AEC Congress

AEC Annual Congress and General Assembly 2023

9-11 November 2023

The Hague

50th AEC Annual Congress and General Assembly 2023

9-11 November, Royal Conservatoire, The Hague

“Enhancing Quality Through Sustainable Connections”

The AEC Congress and General Assembly 2023 took place at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague on 9-11 November 2023.

Under the theme “Enhancing Quality Through Sustainable Connections“, this event was part of the EU-funded project “ARTEMIS – AEC Empowering Artists as Makers in Society” and at the same time marked the 70th anniversary of the AEC foundation and its 50th Congress edition.

This year’s AEC Congress highlighted topics such as quality enhancement, international collaborations, student involvement, diversity and inclusion, power relations, digitisation, artistic excellence, pre-college music education, environmental and mental sustainability, lifelong learning, curriculum development and artistic research. The ‘elephant in the room’ of nowadays debates on education being in the spotlight of our main plenary session: “What does the rise and use of Artificial Intelligence mean for the future of our sector?”

The newly established EPASA – the European Performing Arts Student Association and YMTE – Young Music Talents in Europe took an active role in the event by addressing the needs of the younger generations. AEC’s increasing global activities were reflected through the involvement of higher music education networks from the United States (NASM, CMS) and Southeast Asia (SEADOM). Furthermore, we were thrilled to welcome Georg Häusler, Director for Culture, Creativity, and Sport in the European Commission (DG EAC), as our distinguished guest for wrapping up the second day of the congress bringing up the point of view of the European institutions.

Participants were encouraged to propose thought-provoking topics for the Opening Brainstorming sessions and to proactively engage in stimulating discussions to shape the future of higher music education. We were glad for those who seized the opportunity to deliver short pitches during the Information Forum, and took time to network with fellow colleagues. The Regional Meetings allowed you to connect with peers from your region, and in the AEC General Assembly, active members took important decisions for the life of the association.

We appreciate those who joined us in The Hague as we embarked on a journey to enhance quality through sustainable connections and empower artists as makers in society!