Call for proposals: WOMEX 2016 in Spain

Every year, for 21 editions, WOMEX has been a celebration of professional cultural exchange featuring live music, conference sessions, film screenings, targeted networking and more. The programme is community-based, selected from hundreds of proposals coming from all over the world. Musicians, industry insiders and filmmakers from all around the globe can apply now for the Showcase Festival, the DJ Summit, the Conference and the Film programme at WOMEX 16.

WOMEX director Alexander Walter is looking forward to the proposals: “We are pleased to see that over the past years it's become a trend that showcase and conference proposals are more and more diverse in styles and topics. This was reflected in the past jury programming, featuring musical styles as disparate as jazz, folk-metal and rap. We are looking forward to a multifaceted selection again in 2016."

Who can apply — and how?

The programme of WOMEX is made by the global music community spanning across all continents. Everyone who is active in the global music scene or would like to engage with it can submit a proposal.

Proposals can be made in four categories:

• Showcases: WOMEX Showcases cover traditional, world and folk music circles of all sorts, as well as other alternative scenes, jazz, modern art music and all urban styles. The common denominator is diversity for its own sake, as well as the appeal to wider, culturally open-minded audiences.
• DJ Summit: WOMEX DJ-Cases will take place for the fifth time, reflecting the art-form of mixing and producing global music for dancefloors, giving the cultural multipliers on the decks the opportunity to showcase their musical visions and at the same time take the WOMEX atmosphere to the club.
• Conference: Hands-on conference sessions gather insights from experts as well as experiences by active professionals. Trends in technology as well as music’s role in development, cultural identity and education are especially sought after.
• Film: The WOMEX-curated film programme will be selected from feature, middle-length and short entries, documenting and visualising music, movements and history from across the world – offering a platform to present and connect directly to the world music community.

Entries can only be made via the WOMEX online application system. The deadline for proposals in all four categories is Friday 15 April 2016.

Music In Africa represented on WOMEX jury

The final programme selection is made by an international and independent jury – the so-called ‘7 Samurai’. Among the jury for WOMEX 16 is Music In Africa board member Jens Cording from the Siemens Stiftung in Germany. He makes up the jury for the WOMEX 16 Conference alongside Consuelo Arbelaez (Colombia/Italy).

“What an honour to be an active part in shaping WOMEX 16!” said Cording. “We hope to get numerous high-quality submissions this year. Because professionalised, originally creative thinking and action, and sound information are basic conditions of successful societies and prosperity. Dialogues across borders strengthen cultural identity, contribute to acceptance, respect and tolerance, and ultimately promote peace and mutual understanding.”

The jury for WOMEX 16 Showcases is made up of Alexandra Archetti Stølen (Argentina/Norway), Vítor Belho (Spain), Oliver Carruthers (UK), Rıza Okcu (Turkey) and Jun-Lin Yeoh (Malaysia). The DJ Summit will be curated by an industry insider yet to be announced.

After browsing through hundreds of proposals, the jury will come together in WOMEX offices in Berlin to decide on the daytime Conference programme and the official selection of the WOMEX Showcase Festival, which is open to international delegates and public audience alike.

For more details visit the WOMEX website.