ABOUT US

OUR MISSION & VISION

The Jazz Promotion Network aims to advance and support professional development, information exchange and partnership opportunities for the UK & Irish jazz industry, artists and audiences.

A collaborative network that enables the diverse UK & Irish jazz sector to thrive, innovate and inspire.

Advocating for jazz across five nations

Collaborative partnerships; networking & training

Regional consultation, International working

Established in 2015 to advance and support professional development, information exchange and partnership opportunities for the UK & Irish jazz industry, artists and audiences. There was no other body representing and advocating for the industry across the five nations. Our stated aim is to be ‘a collaborative network that enables the diverse UK & Irish jazz sector to thrive, innovate and inspire’. As a membership organisation we have a direct relationship with jazz promoters, artists and others across the UK/Ireland who often play an active role in JPN events; in addition, many JPN projects are also open to anyone involved in the jazz sector.

One of our main activities is our annual conference, which takes place in a different city each year working supported by local partners – the only one of its kind in the UK/Ireland with a specific focus on jazz. To date conferences have taken place in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Southampton, Glasgow, London and Belfast- growing each year. JPN also organises regular training sessions and networking events throughout the year, as well as opportunities to learn from partners such as Attitude is Everything, Making Music UK, the Ivor’s Academy and more.

During Covid JPN moved to on-line working and we undertook a substantial programme of regional consultation which provided invaluable insights into the needs of the sector. JPN has a strong commitment to international working and is an active member of EJN (Europe Jazz Network). We also, with support from Dutch Performing Arts, organised a major project called ‘Going Dutch’ in 2017-2019, offering UK promoters the opportunity to present leading jazz performers from the Netherlands. Working closely with Jazz from Scotland, JPN was also a partner in the setting up of a pan-UK/Ireland stand at jazzahead in Bremen in 2019, and discussions are currently underway regarding the possibility of re-establishing a pan-UK/Ireland presence at jazzahead in future years.

THE JPN TEAM

Photo of JPN Chair Ros Rigby addressing JPN conference in 2022

JPN TRUSTEES

Ros Rigby(Chair)
Orphy Robinson (Vice-Chair)
Nod Knowles (Company Secretary)
Agnese Daverio
Mark Kass
Keith Michael
Peter Slavid
Heather Spencer
Roger Wilson 

Maeve Ramsey

JPN Coordinator (part-time)
Maeve works part-time as the JPN Coordinator and is the first point of contact for any enquiries about JPN or the conference.