Project:  Blackboard Music Project

Description: The Blackboard Music Project (BbMP) is an international development and exchange project aimed at increasing the quality and quantity of professional Young Audiences Music (YAM) concerts around Europe taking place from October 2014 to December 2016. Ten organisations in eight different European countries are partners in the project with Jeunesses Musicales International as the umbrella organisation of which the nine other partners are members. Levende Musik i Skolen, Aarhus, Denmark is the lead partner.

The main objectives of the project have been to strengthen the international network, to share expertise and knowledge and to promote the international exchange of concerts for children and youth. All of this has been done through a series of activities including three YAMsessions (see details below) and five national showcases/festival all over Europe: from Umeaa, Sweden in the North to Zagreb, Croatia in the South.

More than 200 high class YAM concerts have taken place performing for almost 8000 children and approximately 1700 industry professionals in Croatia, Finland, Denmark, France, Norway, Sweden and Belgium. Each partner has sent between one and three productions abroad to perform at a YAMsession or national showcase, and a total of 24 YAM productions have been exchanged across borders paving the road for increased mobility among YAM productions in the years to come.
The main focus and achievement of the project, however, has been the network and exchange of ideas, concepts and approaches to different aspects of YAM among producers and organisers in the field. This has primarily taken place at the three YAMsessions, of which YAMsession 2014 in Sweden was the first. Since then YAMsession has been established as the annual international event for creative professionals working in the field of young audiences development.
YAMsession includes showcases of the best young audiences productions from Europe and the world; a dynamic producers forum with live producing; thought provoking presentations and discussions from international speakers and the YAMawards ceremony announcing the world's best music productions for young audiences.

Additionally, the five national showcases in France, Belgium, Denmark and Finland have all had delegation of partners visiting, allowing them to meet on a regular basis and to develop and discuss different models and approaches to YAM, and not least to experience how the different partner organisations organise, produce, and present YAM concerts.

A key component throughout the project has been the sharing of best practices, training videos, interviews, work models, articles etc. In this, the young audiences music platform YAMspace.org, launched in September at YAMsession 2015 in Croatia, is the main vehicle. Aside from featuring news and events, the website has incorporated a major LEARN section (digital toolkit) with video material – each YAMsession has produced a series of videos with talks, short documentaries and interviews – articles, research and much more, as well as a closed forum where producers and organisers can discuss different aspects and ideas in a professional environment. The YAMspace website provides a solid base for finding new inspiration, knowledge and relevant information for all YAM professionals – or anyone wanting to know more about YAM - around Europe and abroad.

All of this has reinforced the establishment of a professional and strong international YAM field and network that embrace large and small organisations across cultures. New initiatives have been started in countries with limited means; new cooperations and exchanges across borders take place as a result of the project.

The Blackboard Music Project was co-financed by the EU’s culture programme Creative Europe 2014-2017.