• Sending organisation : Plate-forme interrégionale - France

• Host : Swiss Music Council - Switzerland

• Starting date : 24 April 2015 Ending date : 25 April 2015

Programme of your stay

Activities day 1:

• Meeting with the president, the director and the assistant of the music council : discussion about the issues, the strategy and good practices to create and manage a music council
• Discussion with the director of the music council about the organisation, the members, the story, the specificities of SMC, the membership and relationship in the network, ... but also the public policies and the particular political and administrative organisation (referendum, state and districts, ...)
• Visit of Zurich city by night

Activities day 2:

• Annual meeting of the Swiss federation of orchestras in Glarus: listening to the presentation, the debates and having an overview of how a member organisation is managed and the relationship between the member and the SMC
• Discussion with SMC director about projects of the SMC, potential cooperation and ideas we could share, especially concerning an atlas of EMC members.

What were the benefits for your organisation?

• To get some very inspiring advice, know-how and expertise from an experienced president and director of music council, who tauched/gave me the best ingredients to create and manage a music council:
• The good person (as leader/president),
• Strong volonteers to begin the process, readdy to stay involved in the long term,
• The good moment for the music sector, for public policies and networks,
• Good support (from ministers, institutions, elected),
• Taking time: a music council is a long process that cannot be done in a few month,
• Advocacy and concrete benefits for the members to make sense in the project,
• Considering and starting from the ground ambition and commitment

Was the different language an issue?

• If yes, how did you cope with that? Language was not really, as we could speak as well in French and English and as there was a translator at the annual meeting of orchestra federation, which was very confortable and an opportunity of possible cooperation: perhaps we will work together for the edition of some pedagogical books we would like to translate from German and English into French

Are any new project ideas deriving from the placement?

• I could explain an original device organised since more than 20 years in France that can inspire SMC for its own development work of a data base of SMC members : Philarmonie de Paris is administrating a dedicated software for information and resources about cultural activities (concerts, theatres, performances, ...) and for observation of the cultural sector in France. The data base is implemented by 70 cultural organisations members of 3 national federations (including Plate-forme interrégionale), allowing to propose to the public an atlas of culture and to the local authorities and Government a tool for analysis of public funding, employment and training in cultural/musical sector.
• I proposed to invite the director at the next annual meeting of users of this data base to have an overview of the tool, the technic structure and the possibilities it offers for such an organisation

Did any new advocacy ideas come up from the placement?

• Concerning economical argues and benefits of a music council (missing in my written presentation) and on the fact that it is better to reduce the objective and concentrate in the most important/relevant
• I have/had a clear idea of what is possible in France, but it was very helpful in kind of form of presentation of the project,, Proposing to host any person interested in this process in France, in my own network
• Creating some interest groups with parliamentarians (unformal meetings to discuss about a specific topic, to present some resource in the organisation/sector...)

Could you intensify existing co-operations between yours and your host's organisation?

• Yes, concerning Data base (see above)

What were your personal benefits?

• Confidence in the myself and in the relevance of the project in France

What would you recommend to future hosts?

• To have many opportunities of work placement, to prepare the meeting : why, what are my expectations ? what can I bring/give to my host ? what can happen after for both ?

What would you recommend to future visitors?

See above

Any other comments?

Very good job, go on !