City talk music associations

Report city conversation music associations

City conversation Music associations
On May 22, 2023, the first city conversation will take place on behalf of the new policy document on culture. The first city conversation has the theme "Music associations" and will take place at the Patronaat in Bleijerheide. The subsidized music associations all received a targeted invitation and an open call was also placed on the social platforms and VIA Kerkrade. People responded positively to the invitation as evidenced by the turnout of some 40 citizens.

Through a vlog that has been on the socials, the city conversation is kicked off. After which Alderman Schlangen welcomed the citizens and thanked them for the great turnout. Alderman Schlangen introduces Mr. Erik Hoesbergen as moderator of the city conversation and gives the floor to Wim Heijmans, the City Poet of the Municipality of Kerkrade. The City Poet was asked to come up with an intro for the city conversation. From his perspective, he has written a beautiful prose poem and recites it for the first time to the citizens present as well as the officials present.

To initiate the dialogue, the choice was made to work with the Mentimeter program. The guests can log in to the program by phone and to practice, we asked a practice question "What do you think is Kerkrade's most beautiful"? From this, the answers below emerged.

Everyone now understood how the Mentimeter program works. The question "What issues would you like to raise at a minimum tonight?" followed.

Society
Ad Maarzackerweerd indicates; cooperation at the association level speaks for itself, which is the theme that will come up a lot.
He would like to talk about cooperation with festivals.
Particularly for the WMC and blow, he wants cooperation at all sorts of levels.

More cooperation between young and old. You already see this very strongly in harmonies, where young and old work together. How do we get this connection in the choir world as well?

Andre krings: If you want to involve youth, you should also do something about the program.
Something social on the one hand, programming on the other.

Cooperation comes out as the most common word at the Mentimeter which leads to a dialogue that includes the points below:

- Collaboration with festivals like Orlando and WMC. Festivals need associations and associations need the festivals. This should be addressed more by the festivals.

- Youth was also a common theme. For harmonies, recruiting youth in multiple ways is difficult and requires a large investment. Children need (often expensive) instruments, music lessons, need to practice and go to rehearsals. This demands a lot from children and their parents. Harmony St. Caecilia Eygelshoven pays for children's first year of music lessons.

- The KSO (Kerkrade Symphony Orchestra) says it is making a donation to purchase string instruments for children and wants to shape a youth section of the Symphony Orchestra in this way. And calls on other associations to do the same.

- Question is asked; Do you keep track of each other's agenda, do you coordinate with each other?

- Mannenkoor St. Lambertus indicates that they need guidance and help with this, especially in programming. They would like to see the associations seek each other out more. And indicate that their own identity should not be put on top.

- In Chèvremont, all associations will soon present themselves and together will try to recruit members for the various associations. There will be a joint investment in this.

- How do we get youth bound? But certainly also how do we attract immigrant citizens? The associations have no immigrant members, even at the music school there are hardly any immigrant students. Attracting and binding are key words here.

- Older choirs should form youth choirs with it, orchestras, harmonies also a youth branch.

- CantaYoung advocates a joint youth wind band, just as CantaYoung has joint choirs that transcend districts. Associations are not necessarily unwilling to do this, although the comment is made that initially this means a merger of the youth sections, but in the long run it also means a large merger of the associations.

- Associations are running up against resources. They don't know how to proceed. There is a need for a linking role of the municipality. How can we organize these kinds of meetings with all parties more often to really give body to a cooperation. This is also a role for the Sound City Federation.

- Kerkrade has many opportunities and even gold in its hands. With its many festivals and investment in music, Kerkrade still has a fairly unique place in the music world.

- Eurode Foundation is appointed. Is there an opportunity here in cooperation with German associations?

- Education and especially secondary education in the city are important. There is already good cooperation with primary education, this would be good for secondary education as well.

- Cooperation sounds nice - but according to the older choirs, this is not doable. Ere the youth choirs reach the right age, we are a generation away.

- According to Cantayoung, the role of an association is to educate youth and they also have a social role, such as combating loneliness.

- Not only invest in hard resources, but also inspire people. Include parents as well, otherwise the risk of detriment is high.

- Is collaboration with pop bands and similar initiatives possible?

- Organizing events is becoming increasingly difficult for the associations because more and more rules are added and it is often not clear what a permit is or is not required. An overview of what to apply for, what is involved, etc. would be nice. Municipality should facilitate in guiding organizing.

- Cooperation with the social domain is also seen as desirable. Can ways be found to respond to certain issues and strengthen each other. Consider combating opportunity inequality and loneliness.

- Associations should be more visible online and on screens throughout the city.

Conclusion first part of the meeting :
1. Use us as a means to achieve other goals, for example in the social domain, but also vice versa.

2. We have something beautiful in Kerkrade, let's all ensure that it remains beautiful and in this also push the boundaries if necessary. Let's look for more of a connection. The municipality and the executive field cannot do it alone.

Also, Erik also indicates that a conclusion we should not forget is:
3. More attention to inclusion - especially more attention to the immigrant population.