2023 Jazz Scotland Board Recruitment
Jazz Scotland is inviting applications for new board members.
Jazz Scotland promotes, supports and champions jazz and related musics in Scotland. The organisation looking to grow and voices, skills and experience from new board members will be crucial to this development. Although some skills and experience are of particular interest, such as education, community engagement, finance, marketing and fundraising, applications are welcomed from individuals who are passionate about enabling Jazz Scotlands community of audiences, students and musicians to thrive.
Jazz Scotland intends for its board to be inclusive and gender balanced and to represent all of Scotland so applications will be welcomed from people of all ages and backgrounds.
The board meets around four times per year with some additional project meetings as required. The position is voluntary but reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.
Jazz as a genre is particularly characterised by improvisation, creativity, innovation and cross-pollination. These universals are relevant in our modern times, especially in our increasingly diverse world. Jazz Scotland seeks to draw on these characteristics as it looks toward the next stage of its development.
Find out more and apply below
About Us
Jazz Scotland promotes, supports, develops and champions jazz and related musics in Scotland.
We do this by:
Offering high-quality, exciting, varied and innovative musical experiences to diverse audiences and communities in Scotland
Notably through our flagship jazz festivals in Aberdeen, Islay and Dundee
Delivering activity to support established and emerging artists as well as the wider sector
For example by commissioning new work and facilitating professional development support like networking, promotion and training.
Developing and delivering educational and grass-roots programmes
For example youth ensembles, workshops, digital education and resources.
Being visible and easy to access
For example through marketing strategies, considerations around affordability and accessibility, broad appeal and reach, catering for diverse audience profiles.
Our Festivals
From Aberdeen to Islay to Dundee, each of our Jazz Scotland festivals is iconic in its own way. These festivals are the core of our current activity and are outlined below.
Spread over the year, these festivals provide the perfect stage for commissions, collaborations, education and community activity that interleave and thread between. They are a stable and celebrated base from which to grow future activity strands.
Aberdeen Jazz Festival
Held annually in March over ten days and includes local, national and international musicians performing in a variety of small and larger venues including the Blue Lamp, Music Hall, Lemon Tree, Queens Cross Church and many more. The festival includes free and community events and participation workshops and is funded by Creative Scotland and Aberdeen City Council.
Closing piece to the 2023 Aberdeen Jazz Festival. Produced by Nick Cronin with Doric spoken word by Jo Gilbert. Video: Kevin Smith
Scotlands second largest jazz festival and Jazz Scotlands flagship festival
Pioneering new ideas and exploring genre boundaries
A special focus on intersections between hip-hop, jazz and R&B
A strong community outreach programme including co-produced events.
The Aberdeen Jazz Festival Youth Ensemble
Soundbath - Performances of solo commissions in an art deco and cathedral like abandoned swimming pool
Youth ensemble and workshops - A special festival ensemble rehearses each year from September with a final performance at the festival
Hip-hop and R&B - unique focus on the intersections between jazz, hip-hop and R&B
The iconic Blue Lamp - An independent festival venue that hosts jazz throughout the year and is known as one of the best jazz clubs in Scotland.
Ways to participate - workshops, jam sessions, sing, dance, play and more
High quality acts - pictured here, Seb Rochford and Kit Downes
International Collaborations - pictured here Dee Don Danube, a twin city celebration between Aberdeen and Regensburg, Germany
Community engagement - targeted and co-produced events for communities all over Aberdeen
Lagavulin Islay Jazz Festival
Held annually over a weekend in September sponsored by Lagavulin and funded by Creative Scotland. This festival is unique in its format because of its remote location. This means venues are small and intimate and travel is necessary but spectacular. This setting provides an opportunity for close working between the musicians who we employ and interaction with the audience. We commission special works and form ensembles not normally available to see elsewhere and this all gives the festival a very special flavour. The festival is co-promoted with the Islay Arts Association.
Around 16 Concerts are delivered in unique island locations from distilleries to village halls (see venues)
The festival starts and ends on the ferry
Nicole Smit and the Tenement Jazz Band perform at Rhinns Hall, Portnahaven.
A full house in one of our main festival venues the Islay Gaelic Centre
On location at the end of a special commissioned concert between three top Scottish jazz musicians - Martin Kershaw, Ross Milligan and Colin Steele
Dundee Jazz Festival
Early November
The most recent iteration of the Dundee Jazz Festival in November 2022 was a triumphant return after a 2 year pandemic enforced hiatus. In our most recent programme we managed to steer a focus towards younger age groups (12 - 25 year olds) as performers, participants and audience members and we intend to continue in this vein.
Dundee Jazz Festival has just celebrated it's 40th year!
Youth workshop with Tommy Smith
Students at venue Hunter S Thompson
Girl power - Dundee based Three Little Birds and The Vintage Girls
The Milhouse Collective - raising the roof at a sellout Dundee Jazz Festival gig
Education and Community
Our education and grassroots programmes support learners and teachers, encourage participatory and informal music making, and provide entry-level gig opportunities and digital education and resources. To this end, we host workshops and ensembles, provide space in festival programmes for participatory and informal music making and we aim to build a digital infrastructure for hosting the educational materials that we develop.
Our community programme is about co-producing events and activities with communities in local Regeneration Areas and with partnering minority ethnic associations and groups. This work ensures that the festival reaches as many people as possible on their own terms and in their own spaces.
These are large and strategic development areas for us and we seek board members who wish to contribute skills and experience in these area.
Further information
Join Jazz Scotlands board - Keith MacRae letter.pdfLetter from Keith MacRae - Chair of Jazz Scotland
Further details on the post and some more context about Jazz Scotland.
Contact Us
We encourage you to submit an application to join our board via the simple webform below. Alternatively get in touch with Coralie via the contact details above.
Application Form
Click here to open form in new window or use the embedded form below.
