IMC’s Artistic Director Kenneth Killeen elected to Jazz Promotion Network (JPN) Board of Directors

IMC Director, Kenneth Killeen was elected by JPN members during the network’s annual conference at Leeds College of Music.

The Jazz Promotion Network is the UK and Ireland’s leading network for all who work to promote jazz. Dedicated to sharing best practice and building audiences, the network aims to foster collaboration, support the development of skills for artists and promoters, support education and participation activity, and contribute to advocacy and awareness of jazz and related music.

Speaking on his appointment to the board, Kenneth said he was thrilled at the opportunity to join the ongoing work of the network and, in doing so, ensure Irish artists, in addition to collegiate jazz organisations and promoters in Ireland, are represented fairly and proportionately as outlined in the scope of the Jazz Promotion Network's collaborative aims. "JPN has a powerful dual mandate, driven by practical and advocacy aims. JPN can have a powerful impact on accelerated collaborations between Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. In practical terms, the network should benefit the artists directly by streamlining dialogue, planning and execution at organisational level, across the Islands. This should naturally lead to more robust collaborations, initiatives, incentives and innovations. We need to celebrate our own respective domestic talents, mobilise them and, in the case of promoters, provide platforms for their outputs. The JPN is an avenue to work for creative professionals. Additionally, the growth and strength of the network such as JPN allows scope for developing new standards for jazz and improvised music while advocating for positive and large scale changes".

Kenneth joins fellow new board members, Kim Macari, chairperson at Jazz from Scotland and JPN's new chairperson Emily Jones, programme manager at Cheltenham Jazz Festivals. Emily is the organisation’s first female Chair and takes over the role from Tony Dudley-Evans, who helped found the network in 2013.

Kim and Kenneth were elected by JPN members during the network’s annual conference at Leeds College of Music, with the Chair later appointed by the board. Over 120 delegates from across the UK and Ireland attended the two-day conference representing promoters, venues, record labels, managers, musicians and the research community. Speakers included Vanessa Reed (Chief Executive, PRS for Music Foundation), musician Orphy Robinson, journalists Kevin Le Gendre (BBC Radio 3, Jazzwise) and Tina Edwards (Jazz Standard).

The current JPN board is comprised of:

Emily Jones (Chair)

Steve Mead (Vice Chair)

Amy Pearce (Secretary)

Barney Stevenson (Treasurer)

John Blandford

Kenneth Killeen

Kim Macari

Dave Morecroft

Amy Sibley-Allen

For more information on the work of Jazz Promotion Network please visit: www.jazzpromotionnetwork.org.uk