IC MUSIC! A new network of New Music in Europe!

Led by 8 music organisations in France, Belgium and England, the IC Music project (International Cooperation Through Music) has been approved by the INTERREG IV A 2 Seas programme for a fund of 4.8 million Euros over 3 years.

The 2 Seas programme supports projects that take place within the regions of France, Belgium and England that border the two seas; the English Channel and the North Sea.

With the EU funded ‘4x4’ music programme coming to an end, the 4 original partners pursued the INTERREG IV A 2 Seas programme in order to build on the success of 4×4 and expand the partnership by adding partners within France and England.

The original partners Le Grand Mix (Fr), Les 4 Ecluses (Fr), De Kreun (Be) and 4AD (Be) approached La Cave Aux Poetes and La Lune des Pirates venues in France, Superact! in Taunton, and Exeter Phoenix both in England, and between the 8 new partners the IC Music project was devised.

With the exception of Superact!, a leading community music organisation that runs music based projects within education, healthcare and criminal justice systems across Europe, all partners are concert halls ranging in capacity from 200 to 1000 and all with additional arts based wider participation programmes.

The Aim of the “IC Music” project is:

To construct a sustainable and long-lasting crossborder cooperation between professional “live” music partners within England, Belgium and France.

To achieve this, the project partners will base their activity on achieving three specific Objectives:

1. Facilitate the touring of a selection of artists that are in the process of turning professional, within the 2 seas territory.
2. Develop mutual comprehension of the working of different organisations, commencing with the core partners, in particular through the organisation of and participation in seminars, and via collaboration on music development practice, exchanges of key personnel, and language learning.
3. Contribute to raising cultural awareness among organisations and audiences.

Supported by the EU ERDF funds, financing up to 50% of the expenses incurred, IC Music has given itself 3 years to achieve its objectives (2011-2014).

For more information:
http://www.icmusic.eu
http://www.interreg4a-2mers.eu/fr
Press contact for England: Katharine Lane (katharine@superact.org.uk)

The BMF will be supporting the IC Music from its new office at Exeter Phoenix and ensuring connection to BEAM and other projects that will be located at our new office at the Watershed in Bristol.

The BMF wrote the UK side of the IC Music bid with Superact! and will be working through the BMF membership and the wider regional network that will be based at Exeter Phoenix to ensure first rate participation in the project and relevant links to national and national music business activity.

In order to ensure this, and to widen such regional, national and global activity the BMF has compiled an initial steering group to take a regional organisation forward.
You can download the list of members of that steering group HERE

We will be fully updating on IC Music and the steering group at Music South West 2011 in both Exeter and Bristol

Music South West 2011 is supported by: