Manchester Jazz Festival: Talent Development Partner 2023
mjf2023, hothouse artist development programme and an mjf originals commission
This year, PRSF’s valuable TDP funding will support crucial activity to help the northern jazz community reactivate their careers, as we continue to negotiate global financial and political hardships for those on- and off-stage in the UK music ecology.The mjf 2023 festival programme (19-28 May) celebrates new music from across and beyond the north, and showcases artists from across our talent development pool at a variety of accessible locations.
Our celebrated mid-career new work and artist development programme ‘hothouse’ is a diversity-driven intervention at a critical stage in northern jazz artists’ careers. We support the ‘whole artist’ through their development of new music to break down barriers to creativity and create a more representative jazz scene in the north of England. This year, we’ll recruit and support the 8th round and introduce an international angle via exchanges with other European artist development programmes.
Mjf originals commissions major new jazz works from under-represented mid-career northern composers, for premiere at the festival. With over 40 works to date, this year we’ve commissioned turntablist Verity Watts to create ‘Seance’ – new music that creates a shared uplifting experience around loss and grief. Verity Watts is a former hothouse artist whose work and career has been supported via our talent development initiatives. All our activities celebrate Keychange and prioritise female musicians and artists disadvantaged through their ethnic background, socio-economic class, disability or location – activating our mission to diversify the artists accessing major commissioning opportunities and retaining talent in the north.