November 15 marked an important milestone as the last phase of the AEC-ECSA-EJN Mentorship Programme concluded successfully in the frame of the AEC Annual Congress in Milan. This EU-funded initiative brought together a total of nine mentors and nine mentees from different music backgrounds across Europe. The mentorship programme represented a significant effort to support young female and non-binary composers, songwriters, and jazz students, providing them with guidance, professional connections and essential tools needed to navigate the challenges of the music industry.
The event provided an opportunity for reflection, bringing together participants to recognise the programme’s achievements and impact. The panel featured speakers such as Ragnar Berthling, co-founder of Keychange, Tatiana Papastoitsi from the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA), Francesca Cerretani from the Europe Jazz Network (EJN), and Alfonso Guerra from the AEC. Yet, it was the mentors and mentees who truly brought the programme’s story to life.
Through their experiences, they highlighted the core purpose of the mentorship programme: promoting gender equality, increasing non-binary representation and creating sustainable opportunities for emerging artists. The mentees shared how the programme helped them build confidence, develop their artistic skills and access professional opportunities that once felt beyond their reach. Mentors reflected on the rewarding process of guiding and empowering young artists, emphasising the importance of supporting underrepresented voices in the music industry.
As this chapter of the programme concludes, plans are already in motion for a new mentorship initiative running from 2025 to 2028. The primary objectives will remain unchanged: enhancing gender equality and increasing non-binary visibility within the music sector. This next phase will expand its scope by partnering with Jeunesses Musicales International (JMI) through its Ethno programme, introducing an additional music field to the initiative: folk, world, traditional music.
Building on its previous success, the programme will also integrate other EU-funded projects, such as Reinventing Mentoring in Arts Management (REMAM) and Play It Loud!, bringing valuable expertise and broadening its impact and reach. The call for mentors and mentees to participate in the first round of the new AEC-ECSA-EJN-JMI Mentorship Programme will be published after the summer.
