Features

Sharing the Power of Jazz

by BTM

Fri, 05 April 2024

Sharing the Power of Jazz

The 7th BNP Paribas Bahrain Jazz Fest will take place on April 26 at the Royal Golf Club. The team behind the highly anticipated event conducts a popular school outreach pracogramme which we explore in this month’s edition. 

The BNP Paribas Bahrain Jazz Fest, organised by Clockwork, has always embodied a commitment to enriching cultural education and fostering a deeper appreciation for jazz music within the community. By extending the festival’s reach to local schools, the programme aims to cultivate a vibrant cultural landscape, offering students opportunities to engage with jazz music firsthand. 

Through its international jazz partners Jazz House Kids USA and the support of the US Embassy, Bahrain and BNP Paribas, Clockwork will organise interactive workshops, performances, and educational resources tailored to diverse age groups. The outreach programme endeavors to inspire curiosity, creativity, and a sense of belonging among young learners. Moreover, by promoting inclusivity and accessibility, it seeks to break down barriers to arts participation, ensuring that all students, regardless of background or circumstance, can benefit from the transformative power of jazz music. Ultimately, the ethos of the school outreach programme aligns with the festival’s broader mission of celebrating diversity, fostering creativity and nurturing a lifelong love for jazz music within the Bahraini community. 

Outreach Programmes in the Past
Over six years, since its inaugural edition in 2017, the BNP Paribas Bahrain Jazz Fest has consistently prioritised engaging schools as an integral part of its mission. From hosting school field trips to festival venues to organising special performances and workshops tailored for students, the Bahrain Jazz Fest has provided enriching opportunities for young learners to experience jazz music firsthand. Moreover, the festival has collaborated closely with educators to develop educational resources, curriculum materials and outreach programmes that align with school curricula and educational objectives.  

The last school outreach programme involved over five schools and more than 1000 students. Each school had a tailormade programme designed around various age groups

The 2024 Outreach Programme
Clockwork’s 2024 collaboration with Jazz House Kids USA, a renowned organisation dedicated to jazz education and performance, will open an exciting chapter in cultural collaboration. Leveraging the organisation’s expertise and resources, the BNP Paribas Bahrain Jazz Fest aims to elevate its offerings to new heights. The Yalla Jazz! programme will be conducted at the University of Bahrain, Abdulrahman Kanoo School, ARKS Diyar, Bahrain Down Syndrome Society, American School of Bahrain and St Christophers School.

The Road Ahead
The team is working on a multifaceted approach to integrate various elements to ensure broader outreach and deeper engagement. Firstly, partnerships with local educational authorities will be strengthened to facilitate access to a wider network of schools and streamline the integration of the festival into existing curricula. Additionally, the expansion of outreach initiatives, such as organising interactive school workshopsand off-site performances, will be pursued to bring the festival experience directly to students. 

Virtual platforms will be utilised to extend the reach of the programme beyond physical constraints, enabling participation from schools across Bahrain. In addition, the BNP Paribas Bahrain Jazz Laureate scholarship programme will be launched later this year with a strategic focus on identifying and nurturing exceptional jazz talent within Bahrain’s community. Through a rigorous selection process, two individuals demonstrating exceptional promise to jazz music will be chosen as recipients of the prestigious, all expenses paid scholarship to the Jazz House Kids Summer Workshop in New York, August 2025.

Details for the scholarship application will be available on bahrainjazzfest.com in May.

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