It is remarkable as well as promising that, in this situation, the initiative has obtained support by the Afghan government and eventually from a number of other organisations. The institute will cater to the music-educational needs of gifted and motivated youth, especially supporting underprivileged children. The project is a spearhead in giving the Afghan people the right to again celebrate their own music without the risk of being punished. 
In addition to the recommended winners, the jury found that another six projects/programmes have high scores in relation to the award criteria. Each of these projects/programmes contributes in a proactive way to the promotion of one or several of the five musical rights. The jury recommends that the following six projects/programmes be recognised as Specially Commendable (in alphabetical order):
The Tunisian hosts provided an inspiring concert programme demonstrating the musical diversity of Tunisia in breathtaking concert venues. 

33rd General Assembly of the International Music Council (IMC)
Next to the 3rd World Forum on Music the 33rd General Assembly of IMC took place. In the frame of the assembly elections to the IMC Executive Board as well as for the IMC Presidency took place. The newly elected IMC Executive Board is composed of:
  • Frans de Ruiter (The Netherlands), President
  • Beata Schanda (Hungary), Executive Vice President
  • Liane Hentschke (Brazil), Vice President
  • Fethi Zghonda (Tunisia), Vice President
  • Lars Grunth (Denmark), Treasurer
  • Fernando Condon (Uruguay)
  • Sonja Greiner (Germany)
  • Gary Ingle (USA)
  • Timo Klemettinen (Finland)
  • Lupwishi Mbuyamba (DR of Congo)
  • Henrik Melius (Sweden)
  • Blasko Smilevski (Macedonia/Belgium)
We would like to congratulate the newly elected President Frans de Ruiter as well as the newly elected Board members Fernando Condon, Henrik Melius, Blasko Smilevski and Fethi Zghonda. We are looking forward to a continuing fruitful cooperation between EMC and IMC.
For his outstanding engagement over the past few years for the IMC and the world of music, Richard Letts was elected Honorary Member of the IMC with standing ovations from all delegates present. Our sincere thanks and congratulations go to Mr. Letts!

Meeting of Youth Delegates

As a response to the call from the outgoing IMC President, Richard Letts, in his opening speech of the 3rd World Forum on Music, the invited youth delegates formed the International Music Council Youth Advisory Group.

This was the result of intense discussions at the meeting scheduled for youth delegates during the Forum in Tunis. In attendance and forming the group are 11 young people representing various organisations and youth groups and coming from Argentina, Australia, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey and the United Kingdom. This group in its initial stages is a network between youth music organisations around the world and is immediately a resource for which the IMC can call upon for the perspective that young musicians, organisers, and networks can provide. All IMC member organisations are warmly invited to nominate young people under the age of 30 to join this network.

At the General Assembly of the IMC the Youth Advisory Group called upon the IMC Board and Membership to accept this group into their proceedings and encouraged immediate dialogue between this Youth Advisory Group and the new IMC board on all IMC matters. The reaction was very positive and the IMC Youth Advisory Group and IMC Board are now exploring ways in which young people can play a more active role in the future of the IMC.

For more information or to get involved please contact the group’s coordinator, Andrew Stone.
First European Forum on Music. Musical Diversity. Looking back, looking forward
The next Annual Meeting of the EMC members will take place in Vienna from 15 to 18 April 2010, next to the European Forum on Music. The conference will take place in the venues of the University of Vienna, and will be organised jointly with the Austrian Music Council. Its main focus will be “Musical Diversity. Looking back, looking forward”. It will include discussions about the possible actions to implement the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, as well as about overall discussions on the role of the UNESCO commissions in this implementation process. As an effective promotion of cultural diversity cannot elude actions taken on the citizen level, an interactive discussion will tackle these issues including inputs by personalities from European Capitals of Culture and from the City of Vienna.

Registration will be open as of December 2010 – keep an eye on the EMC Website for update!
Update on the Working Group Youth
The Working Group Youth is working on three main interesting issues:
  • The creation of a European Agenda for Youth and Music
  • The organisation of a very special youth event: Access! In 2010 in the European Youth Capital Torino
  • Making youth projects and initiative more visible for the EMC organisations in order to increase the youth participation

Read more about the actual issues of the WGY in its latest newsletter!
MuST: Music and Societal Tasks. The new project of the EMC
The European Music Council is working on a new project! A lot of organisations answered positively to the call given by EMC a couple of weeks ago.
European societies are challenged by diverse factors, such as migration, demographic change, climate change or globalisation. Music and music politics offer possibilities to face these challenges and to perceive them as opportunities. The UNESCO Convention, which has been ratified by many national governments in Europe as well as by the EU itself, offers a set of arguments that strengthen the role of music in the political and societal sphere. The project MuST aims at raising the awareness for the Convention and its opportunities; it will also contribute to the "Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions" on practical level.
EU Conference 28 September 2009 and
European Culture Forum – 29-30 September 2009, Brussels, Belgium
A three-day marathon in the Brussels based Flagey building that also hosts the newly launched European House for Culture, gave room for the valorisation conference on the European funded projects as well as for the Culture forum (28 September 2009). The Culture forum is a bi-annual event to be organised by the European Commission as part of the European Agenda for Culture with the aim to enhance the dialogue between the political field and the culture sector. The culture forum focused on the three objectives of the European Agenda for Culture, i.e. cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue, culture as a factor for growth and culture in the external relations of the EU.

More than 1000 participants were registered for the forum which provided an excellent space for networking, as seemingly the networking opportunity was the most valuable attribute that participants gave to the conference (cf. culture.info). The forum sessions itself have been ambivalent – on the one hand the European Commission successfully invited speakers from other policy areas such as DG development, external relations and social affairs and therefore successfully met the objective of “Culture Mainstreaming”; on the other hand the forum sessions clearly lacked the element of discussion either between the panellists or the panel and the audience. A very successful part of the programme were the so-called “flash-info-sessions” that gave each platform (Culture Sector Platforms: Intercultural Europe, Access to Culture, Potential of Creatvie Industries) the possibility to present its work in approx. 20 minutes.

You will find the recommendations of the platforms online at:
More interesting reviews on the Culture Forum are available at:
Culture Action Europe
LabforCulture.org
Culture.info
Educult
Music on Troubled Soils – Conference documentation
Last year, the European Music Council and IMC Israel jointly organised an inspiring conference in Jerusalem, under the title Music on Troubled Soils. An exhaustive documentation has been published by EMC on this conference, listing inputs from expert organisations and giving an overview of model projects lobbying for peace and understanding through music in conflicted areas. You can get your personal copy by sending us an email, or you can download it here.


ExTra ! Recommendations
The ExTra! project has come to an end – but the concerns remain. The project aimed to promote cultural diversity in Europe and enhance the exchange between different cultural traditions present in European societies today. One of the primary motivations behind the ExTra! Project was the strong belief that a higher intercultural competence will contribute to a peaceful world. The ExTra! project strived to ensure that the exchange between different cultural groups is handled with the utmost sensitivity and respect.

The ExTra! recommendations have been developed in the context of the political frameworks of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, and the European Agenda for Culture in a Globalized World.

Music in Motion. Diversity and Dialogue in Europe
One very original activity of the ExTra! project has been the publishing of a research publication. After two years of intensive cooperation, the ExTra! Publication was released in April 2009 with the title Music in Motion. Diversity and Dialogue in Europe. It provides inspiration, which is both theoretical, thanks to background articles written by approved experts, and concrete, thanks to several exciting project presentations. The publication was edited by the European Music Council and an Editorial Board that comprises Bernd Clausen (University of Würzburg), Ursula Hemetek (University of Vienna) and Eva Saether (Malmö Academy of Music).

More about the publication

You can order a copy on the ExTra! website
News from EMC members
European Festivals Association launches FestLab for Creativity and Innovation
At the occasion of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation, the European Festivals Association (EFA), the umbrella organisation for arts festivals across Europe and beyond, launched the FestLab for Creativity and Innovation together with European Commissioner Mr Ján Figel’. The FestLab invites arts festivals worldwide to demonstrate the important role that culture, arts, artists and festivals play in fostering innovative and creative competences. Taking part in the FestLab means committing to support young artists, foster the creation of original works, develop new forms of partnerships and share innovative projects – to be featured on the FestLab webpage at www.efa-aef.eu/festlab. To sign up to the FestLab and receive the FestLabPass, click here!
Music Connects People. Music Connects Europe.
The European Musical Exchange Platform aims to give music lovers in Europe the opportunity of networking, with information being swapped across the borders and exchanges between the regions. The web portal conveys information on current musical events in Europe and passes on to its visitors and users useful items of interest on the music cultures in the regions. With the www.music-connects.eu option, the platform also provides a variety of ways for people to present themselves to an international community and get in touch with one another. Starting with some countries in Eastern Europe, the Music Platform intends to link up as many European regions as possible, thus fostering an exchange between the music cultures of Europe. The project is sponsored by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. Cooperation partners are the Goethe Institute and the European Music Council.
Be a part of it!
Musicians, event organisers and cultural organisations are warmly invited to post their profiles free of charge on the European Musical Exchange Platform site, to publish details of events, to register offers of or searches for cooperation projects or to showcase already existing partnerships amongst the countries participating.

If you take advantage of our offer, you can gain from the advantages of an array of presentation options and information and contact facilities.

Read the press release here

Europa Cantat General Assembly 2009
The Europa Cantat General Assembly 2009 with Board elections will take place in Sofia, Bulgaria, November 13th to 15th 2009. The General Assembly will be connected with workshops on Singing and Health as well as with a workshop on Bulgarian Repertoire. A detailed programme and information can be found in ECmagazine 2/09 and on www.EuropaCantat.org.
AEC Annual Congress 2009
The AEC Annual Congress 2009 will take place at the Academy of Music in Maastricht, one of the oldest cities in The Netherlands. The AEC will continue to address the role of research in conservatoire education during this year’s congress. Information about the progress of the second 3-year cycle of the ERASMUS Network for Music ‘Polifonia’ will also be presented. Furthermore, the AEC Congress 2009 will address the local and regional function of conservatoires as cultural centres. 
Letter of invitation, Congress brochures, programme, registration forms and hotel information for the 2009 Congress can be downloaded here.
ARTMUSFAIR/2009 organised by the European Composers Forum, is the place to develop your music project together with European partners! Open to representatives from throughout the contemporary classical music scene, we aim to attract hundreds of composers, music publishers, record labels, musicians, promoters, managers and agents from across the whole of Europe.
The ARTMUSFAIR #2 will take place in Galsgow, Scotland, from 29 October to 1 November 2009. More information here.

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