The project „Jazz without Borders“
The city of Pilsen already has a long tradition of jazz festivals and concerts. The agency Triwoli, the predecessor of the current civic association Jazz without Borders, contributed to this tradition by organising the International Big Band Festival for eight years in a row and several concerts in the series Jazz in the Theatre.
The above mentioned jazz events had an international response and consequently the agency Triwoli was contacted by the organizers of the Bavarian jazz festival. The German colleagues were interested in having Czech partners for the regional EU project “Jazz ohne Grenzen“, which had already started in March 2005 in German Deggendorf. The Pilsner jazz protagonists, Ivan Slabý, Jan Vimr, Ivan Audes and Jiøí Koptík, founded a non-profit organisation – the civic association Jazz without Borders - which became a partner of the European project partly funded by the dispositional fund of the EU, Czech – Bavaria Interreg III. Since that, the project has expanded, a partnership has been signed with German Passau JazzFest and the INNtöne Festival in Austria and a regular collaboration has ben established with other cities (Rokycany, Klatovy, Tøemošná and German Schönsee). Also, the cooperation with the partner city of Pilsen, Regensburg, has been very fruitful. It includes jazz workshops led by the famous guitar player and composer Helmut Nieberle.
The project has two main parts:
- the Festival “Jazz without Borders”, and
- the educational programme “Jazz for Youth”.
The main international jazz festival “Jazz without Borders” in the Czech Republic takes place in Pilsen (The Great Theatre, the Chambre Theatre and the Buena Vista Music Club). Both amateur and professional jazz bands and soloists from Czech, German and Austrian neighbouring regions, as well as musicians from the whole world are participating (see the program). After the concerts there are usually international jam sessions taking place in Pilsen jazz clubs.
The educational program “Jazz for Youth” includes jazz workshops and educational concerts for students. Theory seminars as well as practical performances in jazz groups for young musicians from Czech, German and Austrian conservatories and musical schools are organised in collaboration with the Pilsen Conservatory. They are supervised by experienced international jazz teachers. Furthermore, there is at least one educational jazz concert called “How to make jazz” performed during each festival. It introduces different jazz instruments, practical music improvisation and the history of jazz to interested students.
This mutual German-Czech-Austrian project should become one of the initiators of political and cultural cross-border cooperation in the region, the continuity of which is a precondition for a united Europe. The international meeting of young musicians during the festival will lay down a base for further joint activities. One of the general goals of this project is to contribute to a cultural rapprochement of the Czech-Bavarian-Austrian border area and consequently cut down the language barriers and prejudices among the neighbouring regions. The final aim is to establish a prosperous Central-European inter-regional jazz festival.
