The global eye needs a local body: Music Cities Network launches co-creation programme for European Hip Hop and R&B artists with first out of four co-creation events hosted digitally from Groningen during 29.-31.01.2021.
Press Release: 28.01.2022
The Link Up Euro Connection (LEC) is a 7-month programme of European co-creation & co-production between up to 48 participants, collaborating in 4 co-creation-weeks & performing at festivals in Aarhus, Berlin, Groningen & Manchester. The activities will result in a joint vision: the LEC Manual - On how to facilitate the development & professionalization of emerging artists in Europe. The first 12 participants will co-create during the first Link Up event hosted digitally from Groningen during January 28. till 30. 2022.
Hip Hop and R&B culture is a global movement that encompasses a wide range of expressions from music, theater, dance, art to fashion, politics & business. Municipalities acknowledge that Hip Hop and R&B culture is undeniably intertwined with youth culture, but struggle to adapt and facilitate suitable programs for talent development and professionalization.
LEC’s co-creation and co-production camps are organized by the transnationally acting Music Cities Network in partnership with the Hamburg Music Business Association in collaboration with the following partners:
Noordstaat in Groningen, The Netherlands (January 28-30, 2022, digitally)
Manchester Music City in collaboration with Brighter Sound and Contact, England (6-10 March 2022)
Promus and Institute for X in Aarhus during the SPOT Festival, Denmark (3.-7. May 2022)
Musicboard Berlin and Alvozay Collective during Fête de La Musique in Berlin, Germany (18-22 June 2022)
LEC has targets in three different fields:
Cultural: Consolidate the understanding of the new European Urban youth culture and explore common transnational values, similarities and differences.
Economic: Pave the way for new and innovative ways for artists to improve creatively. Professionalize and grow their network in Europe's Music Business.
Policy: Design practicable solutions to bridge the gap between the informal methods of Urban artists and the formal methods of city leaders and music policy makers.
→ All results will be merged into the LEC Manual - On How to facilitate the Development and Professionalization of young Hip Hop artists in Europe targeted to municipalities, policy makers and project leaders to better understand their local Hip Hop scenes. ←
After the European Music Business Task Force (EMBTF), LEC is the second project by the MCN, which is getting European recognition. The aims of both projects are to reflect on and create future-proof frames for music within cities. MCN is excited to contribute to facilitating sustainable change within the European music industry with these projects in the future.
Lena Ingwersen (Managing Director Music Cities Network): “We are delighted to offer this new co-creation programme to aspiring European Hip Hop and R&B artists. From a music cities perspective, we see a great value in supporting local scenes of music makers who enrich the cultural diversity in our cities. Through fostering transnational connections between the participating artists and on the policy level, this project will improve the coalescence of a European Music Ecosystem.”
Please learn more about the exciting 12 artists, which have been selected out of 100 applications below.
