In March 2023, the Better Live international project started, which was successful in the call for proposals of the Creative Europe program. It predicts the circulation and promotes the employability of European musicians in a sustainable way, i.e. using economic, social and environmental aspects. It addresses the challenges that the current crisis (the post-covid era, the war in Ukraine) has revealed and exacerbated. These are challenges that, if not tackled decisively, urgently and holistically, will ultimately threaten the diversity, quality and integrity of the entire European music scene. The current revival is a unique opportunity to lay the solid foundations of a more fair, diverse and green music industry.
The project will therefore create, support and provide expertise for eight informal networks across Europe, which are a condition for effective artistic circulation in Europe. Zavod Sploh is the main partner in our region, and 12 Slovenian, Italian and Croatian organizations involved in promoting concerts and other events related to free improvisation will be included in the regional network.
The project started with a preparatory phase consisting of connecting and educating international partners regarding the provision of sustainable tours and organization of events. The partners will then hand over the knowledge to their partner networks and support them to organize around thirty live music events in their region, the ecological, economic and social impacts of which will be measured and included in the research. Local partners will be involved in the project in 2024-2025 with concerts, festivals, residencies, workshops, recordings, etc. For the events, the network will select and invite musicians from other European regions and add local improvisers to them as part of the tours.
In addition to the involvement of local networks, research, education and the actual measurement of the effect of supporting this kind of sustainable circulation, the project also foresees the involvement of experts and policy makers, to whom the results will be presented.
The regional network operates openly with the possibility of expanding partners in the future. If you are interested in cooperation, write to brigita.gracner@gmail.com.
Better Live partners:
Le Périscope, Lyon (FR)
Wytwórnia, Łódź (PL)
Bimhuis, Amsterdam (NL)
Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo (NO)
Plataforma Jazz España, Cadiz (ES)
Zavod Sploh, Ljubljana (SI)
The Cluster, Athens (EL)
Improvised Music Company, Dublin (IE)
Livelab Tampere, Tampere (FI)
EMEE – European Music Exporters Exchange, Brussels (BE) / research partner
Jazzahead!, Bremen (DE) / dissemination partner
Regional network of partners:
Koncertni cikel Defonija, Ljubljana
Humanistično in Umetniško Društvo “O”, Vrhnika
KUD Kussa, Lokavec pri Ajdovščini
KUD Zvočni izviri, Nova Gorica
Zavod Jazz Cerkno, Cerkno
GT22, Maribor
Non-Aligned Music, Bistrica ob Sotli
Zavod kulturne in umetniške produkcije Sajeta, Tolmin
Društvo kulture Laškega in povezovanja, Laško
DobbiaLab, Dobbia (IT)
Hangar Teatri, Trieste (IT)
CARGO, Zagreb (HR)
Zavod Sploh, Ljubljana
