Jazz Futures VI at 12 Points – 2016

At each edition of 12 Points we like to take advantage of having the collective minds of music proffessionals from accross Europe alongside festival programmers, educators and other key delegates who attend 12 Points to discuss where jazz music is now and, more importantly where it will be in 5, 10 or even 20 years. Jazz Futures has become an annual 'State of the EUnion' for industry professionals and an important opportunity and platform for debate, interaction and action at European level to best serve the industry and the emerging proffessionals it supports.

This year meaty, enlightening discussions will be sparked by some seriously bright minds in European jazz visiting topics such as the Basque and Spanish Jazz Scene, the future of festivals and the concept of ‘experiential events’, pathways to new audiences, Cultural Heritage and Improvised Music in European Festivals, the evolving role of technology and music and the dissemination of music in a digital world‬‬‬

Some of these fascinating discussions will be delivered by Tony Whyton,project leader forRhythm Changes and CHIMEand Professor of Jazz Studies at Birmingham City University,George McKay,Professor of Media Studies at the University of East Anglia, with specialist interest in alternative culture and the festival landscape, Norwegian musician and producer Jan Bangand Jose Dias, Researcher on European jazz networks‬‬‬.

We are also delighted to have two 12 points alumni speking this year, sharing their future 12 Points views as past 12 Points artists.Dave Morecroft,leader of WorldService Project (12 Points 2012) is nowdirector of Match & Fuse Festival and an integral part of the British jazz scene.Lauren Kinsella, vocalist and leader of Thought Fox (12 Points 2012) and educator at the University of Leeds has recently been awarded Jazz Fm vocalist of the year 2016.

More speakers to be announced as well as some special guest speakers from the Heiniken Jazzaldia programme will be announced in the next couple of days!