NORDIC JAZZ COMETS & NORDIC PROMOTER NETWORK

The Nordic Jazz Comets project is about presenting the diverse Nordic jazz on international stages, and bringing the musicians, promotors and support organizations together to build the industry’s future on creativity and sustainable values.

Nordic Jazz Comets is a long-term collaboration of the Nordic jazz organizations: FÍH - Iceland Jazz, JazzDanmark, Jazz Finland, Norsk jazzforum and Svensk Jazz. The co-operation started in 2000 as a competition for young bands, and evolved to a showcase and career project in 2013. In 2017–2019 the NJC showcase event focused on building networks and partnerships outside the Nordic countries, namely in Germany, Britain and France.

During the recent years, the projects have been funded by a tripod of the five national jazz organizations, the Nordic funds, and a partner festival or other facilitator.

The NJC “In The Key Of Green” project in 2020–2021 was funded by the Nordic Culture Fund. The project aimed for strengthening relations between the Nordic jazz promotors and emerging musicians by working together to fight the climate change. In the project the participants studied environmentally sustainable practices in jazz events and touring.

The ongoing Nordic Jazz Comets project is titled “Dagsverke”, which means doing voluntary work for one day. The goal is to take the findings of the green project into practice, while focusing on social sustainability.

In the 2022–2023 project, altogether 10 Nordic jazz ensembles, 14 established jazz festival/club programmers and 5 national jazz organizations join in collaboration to combine live jazz music is with volunteering at socio-cultural and ecological projects and learning from professionals from other branches.

The stakeholders work together at a “dagsverke” day at 3–5 selected NGOs or projects and meet at a showcase concert event the following day. The jazz music professionals connect with other professionals and new audiences. The concert event makes art music more accessible and provides a platform for different groups to interact and experience live (improvised) music.

The first event took place in Copenhagen in February 2022, and the second edition in Stockholm & Gävle in May 2023. The first event was be hosted by Jazz Danmark, in partnership with Jazz Club Montmartre and Copenhagen Jazz Festival. The second will be a part of the General Assembly weekend of the Swedish national organization Svensk Jazz.

The project is supported by Nordic Culture Point.