Current Projects

AEC (2025-2028) – Creative Europe Network

The Association Européenne des Conservatoires (AEC) will strengthen the role of higher music education as a driver of social cohesion, artistic innovation, and sustainable practice in response to Europe’s cultural, digital, and societal challenges.

Music, Society & Sustainability Working Group

Context

AEC has been encouraging higher music education institutions (HMEIs) for several years to reflect on their role and the role of artists in society. It has explored the potential and challenges linked to this role and the complex responsibilities that HMEIs have, artistically, educationally, economically, socially and environmentally (2018-2021). It has also provided concrete help to HMEIs in innovating their curricula with the aim to empower artists as makers in society (2022-2025). The objective of the Music, Society & Sustainability WG (2025-2028) is to investigate how HMEIs can further improve their collaboration with societal partners and how they contribute to connecting creativity to sustainability and to strengthening cultural democracy.

This work designed to move the sector from isolated pioneering projects toward a critical mass where social responsibility is embedded in daily practice. The impact of this work is intended to benefit students and staff through improved education, while also providing the AEC with a structured case for stronger advocacy in global policy-making.

Work plan

The Music, Society & Sustainability WG’s has started its investigation by collecting and studying practices in the field of artistic citizenship which involve a collaboration between HMEIs and societal or environmental stakeholders. .

In 2026-2027, the WG will:

Analyse various collaboration practices
Develop resources on how to develop and maintain an effective dialogue with societal stakeholders (i.e. recommendations; tools to support an interactive discussion);
Contribute to organising the 2027 AEC Congress which will be focusing on strengthening society through music;
Exploring how creativity and sustainability connect and how HMEIs can demonstrate their contribution to a sustainable society

Collaborations within the AEC ecosystem

Collaborations with various AEC Working Groups will be explored, in particular with the Education & Profession WG. AEC Congress and platforms will also enable exchange and dissemination.