The ARTEMIS Annual Network Meeting 2024 took place on 23-24 May at the KASK & Conservatorium (HOGENT) in Ghent, Belgium. The meeting gathered around 60 participants from different Working Groups, who had the opportunity to meet individually as well as discuss common themes with other groups. Topics included implementation of the project outcomes at the local level, communication and dissemination across Europe and beyond, and the programme of the next AEC Annual Congress and General Assembly 2024 in Milan.
On day one, participants were greeted by Joris Blanckaert, Head of the Music Programme at KASK & Conservatorium Gent, and Deborah Kelleher, Director of the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) and President of the AEC. Following this, a first round of individual Working Group meetings was held in parallel during the morning.
In the afternoon, the Working Groups’ speed-sessions took place in plenary. Participants were able to experience what the other groups are working on through a series of informative and interactive sessions facilitated by all Working Groups in different formats. Later on, a working dinner was organised for all the participants to engage in formal networking, concluding with a group activity prepared by the AEC office.
On day two, the ARTEMIS Information Forum took place in plenary, where all the Working Group Coordinators presented an update on the work that each group has undertaken so far, as well as the planned outcomes and upcoming activities before the end of the project. After each presentation, there was time for Q&A. The morning continued then with an update on the mid-term evaluation report submitted by the project’s Quality Assurance Committee, presented by Dr. Robert Cutietta.
Later on, two rounds of discussion groups took place in parallel, tackling three common topics with representatives from all the different Working Groups:
- ARTEMIS contribution at the next AEC Annual Congress and General Assembly in Milan, including project showcase and final outputs:
Working Groups discussed their contributions (sessions, workshops, presentations) to the AEC Annual Congress and General Assembly 2024, which will take place on 14-16 November in Milan. This is the last AEC Congress scheduled within the ARTEMIS project, and will serve as its final dissemination event. Participants went through the programme and discussed if any additional inputs or synergies between the groups could be established in the framework of the event.
- Implementation of ARTEMIS outcomes at national and local levels
Working Groups, external experts, and the AEC office have developed a wide range of reports, recommendations, and guidelines. Additionally, many workshops, presentations, and discussions have been held by Working Groups members at different events in the past years. Participants in this group discussed the expected level and quality of implementation of these resources across the AEC membership.
- ARTEMIS dissemination of final results throughout Europe and beyond: project showcase and visibility at international level
Project results are tangible or intangible outputs, such as publications, new working methods or participants’ experiences. They are ways to generate impact, either by the AEC Active and Associate member institutions or by external stakeholders. Project results can be reusable and can inspire further work in the same field. Working Group members discussed how to maximise the dissemination of these results at both national and international levels.
In the afternoon, the closing event kicked-off with a music performance by the GAME ensemble, followed by farewell words from Filip Rathé, Dean of the KASK & Conservatorium Gent, an update on the European Performing Arts Students’ Association (EPASA) activities by its President, Monica Vejgaard, and final remarks by Finn Schumacker, AEC Executive Director. Right after, a second round of Working Groups’ meetings took place, including also some bilateral meetings between Working Groups, before the goodbye dinner.
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AEC – Empowering Artists as Makers in Society (ARTEMIS, 2022-2025) is a project co-funded by the European Union. For more information about the project activities and latest developments, please take a look at the project webpage on the AEC website here, or contact Alfonso Guerra at alfonsoguerra@aec-musc.eu.
