EXCITE

With a range of projects existing to mobilise fully market-ready talents, EXCITE produces a highly innovative
intervention which facilitates internationalisation at an earlier stage for a wider range of infrastructure
elements - providing access to:
- credible career opportunities to tour internationally;
- peer-to-peer learning and development of professional skills with industry experts;
- offering networking possibilities and facilitating industry connections;
- accessing new markets earlier and reaching and engaging wider audiences;
- expediting development of young artists and music businesses
- leveraging access to high-level international music industry contacts

EXCITE is a multifaceted, collaborative project between nine partner organisations based across Europe (SE, NO, BE, NL, DK, DE, FI, LX, UK). The project leverages a dynamic mechanism to expedite the development of young artists and music businesses - developing opportunities across the international marketplace earlier in their career/ development. The delivery model is architected around a core of ten music festivals in the partners' respective markets, with a further 4 associated festivals in territories including PT, ES, SI and PL, plus one of the top showcase festivals/conferences in Europe. Across the delivery timeline, EXCITE will also produce two dedicated song camps with internationally respected writers to support artistic development and encourage deeper peer-to-peer collaborations. Dedicated specialist industry advise will also be stitched into this activity with respected representatives from managers, labels, publishers, booking agencies, sync agencies and promoters. Initially established in 2009 independently of EU funding, the project has since developed into a more coherent network, attracting a broader range of partners and a wider portfolio of opportunities for young artists and businesses.
Within its concrete activity plan, during a 24-month period between November 2017 and November 2019, the project will
- involve 20-40 music acts in a minimum of 100 live performances, 60 being transnational and 40 national, with an estimated direct audience of 20,000 people and an indirect audience (via festival environment) of 200,000 across 30 festivals in 13 European countries
- involve an elite group of 9-20 musical acts per year + 18-40 entourage/music entrepreneurs in the exchange, also including extra performances, media appearances, and professional music industry networking sessions, with an estimated direct audience of 2,000 (live performances) and indirect audience of 10,000 ( media + music industry networking)
- involve 9-18 songwriters at 2 talent development & mentorship camps, involving between 9-20 music industry experts
- promote 9 musical acts and the visibility of EU financial support to their professional development at a curated stage at Reeperbahn Festival, Hamburg, one of the leading music showcase festival/conferences in Europe
- expand the project website into a transnational platform and tastemaker music filter and expose all activities and the implementation of 9 transnational dissemination processes, including 20 press releases
+ 20 press meetings + video sessions, both on live sessions on stage and acoustic off-stage performances with a direct audience of 10,000 people (project and partners channels).