Music Policy Resilience Lab

Name of representative: Chingiz Batyrbekov

Job Title: CEO of “KOLFEST” Music and Arts Festival

City bio: Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, borders Central Asia's Tian Shan range. It’s a gateway to the Kyrgyz Ala-Too mountains and Ala Archa National Park, with glaciers and wildlife trails. The city’s arts scene encompasses the monumental State Museum of Fine Arts and the colonnaded Opera and Ballet Theater.

‘To this date the municipality has paid very little attention to the role of music in its economic development and this seems like a very interesting project which can become a good start for looking into music and night life of the city as one of the factors of resilience and economic development.’

Name of representative: Michael Bulloch

Job Title: Gallup MainStreet Arts and Cultural District Executive Director

City bio: Gallup is a small city in New Mexico, on historic Route 66. To the east, red sandstone cliffs dominate Red Rock Park, home to Anasazi archaeological sites from around 300 A.D. Here, Red Rock Museum focuses on Anasazi heritage, with displays of pottery and silver. In the city, Gallup Cultural Center has Native American crafts and cultural exhibits.

‘We are excited to have been selected for this project because we really want to learn how to grow the support for music and arts in our community. We see this as an opportunity as both and economic driver and more importantly an increase in the quality of life for Gallup and McKinley County.‘

Name of representative: Brian Williams

Job Title: Tourism Development Officer, Town of Gander

City bio: Gander is a town located in the northeastern part of the island of Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, approximately 40 km (25 mi) south of Gander Bay, 100 km (62 mi) south of Twillingate and 90 km (56 mi) east of Grand Falls-Windsor. Located on the northeastern shore of Gander Lake, it is the site of Gander International Airport, once an important refuelling stop for transatlantic aircraft.

‘The Music Policy Resilience Lab is an excellent opportunity for the Town of Gander to showcase the creativity of our local musicians, and to enable all of us to interact with other locations across North America and Europe.’

Name of representative: Graeme Howell

Job Title: Chief Executive, Shetland Arts Development Agency

City bio: Lerwick is Shetland's only town, with a population of about 7,500 – although about half of the islands’ 22,000 people live within 10 miles of the burgh.

Founded as an unofficial marketplace to service 17th century Dutch herring fleets, Lerwick took a long time to grow. Because of its illegal status (and alleged immorality!) the straggling hamlet around the shore of Leir Wick (‘muddy bay’) was demolished by order of the Scalloway court in 1615 and 1625.

‘We see this as an exciting opportunity to learn from colleagues from around the world, celebrate the role of music in our communities and ensure its development in the future.’

Name of representative: Matilda Nordberg

Job Title: Cultural producer, City of Mariehamn

City bio: Mariehamn is the capital of Åland, an autonomous territory under Finnish sovereignty. Mariehamn is the seat of the Government and Parliament of Åland, and 40% of the population of Åland live in the city. It is mostly surrounded by Jomala, the second largest municipality in Åland in terms of population; to the east it is bordered by Lemland.

‘We are excited to be part of this new project, and to learn about how Mariehamn and the Åland islands could become more resilient within our music ecosystem.’

Name of representative: Jonas Nilsson

Job Title: Head of Festival, Nuuk Nordisk

City bio: Nuuk, Greenland's capital, is a small city on the country's southwest coast. Its large fjord system is known for waterfalls, humpback whales and icebergs. The waterfront is dotted with brightly colored houses against the backdrop of Sermitsiaq mountain. Greenland National Museum has mummies and Inuit skin boats, while the Nuuk Art Museum displays local works. The Katuaq cultural center offers films, concerts and art.

‘We are very excited to be part of this project. We hope to learn something from our peers in the Thorshavn and Juneau about how we can strengthen the music ecosystem in Nuuk, and to be able to use some concrete tools to further develop the music scene.’

Name of representative: Molly Stone

Job Title: Artistic Director

City bio: St. Johnsbury (known locally as “St. J”) is the shire town (county seat) of Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,364. St. Johnsbury is situated on the Passumpsic River and is located approximately six miles northwest of the Connecticut River and 48 miles (77 km) south of the Canada–U.S. border.

‘Music, arts and the creative economy is at the heart of who St Johnsbury is as a community.’ - Chad Whitehead, Town Manager

Name of representative: Elin Brimheim Heinesen

Job Title: Audio Books Manager at The National Library's Audio Book Service, Chairman of MenTón (Association that works to improve the conditions for Faroese musicians) and coordinator for the Center for Music Ecosystems in Tórshavn.

City bio: Tórshavn, on Streymoy Island, is the capital city of the Faroe Islands. It's known for its colourful houses and the old town, Tinganes, crammed with wooden turf-roofed houses on a small peninsula. Nearby is Tórshavn Cathedral, rebuilt in the 19th century. Local boutiques dot the main shopping strip, Niels Finsens gøta. To the north, the Nordic House cultural center offers theater, dance and music performances in a contemporary space.

‘The Faroese music scene is developing rapidly at the moment and has a lot of talented musicians and bands to offer. We also have a rich musical heritage – not least in Tórshavn, which is the center of much musical activity. We recognize that music enriches our citizens in so many ways. We are therefore happy to be part of the project so we can contribute to the research over the next months together with other cities all around the world. We are looking very much forward to learning from the results of how a better music ecosystem can benefit our capital and our music scene's resilience in the future.’

Name of representative: Mika Svanborg

Job Title: Promoter, Umeå Kulturförening Humlan

City bio: Umeå is a city in eastern Sweden, known for its museums and cultural institutions. The Västerbottens Museum has an open-air section with historical buildings from around the county. Its indoor area features exhibits on the indigenous Sami people and traditional skiing techniques. An extensive guitar collection is showcased at Guitars – The Museum, which also has live performances and a restaurant.

‘Music Policy Resilience Lab feels lika a relevant project with interesting and relevant topics. We look forward to be a part of it and see what it can bring to the music scene in Umeå!’

Name of representative: Scott Maynard

Job Title: Executive Director, Music Yukon

City bio: Whitehorse is the capital of northwest Canada’s Yukon territory. To the south are the basalt cliffs of Miles Canyon, site of a former gold rush town. From the canyon, the Yukon River Loop Trail winds north past the Whitehorse Fishway fish ladder toward the S.S. Klondike, a restored sternwheeler that once plied the Yukon River. North, the Takhini Hot Pools’ mineral springs offer views of the northern lights in winter.

‘Whitehorse is a small but vibrant community located in the Yukon Territory, in the North-West of Canada. Representatives from the Government of Yukon and Music Yukon are glad for the opportunity to connect with similar communities around the world. We are developing and sharing best practices and are committed to building and sustaining a resilient music scene for generations to come.’

Name of representative: Valerie Horn

Job Title: Executive Director

City bio: Whitesburg, the seat of Letcher county, is located on the North Fork of the Kentucky River. It was founded in 1842 with the forming of the county on land donated for the purpose. The name is to honor Daugherty White, legislator from Clay county.

‘I am excited to be a part of a project that provides the research on the impact of Music in community building. We are happy to serve as proof of concept.’