Past Programmes
Alt-Shift-J
Supported by Arts Council England’s Strategic Touring fund Alt-Shift-J was a series of one day pop-up jazz festivals aimed at developing younger audiences for jazz. The festivals presented new artists and used digital technology to encourage more young people to experience jazz music both as participants and audience members.
Programmed by young people and supported by an extensive audience development strategy, the festival inspired and engaged individuals and families who may not usually access the arts.
Download the Alt-Shift-J Project Report compiled by Clare Price on behalf of Jazz North and partners below.
Blue Jam Arts
Middlesbrough Town Hall
Ribble Valley Jazz & Blues Festival
The Grand, Clitheroe
The Culture House
Promoter Open Bursary
An initiative to support promoters to work towards achieving diversity and representation with their programmes and projects. This ran as a one-off in 2022 and successful applicants were able to:
Support travel and accommodation costs to be able to book artists from further afield
Trial pay what you can policies to remove economic barriers to accessing jazz
Curate Jazz music programmes featuring high quality musicians with protected characteristics
Join Black Lives in Music to in order support organisational and programme development on diversity and representation
Consult with local migrant populations to develop a jazz programme and develop audiences for that programme from those communities
The winners were:
Geni Lamb, PARRJAZZ, Liverpool, Harkirit Boparai, Ouroboros, The Crescent, York, Emily Burkhardt, NQ Jazz, Manchester, Martin Sunley, The Milton Rooms, Malton, Bob Walker, Scarborough Jazz, Lucy Woolley, Lancaster Jazz Festival, Lubi Jovanovic, Jazzland Sessions @ The Brudenell, Leeds, Lee Etherington, TUSK, Newcastle upon Tyne, Debra Milne, The Globe, Newcastle upon Tyne, Simon Cunliffe-Lister, Burton Agnes Jazz & Blues Festival
Jazz North Introduces
Our Jazz North Introduces scheme ran annually from 2013 - 2020 and gave 1-2 emerging jazz artists or ensembles the chance to showcase their music at six leading jazz festivals in the north.
The artists were selected by a panel of festival directors, professional musicians, promoters and educators who prioritised musical excellence in musicianship, creativity, innovation and potential.
The artists received support including payment and expenses for the gigs, professional mentoring, a photo-shoot and promotional support.
The partner festivals involved in the project were:
DJazz Festival
Manchester Jazz Festival
Glasshouse ICM
Marsden Jazz Festival
Lancaster Jazz Festival
Leeds Conservatoire
Liverpool International Jazz Festival
Past Winners:
(2019 - 20) Yaatri
(2018 - 19) Jasmine / Slow Loris
(2017 - 18) J Frisco / AndChuck
(2015 - 16) Wandering Monster
(2014 - 15) Artephis / The Jam Experiment
(2013 - 14) The Stretch Trio
Creative Collective
Funded by Mayfield Valley Arts Trust, Creative Collective came about when we were thinking how to reach young musicians who may be reluctant or unable to follow a traditional route to achieve in music.
Inspired by the contemporary/ crossover feel of jazz being created by new artists today, we wanted to give young people a life changing experience of ensemble music making that blurs musical boundaries and creates exciting new sounds. The creative collective project ran in 2019-20 at secondary schools in Leeds and Lancaster. Click the blog button below to find out more about how it went.
