JAZZCAMP FOR GIRLS
Camp for 10 to 15 years old girls, who want to try working with composition and improvisation
The second edition of JazzCamp for Girls Sweden took place from 15th to 18th August 2023 at Kulturskolan Högdalen/Kulturfestival - Stockholm. For the second year in a row Semente Cultural Productions joined the international network JazzCamp for Girls Takes the North (with camps organised in Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Finland and this year also Canada and Turkey).
JazzCamp for Girls 2023 presented FEMININE - the female side of Jazz @ Stockholm Kulturfestival
FEMININE is a new minifestival with a focus on female jazz musicians, connected with the Swedish edition of JazzCamp for Girls. Its purpose is to give the young girls partecipating to the camp, the possibility to meet some of the Swedish and international artists who represent the female sound of the contemporary jazz scene. It’s the connection between the established and the potential new generation of women in jazz!
Read more about FEMININE - the female side of jazz
Jazzcamp for Girls international experiece
For the first time in the history of the project and thanks to the collaboration and the support of JazzDanmark, we had the opportunity to invite 4 girls and one teacher from Jazzcamp for Girls Denmark, to join our girls for the last camp day and to share the stage at Stockholm Kulturfestival. In this way, both Swedish and Danish participants experienced the excitement of the international exchange.
About JazzCamp for Girls
JazzCamp for Girls aims at increasing the girls' interest in playing and composing music. The project offers a unique opportunity for girls at the age of 10-15, who want to try working with composition and improvisation, no matter the choice of instrument or previous experience. By creating a safe space through music, the girls can practise and acquire new skills.
JazzCamp for Girls 2023 Sweden edition was in collaboration with Kulturskolan Stockholm Stad and Stockholm Kulturfestival, with the support of Nordisk Kulturfond, Kulturrådet and Svensk-Danska kulturfonden.
Why JazzCamp for Girls?
In 2012, the so-called "80/20 report" was released in Denmark. The report addressed the unequal gender balance, by concluding that women were only represented by 20% in the Danish music industry. In addition, the majority of the female musicians who were still active were typically singers. The numbers are not exclusive to Denmark but can be documented throughout Europe. The purpose of JazzCamp for Girls is to increase the number of female instrumentalists on the music scene and thereby, help further a more equal gender balance in the music industry specifically within jazz. Jazz Denmark has extensive experience and good results, and it wants to share and scale these.
Knowledge sharing is a pivotal component of working towards a more equal gender balance
Since its beginning in 2014, JazzCamp for Girls has contributed to giving the participants self-confidence in playing an instrument, by creating a free and safe environment for musical experimentation. During the camp, the girls are allowed to let loose and experiment with music through improvisation and composition practices that have been developed in Denmark throughout the last 8 years since the birth of JazzCamp for Girls
Besides inspiring more girls to grab an instrument, the purpose of JazzCamp for Girls Takes the North is to create fruitful and productive circumstances for sharing knowledge in the common work towards a more equal gender balance across the northern European jazz environment.
JazzCamp for Girls already adapted by JazzNorth in the U.K.
JazzCamp for Girls was originally initiated by Jazz Denmark and Copenhagen Jazz Festival in 2014 and has ever since allowed more than a thousand Danish girls to improvise and play jazz together. In 2019, the project was exported to the U.K. in collaboration with JazzNorth and has been running in Denmark and U.K. since then.
JazzCamp for Girls Takes the North is the result of an international collaboration between Katowice City of Gardens, Semente Cultural Productions , Jazz Finland, Kultur(a), Katowice JazzArt Festival and JazzDanmark. The project is funded by the Nordic Cultural Foundatiion. Kulturrådet, Svensk-Danska kulturfonden