Music Cities Network is excited to announce the publication of The outcomes of the co-creation program Link Up Euro Connection (LEC) in written word: The LEC Manual - On how to facilitate the development & professionalization of emerging artists in Europe.
The Link Up Euro Connection (LEC) was a 7-month programme of European co-creation & co-production between up to 48 participants, collaborating in 4 co-creation-weeks & performing at events in Groningen, Manchester, Aarhus and Berlin. The project targeted three different fields specifically:
Culture: Consolidate the understanding of the new European Urban youth culture and explore common transnational values, similarities and differences.
Economy: 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 about LEC on the projects website here.
PARTNERS
The LEC Vol I. co-creation and co-production camps have been organized with the following partners:
Noordstaat in Groningen, The Netherlands (January 28-30, 2022)
Manchester Music City in collaboration with Brighter Sound and Contact, Manchester England (7-13 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 MANUAL RELEASE
It is our pleasure to announce now that our experiences during LEC and our reflections have now resulted in the LEC Manual. Dive deep into our LEC mindset and recommendations and feel invited to understand how the support and assistance of emerging Hip Hop artists on their way into the industry can be enhanced. In this dynamic, we see ourselves as mediators and facilitators and hope to enable a better understanding of local Hip Hop scenes to municipalities, policy makers and project leaders.
Key quotes from the team
The independent transnational non-profit association Music Cities Network (MCN) unites music cities and policy makers around the globe. The network enables a platform for transnational cooperation, collaboration and music policy exchange. The network was initiated in 2016 by the Hamburg Music Business Association (IHM) and Sound Diplomacy and has 2022 been professionalised into an independent legal body. Founding members are the cities of Aarhus (DK), Bergen (NOR), Berlin (GER), Gothenburg (SWE), Groningen (NL), Hamburg (GER), Manchester (UK), Reykjavik (ISL) and Sydney (AUS).
Existing and emerging challenges of the global music industry have become more vital than ever. A future-proofed music industry needs to become more diverse, fairer and healthier. That is why the MCN contributes to this mission by intensifying borderless cultural exchange and business opportunities between music cities through enabling platforms empowering innovation.
The member-based network actively designs hands-on solutions to bridge the gaps between all music city stakeholders: artists, music entrepreneurs, city marketing strategists and music policy makers. The actions are aiming towards MCNs vision to get decision makers and politicians to sustainably acknowledge music as an integrated part of city development.
And so, LEC’s aim is to pave the way for new and innovative ways for artists to improve creatively, professionalize and grow their networks in Europe's Music Business. LEC is co-funded by Creative Europe and is besides the European Music Business Task Force (EMBTF) and the European Music Policy Exchange EMPE, Music Aire funded), the third project by the MCN which is getting European recognition. All three projects are realizing MCNs aim to reflect on and create good frames for music in cities in a project format. MCN states: The global eye needs a local body - the network is excited to contribute to sustainable change with these projects in the future.
For more exchange, get in touch with Lena Ingwersen,
LEC Project Lead and Managing Director of the Music Cities Network
