Call for registration: Online World Jazz Conference 2020

The conference will run from 2pm to 5pm (CAT) and from 3pm to 5pm (CAT) on each day, respectively. Interested participants can register here.

The event will be held in response to a survey, which was conducted by cultural consulting organisation Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and assessed the impact of the COVID-19 within the world jazz network. The survey is available for download here.

The confirmed facilitators include IKS founder and managing director Andre le Roux (SA), Institute for the Advancement of Journalism director Gwen Ansell (SA) and jazz saxophonist Alexander Beets (The Netherlands). The full programme is available here.

The event will feature presentations and discuss the following topics as a follow-up on the survey’s results:

• What the %$#^& just happened?
• Staying alive in the jazz and world ecosystem during the time of COVID-19 (relief programmes).
• New modes of operation and adaptation for artists, festival and venues (online exploitation).
• What can we learn from this for the future and what are the strategies for recovery?
• What does the network need to become stronger and more resilient in the future?

“For all participants, there will be the possibility to ask questions, and we have online coffee corner network rooms where you can all meet in an informal way, prior to or while listening to our virtual jazz festival,” a statement reads. “Participation and registration are free of charge. Our aim at Amersfoort Jazz and JazzNL is to reach out to all of you, our friends across the globe virtually even if we can’t be together physically.

“Some good news is that we have secured financial support to organise the festival until 2024, and with this foundation and JazzNL, we want to use our privileged position and good fortune for the development of the world jazz network based on collaboration and reciprocity. Parallel to the festival, we will host the conference on a yearly base.”

View the original call here.