The NEWS in MAP project is a strategic partnership project that runs for three years (01/09/2019 – 31/08/2022) with funding from the European Commission’s Erasmus+ programme. The institutions which comprise the NEWS in MAP Partnership are:
- Conservatorio di Musica Santa Cecilia Roma, Italy – project leader
- Association Européennes des Conservatoires, Academies musique et musikhochschulen (AEC)
- European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Royal Irish Academy of Music RIAM, Dublin, Ireland
- Yasar University, Izmir, Turkey
The path from music studies to the career is an interesting and amazing journey but it is often quite tough. Every journey needs a map and NEWS in MAP wants to propose a new direction that has a fundamental aim: self-leadership for a new employability.
The context for this project lies in the discrepancy between the skill sets required for a broad music career and the traditional education provided through music departments of European conservatories and music departments.
The traditional education of these institutions usually does not address basic skill sets such as psychology, leadership, motivational strategies to increase performing, team building, business establishment, marketing, tournée/event design and entrepreneurship which are amongst the most important facets for new music careers. It is precisely these elements that are most often pre-requisite to the enhancement of employability in music.
NEWS in MAP objectives and aims
The objectives of the NEWS in MAP project are therefore directly derived from this present circumstance and are the following:
- To impart to students of set fields the basic skill sets mentioned above;
- The transformation of this knowledge into real world applications;
- The consciousness of women students potential in the music careers;
- The employment of students in small apprenticeships within the frame work of the project;
- The placement of students in real work situation through post project termination placement in existing music event (festivals, museums, small business, summer schools) internships;
- The development of practical abilities to allow the students to become, through self -leadership, self-employed and to travel the path of entrepreneurship;
NEWS in MAP methodology
The methodology consists of the creation and implementation of a 14 week course and curricula that addresses all the above mentioned skill sets. Besides this, the theoretical portion of the course and the small apprenticeships in various subjects, will supplement as the applied portion of the course. The synthesis of these two facets, the theoretical and the applied, will result in the real world experience of the internship.
The expected results and impact of NEWS in MAP are multiple. We envision the following:
- A higher rate of employment of musicians in the work force;
- A higher rate of self employment in the fields of music;
- The development of women’s participation at the top of the music careers;
- The creation of a novel course and curricula;
- An increase of desirability for the Conservatories and Universities that adopt this project course;
- The expansion and development of teachers careers;
- The collection and publication of project course materials and its free dissemination;
- The involvement of industry as an influence on and benefactor of this project;
- The involvement of a media complex ( internet, newspapers, magazines, visual and audio) in the implementation and dissemination of the project.