IMC was a partner in a collaborative artist-focused project called Jazz Connective taking place during 2019 and 2020 across seven partner European cities.
This was achieved with support from the Creative Europe-Culture Cooperation fund and is led by the French organisation, Le Périscope.
What is Jazz Connective?
Jazz Connective was a collaborative artistic and professional exchange project between seven different European organisations. Through this project, artists and organizations shared artists, resources, information and best practices towards a strong future for jazz across Europe.
The 6 partner countries are Ireland, France, Slovenia, Finland, Poland and 2 from the UK; Birmingham and London.
Jazz Connective created activities and opportunities for Irish musicians, promoters, venues, journalists, educators and other key jazz stakeholders in Ireland, and abroad, as well as a two-day “highlight” festival in Dublin in December.
Jazz Connective is designed to sustainably strengthen our artistic scenes, composed of promoters and producers, musicians and professionals, including:
- Druga Godba festival(Ljubljana, Slovenia)
- Vapaat äänet Agency (Helsinki, Finland)
- Improvised Music Company (Dublin, Ireland)
- Performances Birmingham (Birmingham, England)
- New Vortex Jazz Club (London, England)
- Wytwórnia Foundation (Łódź, Poland)
- Le Périscope (Lyon, France)
How are IMC involved?
The main thrust of Jazz Connective was performances for artists in each of the 7 cities in 2019 and 2020. Tied to these performances were additional opportunities for artists such as residencies and artistic collaborations. The third aspect of Jazz Connective is professional exchanges and discussions about our sector in the form of workshops and a series of round-table discussions on topics such as industry sustainability, new media, transnational mobility, and audience development whilst also dealing with local, national and international challenges. All of these round tables were recorded and shared so that everyone can build on any work created through this 2-year project. IMC had Irish artists performing in many of these cities, through their respective “highlights”.
The first of these was in May 2019 in Ljubljana, followed by Lodz in July, Helsinki in October, Dublin in December with 2020 events in Birmingham, London, and virtually in Lyon.
Guitarist Shane Latimer kicked things off with a solo performance in Ljubljana at Druga Godba festival on the 22nd May 2019, as well as taking part in a 3-day residency including collaborative and workshop activity with the other artists from partner countries. IMC Director Kenneth Killeen led a round-table discussion in Ljubljana focusing on artist circulation and transnational networks, while journalist & filmmaker Cormac Larkin and radio presenter & festival director Ellen Cranitch took part in a round table discussion on the role of media in the 21st century. Cormac Larkin’s Notes from the Ljubljana session also formed part of Jazz Connective’s final conclusions.
As part of Jazz Connective, IMC hosted a 2 day festival in December 2019 which included workshops & structured discussions for the Irish Jazz Scene.
In the UK, Irish drummer Matthew Jacobson was artist-in-residence in Birmingham, creating new collaborations and performances in Birmingham and London.
Jazz Connective also led to other collaborations with European partners which will provide international work for Irish musicians in 2023/24 and into the future.
For the virtual final edition of Jazz Connective hosted by Le Périscope Lyon, three highly innovative Irish acts - Roamer, OKO, H-ci & DJackulate create work for special online programme, each creating music in a way that is outside the norm, to share their music and their process with the Jazz Connective audience across Europe.