Northern Jazz promoters meet up and AGM 3 November - Entrepreneur Generations

 



Northern Jazz Promoter (NJP) Network Annual General Meeting ~

Tuesday 3rdNovember 2020 1.00pm

Zoom Meeting

 

Present:

Steve Crocker: NJPNetwork Chair JazzLeeds

Ben Gilbert Trustee JazzLeeds

Gill Wilde: Secretary Grimsby Jazz Projects

Bob Walker Scarborough Jazz/ S. Jazz Festival

Pete Rosser Wakefield Jazz

Wesley Stevenson Newcastle Fest of Jazz & Imp Music

Heather Spencer Jazz North Durham Jazz Festival

Matt Evans Ribble Valley Jazz and Blues

Peter Woodman Marsden Jazz Festival

Paul Smith PS Promotions Leeds

Steve Bootland Jazz at the Priestley, Bradford

David Shooter Lancaster Jazz Festival

Joan Parker Newcastle Jazz Coop

 

Apologies

Judith Waterhouse: Norvol Treasurer Wakefield Jazz

Mike and Marion Gordon Scarborough Jazz

Sue Bradley RVJB

Lesley Jackson Jazz North

Ros Rigby JPN rep (dir. Middlesboro’ Jazz weekender)

Mel Grundy Jazz North East

Roger Sawyer Huddersfield

Jez Matthews Jazz at the Lescar/ Sheffield Jazz

Paul Thomas: Sheffield Jazz

Simon Perryman Sheffield Jazz

Victor Greenberg Liverpool Jazz

Michael Swerdlow Liverpool Jazz

 

Chair Annual report for 2019 given by Steve Crocker. Covid19 hit just before the network meeting at Sage Gateshead on 21 March with the first lockdown, and the second quarter meeting at the Manchester Jazz Festival on 23 May was also cancelled. Most of the Northern Jazz clubs cancelled their live music programmes, although some live and live-streamed concerts were revived during the relaxation of measures after July. The latest national lockdown for November has however meant that even this low level of activity has now stopped. Some clubs and festivals (eg Cinnamon Club, Southport Jazz Festival) are unlikely to ever return after the pandemic is over. The Northern Jazz Promoters Promoter Development scheme 2020-21 which was originally due to be launched at the Sage Gateshead meeting has now been postponed to 2021 with the blessing of ACE.  Our proposed Northern Jazz Promoters Education Partnership for Jazz Promoters and MEH’s is also on hold for the present. The Northern Jazz Live blog and NJP website + gig guide (run by our web organiser Richard Gentle) are still operating, although with few live or online gigs, the number of posts is much reduced. Network members have been regular attendees at online events organised by Jazz North during the lockdown period

 

Everyone introduced themselves briefly.

 

Treasurers Report for 2019 (JW) (see separate report). Noted that we have the first instalment of the ACE funded Promoter Development scheme £22419 included. It was suggested that no fees be asked for in 2020 but that donations would be gratefully accepted.

 

Elections to NJP Network ADMIN GROUP 2020.

All officers agreed to stand again, Wesley Stevenson said he would stand instead of Mel Grundy due to her workload, and they were unanimously re-elected by show of “Zoomed” hands

Chair: Steve Crocker

Secretary: Gill Wilde

Treasurer: Judith Waterhouse

North East Rep.: Wes Stevenson

North West Rep.: Sue Bradley

 

 

Round up of events by clubs.

 

Steve Bootland JATP Bradford No gigs held as audience survey had shown people were not keen on attending. JATP are still paying for venue to support them.

Steve asked for suggestions regarding how people paid for the live gigs that were being run. Contactless payments. Booking in Advance. Pete Rosser (Wakefield) did contactless and Paypal, initially only advanced bookings but now allow people to pay on the door.

Bob Walker (Scarborough) did advance booking which helps organise the limited space, or cash in envelopes with details. 

 

Heather Spencer Durham Jazz Festival No gigs planned - development and research in progress.

 

Ben Gilbert JazzLeeds Trustee - working with Made with Music to do young people/family workshops live and online.

 

Steve Crocker JazzLeeds Mental health of musicians and audience has been KEY to what we have been doing. During first lockdown did online videos of gigs. And radio show playing music from archives of live gigs. Paying musicians going rate. Survey in July showed only 16% wanted to go inside venues. So ran outdoor gigs throughout summer, going indoors if wet. Success of those prompted us to run a weekend outdoor festival at Seven Arts/Gledhow Sports & social Club 2-6th September. Holding autumn programme indoor gigs from Oct weekly till lockdown with 40 attendees max capacity at Seven Arts. Inkwell venue remained closed. Received small grant from Leeds Inspired. Seven Arts venue had received some cultural recovery funds. Plans to commission musicians to write Yorkshire themed music.

Wesley Stevenson JazzNE Newcastle Their problem being no venue so everything got postponed. Events rescheduled until 2021 and Festival until Oct 2021, when it will be: 1) live audience and/or live stream of  2) just live stream 3) recorded. New record label set up with 6 released now – April. To document last 6 months of bands that should have played at JazzNE.

Joan Parker Jazz Coop Newcastle. Own their venue, The Globe. They have live-streamed from homes fortnightly, then from July these had come from The Globe with live audience of 10 tables (24 people) and 100 live stream; donations have been generous. 3 concerts every weekend. Grants from Power to Change used to improve infrastructure and building. Volunteers worked very hard to do renovations. Now have ACE Grant to employ events Manager/bar manager. Very busy and financially successful, but very hard work.

 

Dave Shooter Lancaster JF. Still to decide on format for next year’s festival depending on Covid situation. 

 

Pete Woodman  Marsden JF. Have an ACE grant for digital on line presence and to be able to film bands playing commissioned music in countryside around Marsden. Released 3 videos so far. Not viable to do usual 100 festival gigs in multi locations, so aiming to scale down, more online using video. Pete is also launching podcast of his own music collection and interviews. Audience reaction has been predominantly positive.

 

Paul Smith - PS Promotions Leeds Paul uses a pool of musicians in organising concerts in Huddersfield and York. In lockdown he has used his working rhythm section to record a lock down album, helping the mental health/sanity of the musicians involved. Fortunately has his own studio and facilities. Musician need to help themselves and be pro-active. A need to follow Steve Crocker’s positive ways!

 

Matt Evans - Ribble Valley JB ClubThey received £8000 ACE emergency funding and have most of the money not spent on the Festival this year. They have used it for 48 weekly workshops, 4 community projects, 4 virtual mass performances, supported 2 film and music editors, 5 gigs supporting 15 artists partnered with Matt & Phreds and Lancaster JF, reaching 4000 people, a Crowdcast account, streaming equipment, 2 sound engineers and 2 film makers to reinvent their website as marketing hub, 10 performances from under 25s, Radio broadcasting to promoter underrepresented Northern music. Also they pledge not to cancel another event, by going online, and musicians working from home. Grand Theatre is not open but been repurposed a good auditorium linked to recording studio where 12 musicians can easily be accommodated.

 

Bob Walker: Scarborough Jazz Their lock down jazz radio initiative launched by Adrian Riley has been successful and grown an audience of younger people. May continue after lockdown. Their Cask venue is small and air conditioning and is being checked out to be used if possible for live events. Scarborough Jazz Festival was postponed until February 2021 and now cancelled. Bob is tsking over the running of the club, Mike Gordon will continue to run the festival. 

 

Pete Rosser: Wakefield Jazz 4 live gigs were done after lockdown eased but now all gigs postponed due to 2ndlockdown. They had 30 -35 attendees and those who subscribe to Wakefield Jazz have kept up subscriptions. They have a full programme arranged for 2021

Sheffield Jazz (note from Simon Perryman) We have the space and the venue to run COVID safe events at Crookes Social Club but Tier 3 (and now lockdown) have led us to pulling all our remaining gigs this Autumn. Hoping for a better Spring!

Heather Spencer from Jazz North has taken over from Lucy Woolley as Artist Development Programme Manager. They have been holding weekly promoter meetings Wednesdays 11am but will be holding monthly artist and promoters zoom meetings starting Thursday 12th November  4.30 – 5.30pm.

Next meetingsuggestion from Wes that these Northern Jazz promoters meetings continue monthly, which was agreed -  subject to a discussion with Jazz North about running joint promoter meetings with them.

 Meeting ended 2.20pm 

 


 

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