Registration will open at 11.30 am on Tuesday October 31 at B:Music; the desk will be in the Mall area at Symphony Hall and will be signposted. A light lunch will be provided adjacent to the spaces for the conference from 12 noon, and the conference itself starts at 1pm with a welcome followed by the Keynote Address from Soweto Kinch – not to be missed!

This JPN conference is our most extensive to date and includes a brand new dimension – our exciting programme of showcase performances. Our aim longer term is to grow this event into an annual gathering for the jazz sector and an opportunity for promoters from across the UK and beyond to see some of the most exciting new artists on the scene. This year is just the start!

With the support of our funders- Arts  Council England, Creative Scotland, Arts Council Wales, and Culture Ireland- we bring you performers from Ireland, Wales, England and Scotland. You may not recognise all the names but we are sure you will enjoy their work.

The conference sessions are organised around a number of themes. Two WHERE WE ARE NOW sessions focus on areas under discussion for many years- inclusion and international working- examining what has and hasn’t yet been achieved. Two IN PRACTICE sessions will focus on two important areas of the music industry – Labels and Radio – away from the world of live promoting. Two sessions focussing on NEXT GENERATION explore  both how young musicians are being supported to work within a professional setting, but also, ways that we might help develop younger jazz promoters on the scene.

The second day of the conference is based at Birmingham City University (the Parkside Building and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire) and a Registration/Information desk will be open in the Parkside Building from 9am. At 10.30am a SPOTLIGHT ON THE BIRMINGHAM SCENE will introduce us to the riches of the local jazz ecology- not just within the conference venues but also through the work of a myriad of enterprising independent promoters.

Four sessions run in parallel in the afternoon. The first, facilitated by Julia Payne, is  designed particularly for volunteer jazz promoters and will be a new opportunity for those involved to explore issues of common concern.

Three other panels will look very much to the future. The Jerwood Jazz Encounters artists will share the work they are doing in creating new ways of presenting jazz to the public. The Jazz Research Showcase will reveal the many areas of research that BCU has been involved with working with Jazz festivals and others.  The third will address the much-discussed topic of Artificial Intelligence with presentations both from academics and musicians involved in the field, including JPN trustees Orphy Robinson and Keith Michael.

Tickets are valid for the whole conference, including showcase concerts.

JPN members can attend for free

Join JPN

DAY 1
Tuesday 31 October – Symphony Hall
11.30am – 5pm: Conference day one
6pm – 10pm: Showcase and performance programme

DAY 2
Wednesday 1 November – Birmingham City University
9.30am – 5pm: Conference day two
6pm – 10pm: Showcase and performance programme

Day 3 (optional)
Thursday 2 November (post-Conference fringe)
3pm: Digbeth walking tour (Free to delegates – limited availability)
6:30pm: Paul Dunmall Invites concert (Public event)

There are various hotels in the areas surrounding Birmingham City University and B:Music / Symphony Hall. We recommend booking early to secure your room at a reasonable price. Some hotels in the area include:

· Premier Inn Exchange Square

· Premier Inn Waterloo Street

· Travelodge Moor Street

· Travelodge Bullring

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