| |
What are WOMEX Offspring?
A call for partnerships
What do the Aga Khan, Recife Brazil, Mondomix, DISMARC and the BBC Radio 3 Awards have in common? All are partners relying on the skills, talent and track record of WOMEX to create or support initiatives to network the right people.
For the Aga Khan's Music Initiative in Central Asia we hosted Via Kaboul. Music and Voices of Central Asia at the WOMEX Opening in Essen, 2004.
For Recife, Brazil, we co-organised PORTO MUSICAL, an international music industry conference and showcase with a special emphasis on digital technologies, in association with Astronave Iniciativas Culturais and PORTO DIGITAL. It was so successful that our new partner is the Brazilian Ministry of Culture itself in an expanded event that now encompasses two trade fairs, our Porto Musical conference and a full four stages for music. Called Feira Musica Brasil, it promises to be the biggest professional music event in Brazil's history.
With Mondomix we jointly created Showcases Online, a B2B all-year platform for your artist.
For DISMARC (Discovering Music Archives) we are working to help create digital music archives and overseeing the creation of archive projects that we have offered out to the WOMEX network.
For the BBC Radio 3 we are the 'academy' polling our vast membership base to provide nominations for their prestigious Planet Awards.
For Norway's Artspages we undertook a digital market survey of Africa.
And we're now in discussions for several events to be held throughout the world - the Caribbean, the UK, Asia, more… Details will be announced shortly.
Local partnerships anywhere in the world...
With PORTO MUSICAL, WOMEX introduced its new Offspring concept, working with local partners to tailor an event to the precise needs of a given audience and market. As the world's foremost network of world music industry professionals, WOMEX receives numerous invitations each year to enhance, even create events for associations, arts counsels and governmental and non-governmental agencies. North and South America, Asia, Africa - in all parts of the world local organisations are exploring ways to bring the WOMEX philosophy to their own marketplaces. This recognises WOMEX's unique ability to help educate, forge partnerships, enhance networks - collaborate - and in so doing, help to lend innovative approaches to this challenging phase of the music industry.
Increasingly that focus goes beyond WOMEX's original world music network. Case in point: PORTO MUSICAL is not a world music conference. Rock, alternative, independent, techno, hip-hop - these are the areas of operation of the Brazilian professionals in attendance, differing significantly from the usual WOMEX remit. It is one more indication of WOMEX's successful embrace of independent operators in a wide variety of music-related fields and disciplines. Now the Brazilian Ministry of Culture under Gilberto Gil has expanded PM to a far larger and more ambitious event.
The WOMEX Offspring project seeks to develop an independent music industry model that can travel, one that can be put to use throughout the world and especially throughout the Global South where culture industries are aiming to increase their economic strength at home and their exposure - and capacity to do business - abroad.
What can WOMEX do for you?
Training, conferences, showcases, platforms, consultancies, networking initiatives, publications, feasibility studies, online activities... All this and more can be had in partnership with WOMEX - and thanks to the vast, creative, capable network of professionals - you, the delegates.
- Different time. Special projects need special dates. We'll work with you to craft events, activities and projects to meet the needs of your organisation, market or region.
- Different place. Let us open new regional meeting points in the Global South and along the world music trade routes for each and every need. Asia, Africa, Central & South America, the Pacific - wherever... Our bags are packed.
- Different topics. Have a special focus? Need additional seminars from our stock of music industry professionals? Need research performed or studies undertaken? We can organise it with you.
- Different format. The WOMEX model is just one of many. From round tables to staged events, from conferences and showcases to research projects, from physical publications to online projects, together we'll develop the right format.
- Different approach. And we'll do it in our usual, inimitable way... Multicultural, international, flexible and expert.
WOMEX is developing from event to institution, and our Offspring programme is an integral part of this work in progress. If you want to explore an Offspring relationship with us all you need do is contact us at project@womex.com. |
 |
|
|
