Jazz Camp for Girls

Improvised Music Company is excited to present Jazz Camp for Girls* - an opportunity for early teen girls aged 11-15 to have fun together exploring jazz music and improvisation in a supportive environment at this 3-day summer camp from 27-29 June on the DCU St Patrick's campus, in partnership with the BA in Jazz & Contemporary Music Performance, and with the partner support of Fingal Arts Office.

Jazz Camp for Girls is based on an established programme which began in 2014 in Denmark. Since then it has spread both nationwide, and internationally, with Jazz Camp for Girls now running in Poland, Slovenia, UK, Sweden and Turkey with the backing of Europe Jazz Network. June 2023 will see IMC hosting the first camp in Ireland, with girls from the Fingal area in particular encouraged to apply.

"Jazz Camp for Girls is part of IMC’s ethos of ‘If you see it, you can be it’ which encourages diverse and inclusive programming and long-term artist developmental projects. We’ve been inspired by Jazz Camp for Girls for years, watching colleagues in Denmark and Jazz North UK develop their camps and hearing about the great experiences of girls taking part. We’re delighted to finally have it up and running in Dublin, thanks to our partnerships with Fingal Arts Office and DCU BA in Jazz and Contemporary Music Performance." - Aoife Concannon, Improvised Music Company

Julie Clarke, Youth & Education Officer of Fingal Arts Office said; “Fingal is a unique county with one of the youngest and most diverse populations in the country. Youth access to different musical experiences and rich learning environments is important to us and we are inspired by the work of IMC and DCU. Jazz Camp for Girls is an exciting opportunity for girls and female identifying youth to experiment with improvisation and creativity in jazz while accessing the guidance of music specialists and state-of-the-art music making facilities at DCU. We enthusiastically support this project by reducing the cost of access and by encouraging participation in every way possible.”

Jazz Camp for Girls was created in response to the continuing gender imbalance in jazz and improvised music, particularly regarding improvisation. Studies have shown that the pre-teen and early teen period is a crucial time for girls in particular to be encouraged and supported to step out of their comfort zone and explore new directions and their own creative potential. Jazz Camp for Girls offers a fun, positive, supportive environment to do just this, while learning and being inspired by women working in the genre.

“Gender balance within any genre of music allows the music reach its potential. I see Jazz Camp for Girls as an opportunity to celebrate women’s past, present and future contributions to jazz. This project is personally important to me because it has the potential to modify the perception of jazz and the jazz musician, and it will positively impact the future of jazz by contributing to equity within the field.” - Jenna Harris, Jazz Camp Tutor and DCU Jazz Lecturer

Applications for Jazz Camp for Girls June 2023 are now closed. To be informed of future editions of the Camp, please sign up to our Newsletter.

FAQs and Further Information on Jazz Camp for Girls HERE

For any enquiries, please contact aoife@improvisedmusic.ie