Want to tour abroad?

Below you can find, or get help to find the information needed to apply for touring or showcase performance in young audiences music organisations around Europe. Please note that more organisations from different countries around Europe will be added soon.

The following criteria applies to all organisations mentioned below: 

• excellent artistic quality 
• a clear idea of why you want to play school concerts
• a  young audiences music concert should present music that opens new musical horizons for the students, meaning music, the children do not encounter in their daily lives. 
• the music is presented with respect for and understanding of the target audience and the special framework of a school concert.
• music at the core - other artistic elements such as dance etc. can be part of a production, but the music should always be the central element
• international relevance - the production should apply across cultures and languages.

Please read the instructions from each organisations carefully and consider whether your program is relevant for touring/showcase in the country/organisation in question (note that some countries present their concerts in a concert hall while others present them at the local school in e.g. an aula or a gym).

Photo credit to Christian Brandt

Do you want to extend your network internationally and/or perform for an international audience? Come to YAMsession, the annual international event for creative professionals working in the field of young audiences development.

YAMsession takes place in a different country every year and includes showcases of the best young audiences productions from Europe and the world, a dynamic Producers Forum and a wide range of thought provoking presentations and discussions from international speakers. Delegates shall also have the opportunity to enjoy the YAMawards Ceremony, where the world's best music productions for young audiences are crowned.

YAMsession normally takes place in the fall, and registrations open in the spring. The call for productions is normally published some time in the early spring. Follo YAM on facebook to make sure you get the latest news etc. about YAMsession, or check out the YAMsession website

Marked for Musikk is the annual Norwegian music market where young audiences music professionals meet to present, experience, book and enjoy the best Norwegian young audiences music productions. Marked for Musikk was also the host for YAMsession 2016.

Marked for Musikk looks for new concert productions for the coming MFM from December to May.

Each year, the program committee selects from around 200 proposals. Sent proposals are considered on the basis of the IAN model. 

Furthermore, target audience, genre, size, concert themes, financial issues and gender are factors that can influence the program set up, and may therefore be the reason why an artistically excellent production is not offered a place in the program.

To apply, please use the following link and fill in the application form. Please note that a representative live recording of your program is the most important feature when applying.

Additionally, Kulturtanken has launched a new portal, Den kulturelle skolesekken.no, where artists can apply. The deadline is each year on October 1st. Read more here

JM Austria is organised in two concert departments: one is responsible for adult concerts, and one is responsible for concert/productions for young audiences and musical concepts, such as workshops for all ages. 

More than 600 concerts are organised per season (Sep-June) all over Austria.

Artists can apply for the department for young audiences concert concepts/productions (but we also accept interesting bands/groups/ensembles for adult concerts – World/Classical/Chamber/Vocal/Early Music)!

Vienna – deadline: end of July for the season beginning in September, the following year.

We are looking for

• highly interdisciplinary, innovative and playful productions (music theater/stories/dance...) with the focus on music and musicians! For the ages 6-10.
• ensembles, that are dealing with a classical repertoire in an „open, maybe unexpected“ concert setting. We are looking for ensembles with an approach for pure, close and playful communication of music to young audiences; only by using their power of performing and their music. For the ages 9-12.
• ensembles/bands (all genres), that enjoy performing for youth (12-18y). We look for groups with something extraordinary in their choice of repertoire/instruments/performance/presentation. We appreciate a high potential of interaction and communication.

All the concerts take place at Konzerthaus Wien. 

The rest of Austria - deadline: end of June beginning in September, the following year

We create a brochure for our 21 branches in Austria. They book the artists recommended in this brochure.

We look for more or less the same productions and concepts for the same age groups as in Vienna. Additionally, we look for productions for the ages 3-6. For this brochure, your production needs to be touring-approved and easily applicable, as the locations are very differently equipped.

Please apply adding this to your subject „production/concert for young audiences“ and send it to our office@jeunesse.at

Your mail should include a short text about the production/idea; target group (age); references (where did you show it, or did you make other relevant productions?), photos (not too large!), video (trailer and documentation (if you didn’t show it yet, please send a rehearsal clip)).

LMS - Live Music in School has approximately 100 professional music groups touring schools around Denmark every school year playing more than 2000 concerts.

The LMS application deadline is every Autumn on October 15th, 12 noon (please note that the application system closes at 12 sharp, and applications sent after will not be accepted). The application system normally opens on Sept. 1st.

Every year LMS receives between 300 to 400 applications, and an independent professional committee of six persons representing different genres selects the productions for the coming season.

To ensure that the concerts reach the target group in the best possible manner, a producer is attached to each concert production preparing the concerts. Additionally, LMS prepares a study material for use in the class room before or after the concert.

In assessing the applications, the bullet points mentioned in the first section on this page is emphasized:

• excellent artistic quality 
• a clear idea of why you want to play school concerts
• a young audiences music concert should present music that opens new musical horizons for the students, meaning music, the children do not encounter in their daily lives. 
• the music is presented with respect for and understanding of the target audience and the special framework of a school concert.

For more information about the application, see the LMS website (instructions in English)

Konserttikeskus arranges annually 1100-1300 concerts for school and pre-school children all around Finland. In addition to this, music workshops are organized. There are 35-40 different concert programs for each school year representing a wide range of styles and genres. The performers are primarily artists residing in Finland,  but each year 1-3 groups from abroad are invited to perform for Finnish school children.

The call for new programs opens by the end of September on the Konserttikeskus home page www.konserttikeskus.fi and the deadline is usually on November 30th at 4 p.m. Finnish time. The applicants should provide a short video of an actual performance in front of a young audience.

An independent committee consisting of six members selects the coming programs paying special attention to the following parameters

• is music at the forefront
• the quality of music and performance
• the originality of the program idea
• interaction with the target audience

France does not have one common network where international groups can apply.

There is a range of possibilities at a series of venues and festivals for young audiences, however.

Below you can find links to some of the major festivals aimed at young audiences music.

• Festival Momix in Kingersheim: momix.org/fr (January/February)

• Festival Au bonheur des Mômes in Le Grand Bornand: aubonheurdesmomes.com (late August)

• Festival A pas contés in Dijon apascontes.fr (late February)

• Festival Petits et Grands in Nantes: petitsetgrands.net (early April)

• Festival Idéklic in Jura ideklic.fr (July)
  

This toolkit article was brought to you by the Blackboard Music Project. The aim is to share and strengthen our joint knowledge around concerts for young audiences. We hope that you have found it interesting and please feel free to drop us a comment to let us know what you think.