International Jazz Day
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS for GLOBAL HOST CITIES 2024 and 2025
Eligible applicants:
Cities of UNESCO’s Member States and Associate Members
Non-Governmental Organizations endorsed by or in partnership, for the purposes of this call for applications, with a city of a UNESCO Member State or an Associate Member
The deadline for Applications is 15 October 2023 (Midnight, CET).
𝄆𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅰 🎶𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅰𝄇
1. INTRODUCTION
International Jazz Day, proclaimed by the UNESCO General Conference in 2011, is a global celebration of jazz music held annually on 30 April. It aims to raise awareness on the role of jazz as an educational tool and as a force for creativity, dialogue and intercultural exchange, and highlights how jazz:
- breaks down barriers and creates opportunities for mutual understanding and tolerance;
- is a vector of freedom of expression;
- brings people together in celebration and reduces tensions between individuals, groups, and communities;
- encourages artistic innovation, improvisation, new forms of expression, and inclusion of traditional music forms into new ones;
- stimulates intercultural dialogue and empowers young people from marginalized societies.
Following the Call for Applications, an Advisory Committee[1] evaluates the eligible applications, identifies the top two candidates and, after a site visit to the top two candidates, makes a recommendation to the UNESCO Director-General. The final decision lies with the UNESCO Director-General who designates the Global Host City[2].
The designated Global Host City Organizing Entity[3] will take responsibility for the preparation and coordination and all costs of the Programme of Activities, under the supervision of and in close cooperation with UNESCO and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, who oversees the overall planning, production and coordination of the Programme of Activities.
The Programme of Activities consists of two parts: the Educational and Outreach Programme and the All-Star Global Concert (see Technical Requirements for the Programme of Activities in the Annex).
The Educational and Outreach Programme includes master classes, lectures, performances and panel discussions, with local, national and regional schools, universities, institutions and community organizations. The outreach extends to community service programmes targeting vulnerable populations including the elderly, the critically ill, the disabled and the homeless, among others. The aim is to celebrate and share widely the messages and values of International Jazz Day with the general public.
The All-Star Global Concert brings together a stellar line-up of international jazz artists for a performance that spans styles, cultures and languages. In the spirit of International Jazz Day, it takes place in a landmark venue with rich historical significance to both the Global Host City and the hosting nation.
All components of the Programme of Activities (Educational and Outreach Programme and All-Star Global Concert) must be fully open to the public and free of charge. Merchandise items (t-shirts, posters, etc.) may not be sold and must be provided free of charge to participants, volunteers and the general public. All costs for the Programme of Activities must be fully covered through contributions from local and national government as well as public and private sector sponsors.
[1] The Advisory Committee consists of one representative of UNESCO, one representative of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, and two independent experts in the field of event management, which may include artists, music industry professionals, representatives of non-governmental organizations and/or independent institutions, co-designated by UNESCO and Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz.
[2] In case of an application from a Non-Governmental Organization endorsed by or in partnership, for the purposes of this call for applications, with a city of a UNESCO Member State or an Associate Member, the designated Global Host City shall be the city with which the said NGO has been in partnership with or endorsed by
[3] The Global Host City Organizing Entity may be the local and/or national government or a responsible Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) endorsed by or in partnership, for the purposes of this call for applications, with a city of a UNESCO Member State or an Associate Member.
2. REQUIREMENTS
The Application should clearly demonstrate the capacity and commitment of the Global Host City to meet the requirements specified below and in the Application Form.
Who can Apply:
As International Jazz Day is a UNESCO proclaimed International Day, the Call for Applications is open to all cities of the UNESCO Member States and Associate Members and Non-Governmental Organizations endorsed by or in partnership, for the purposes of this call for applications, with a city of a UNESCO Member State or an Associate Member
Geographic Representation:
Based on eligible applications, to the extent possible, the Advisory Committee will take into account a criteria of geographical representation in order to ensure that Global Host Cities represent all regions of the world.
Past International Jazz Day celebrations: Online Global Concert 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020; Melbourne-Sydney (Australia) 2019; Saint Petersburg (Russian Federation) 2018; Havana (Cuba) 2017; Washington, D.C. (United States of America) 2016; UNESCO (France) 2015; Osaka (Japan) 2014; Istanbul (Türkiye) 2013; United Nations Headquarters (United States of America), UNESCO (France) and New Orleans (United States of America) 2012.
Supporting documents:
The Application must include:
- A letter of support from the municipal authorities, which specifies the intention to undertake the Educational and Outreach Programme and the All-Star Global Concert, and their commitment to ensuring the financial and/or in-kind support corresponding to the city government contributions set out in the budget proposal.
- A letter of support, where applicable, from the state, provincial or regional government, which specifies their commitment to ensuring the financial and/or in-kind support corresponding to the government contributions set out in the budget proposal.
- A letter of support from a national governmental ministry or similar entity, which specifies their commitment to ensuring the financial and/or in-kind support corresponding to the government contributions set out in the budget proposal.
- A letter of endorsement from the applicant country’s National Commission for UNESCO, where applicable, which expresses the Commission’s support for the application (all references to the National Commission for UNESCO refer to the country the applicant is in – see the Directory here);
- Two additional letters of support from a partner or associated entities[4].
[4] If the applicant is a Non-Governmental Organization endorsed by or in partnership, for the purpose of this call for applications, with a city of a UNESCO Member State or an Associated Member, the two letters of support would have to come from other partners or associated entities, which do not include the said Non-Governmental Organization.
Financing
The budget proposal submitted in the Application must be fully completed with all required details. The budget proposal should include expenses related to the organization of the Educational and Outreach Programme activities and the Global Concert in close cooperation with the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz and UNESCO. Previous International Jazz Day budgets have averaged between 2 million and 4 milllion US dollars.
The Advisory Committee will assess the quality of the proposed Programme of Activities and the consistency of the proposed budget.
The top two final Applicants selected by the Advisory Committee will be required to finance a site visit of representatives of UNESCO and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz (3 persons) in order to evaluate the feasibility of the submitted Application before the final recommendation to the UNESCO Director-General is made. Once designated, the Global Host City Organizing Entity will be required to finance additional site visits by staff from the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz including members of their technical, production and education teams during the planning phase. The number of visits, generally 3 to 5, varies from country to country and will be determined based on the need to finalize preparations.
The designated Global Host City Organizing Entity is responsible for financing the costs related to the Programme of Activities corresponding to the contributions set out in the budget proposal. Funds may be raised from a combination of direct government support as well as public and private sponsors. To facilitate the success of International Jazz Day, the Application must include, as referenced above in Requirements/Supporting Documents, the express commitments of the national, provincial, state and local governments to ensure the corresponding financial and in-kind support.
Memorandum of Understanding:
Before the designated Global Host City is announced by the UNESCO Director-General, a dedicated Memorandum of Understanding is to be signed by UNESCO, the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, and the Global Host City Organizing Entity, to set forth the logistical, communication, operational and budgetary aspects and the rights and responsibilities of each Party.
Communication
By presenting the Application, the Applicant, in case of designation as the Global Host City, commits to associate UNESCO and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz in its communication and information campaigns and to work with them for all main events relating to the International Jazz Day Programme of Activities.
N.B.: No exercise of influence or lobbying is allowed. Consequently, it is prohibited to offer any goods, services, funds, material or immaterial benefits in return for any form of favour or unauthorized support in the selection process. Any misconduct by a candidate city, if verified, will lead to its immediate disqualification.
3. HOW TO APPLY
- Online Application:
- Complete the online Application Form following this UNESCO International Jazz Day Link .
- Upload all required supporting documents. Applicants may attach additional documents or information to support their application in the final step of the online Application Form.
- Submit the online 2024 Application Form by 15 August 2023 and the 2025 Application Form by 15 October 2023.
- Languages of submission: The complete Application Form must be submitted in English or French, which are the two working languages of the UNESCO Secretariat.
- Preparing the Application:Although there is no one-size-fits-all formula for the preparation of the Application, the following diagram presents the suggested steps of this process.
4. SELECTION PROCESS
The Global Host City of International Jazz Day selection process consists of the following steps:
Call for Applications:
Cities and/or NGOs endorsed by or in partnership, for the purposes of this call for applications, with cities and/or national governments interested in putting themselves forward for consideration are required to submit the online Application Form by the specified deadline. The deadline for the submission of the Application is stated in the Call for Applications.
Technical Pre-Screening:
A technical pre-screening of all submissions is carried out by UNESCO and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz to verify whether the Application is complete and meets all the requirements, including the required letters of support.
Advisory Committee:
The Advisory Committee reviews all eligible Applications and identifies the top two Applicants. The Advisory Committee consists of one representative of UNESCO, one representative of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, and two independent experts in the field of event management, which may include artists, music industry professionals, representatives of non-governmental organizations and/or independent institutions, co-designated by UNESCO and Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz.
Site visit and Recommendation:
The top two Applicants identified by the Advisory Committee will be informed. Representatives of UNESCO and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz will undertake a site visit to both cities, to be funded by the Applicants, in order to evaluate the feasibility of the submitted Applications. The site visit will include visits to proposed venues and meetings with partners for the Educational and Outreach Programme and All-Star Global Concert, as well as meetings with local, regional and national government officials and other committed financial supporters. Thereafter the Advisory Committee will make a final recommendation to the UNESCO Director-General.
Decision:
The Global Host City(ies) is/are designated by the UNESCO Director-General and the Global Host City(ies) is/are informed.
Memorandum of Understanding and Announcement:
A dedicated Memorandum of Understanding is to be signed by UNESCO, the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, and the Global Host City Organizing Entity, to set forth the logistical, communication, operational and budgetary aspects and the rights and responsibilities of each Party. Once signed, UNESCO will officially announce the designated Global Host City.
Monitoring
The Global Host City Organizing Entity will work closely with its counterparts at the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz and UNESCO on all aspects of planning and executing the Global Host City Programme of Activities. In addition, the Global Host City Organizing Entity shall agree to facilitate evaluation of progress on preparatory work at UNESCO's request. UNESCO and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz will regularly take stock and evaluate the preparatory work of the Global Host City for International Jazz Day.
5. TIMELINE
Estimated Timetable for Call for Applications:
| Applications | |
|---|---|
| Launch of Call for Applications | April 2023 |
| Deadline for Online Application Submission | 15 October 2023 |
| Evaluation of eligible Applications by the Advisory Committee. The top two final candidates will be informed | October-November 2023 |
| Site visits to top two final candidates by the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz and UNESCO | November-December 2023 |
| Signature of MOU and official announcement of designation by the Director-General of UNESCO | January 2024 |
6. TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION
- Concept – Elaborate your concept for the celebration and the Programme of Activities and explain how it addresses the aims of International Jazz Day. Is there a theme? Do you have a methodology that is appropriate to achieving the objectives your city has identified for International Jazz Day?
- Funding – Be sure you have developed a strong, realistic and well-rounded budget with funding sources that are both cash and in-kind from government as well as public and private sectors, such as airline and hotel stakeholders. Be specific regarding your fund-raising strategy if you need to raise funds in addition to the commitment from city, government and private or public sources.
- Educational and Outreach Programme – Engage schools and institutions from the beginning in a long-term project that can carry on to the International Jazz Day 2024 and 2025 celebrations and beyond.
- Infrastructure – Discuss your city’s capacity in terms of an iconic venue for the concert, interesting options for the educational and outreach activities, transportation (air and ground), and accommodation. Address visa and security aspects as well.
- Partners – Diversify your partners and consider including educational institutions, communications/media experts, local businesses, or the travel and tourism sector among others, in addition to the obvious music and cultural industry partners.
- Innovation – How will your city engage and share the values of jazz with local communities and with the world in creative ways? If you are targeting any particular groups (e.g. youth, marginalized communities, refugees) explain how you plan to do it. Discuss sustainable tourism and environmental challenges and solutions.