Mentors and mentees kicked off the ECSA-AEC Mentorship Programme on 21st March in Brussels!
The kick-off meeting of the ECSA-AEC Mentorship Programme 2022-2023, co-funded by the European Union, took place on 21st March in Brussels, in the frame of ECSA’s Creators Conference 2023, with all mentors and mentees meeting in person for the first time.
The programme is meant to serve as an introduction to the music industry for young female composers and songwriters who are starting to approach their careers, with the support and guidance of well-established female professionals as role models, and with the ultimate goal of strengthening gender equality within the sector.
The programme included presentations from both ECSA and AEC offices, discussions around mentors’ and mentees’ experiences and expectations, a mentorship toolkit as a basis for their one-on-one appointments, and informal networking activities.
Topics such as pedagogical approaches to online mentoring for mentors and professional aspirations in the music industry for mentees were also tackled during the meeting. In the afternoon, the kick-off concluded with mentors and mentees attending ECSA’s Creators Conference 2023. Mentees had the opportunity to perform during the event, which was aimed at providing a high-level forum to discuss crucial issues including music streaming, new technologies and contractual practices, among other subjects with a focus on the music sector.
After signing an agreement, mentors and mentees will start their online sessions on 1st April for a period of 6 months, concluding on 30th September 2023. A final networking event will take place in the frame of the AEC Annual Congress and General Assembly in November 2024, where mentors and mentees will be able to disseminate the results of the programme, and will receive a certificate.
The ECSA-AEC Mentorship Programme 2022-2023, co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Commission, has been jointly developed by ECSA – European Composer and Songwriter Alliance, EJN – Europe Jazz Network and the AEC. For more information about this year’s ECSA-AEC Mentorship Programme, please do not hesitate to contact Tatiana Papastoitsi, ECSA Executive and Finance Officer and/or Alfonso Guerra, AEC Membership and Finance Coordinator.
Stay tuned for the EJN-AEC Mentorship Programme 2023-2024 open call to be launched soon!
