BRIDGE MUSIC - BRINGING GREAT JAZZ TO EDINBURGH & GLASGOW

Bridge Music Ltd is a non-profit company based in Edinburgh. It exists to present modern jazz events featuring UK and International touring bands, and original music from Scottish-based jazz ensembles. 

Bridge Music's Edinburgh/Glasgow programme depends on financial assistance from Creative Scotland (formerly the Scottish Arts Council), which enabled the Edinburgh/Glasgow weekly programme to run for the year to April 2011. In the 11-month period from 20 May 2010 to 29 April 2011, Bridge Music staged some 46 events in Edinburgh and another 25 in Glasgow, a total of 71 important and well-supported jazz events. This represents a MAJOR contribution to Arts in Scotland, as well as substantial employment and performance opportunity for musicians.

In order for us to continue promoting regular jazz events throughout 2012, external funding is required, and we are hoping that there will be programme funding available again via Creative Scotland. This body is now Scotland's central Arts funding organisation, with total control of what arts bodies receive funds (or as they prefer, 'Investments') to enable their activities. At the close of our highly successful two-city series at the end of April 2011, we were awaiting advice from Creative Scotland on what future funding may be available for Jazz in Scotland.

At the time of this update (Jan 9 2012) we're still waiting!

We hope we'll be able to report some positive news soon. Until then, there will be no Bridge Music jazz promotions in either Edinburgh or Glasgow, apart from occasional UNSUBSIDISED events.

Here's the story on the funding position. We badgered Creative Scotland since February 2011 to find out what was happening with funding, as were were understandably very keen to see the successful weekly series continue without a break, after the series ended in April 2011. They eventually opened their application process in June (took them a while!) and an application was duly submitted in mid-July, with advice from CS, for £50k to support the staging of 83 gigs over a full year, two gigs a week, in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

On 20 September, Creative Scotland said that the application was rejected, as we had apparently "applied to the wrong investment programme". But the scheme to which we applied ('the oddly named 'Quality Production Arts' - who thought up THAT name?) was exactly the programme that Creative Scotland directed us to apply to, way back in June! So, their decision was challenged, and a meeting was held with CS management on 4 October, where it was discussed more fully. That meeting ended with them saying "We'll have some internal discussions and get back to you". Sounded promising.

TWO MONTHS LATER there was not a word (!), so on 8 December a reminder email was sent to prompt them that they'd promised a response. The reply was along the lines of 'Oh yes, we'll get back to you'.

Another full month later (as at 9 Jan 2012) there is still not a peep from our National Arts Funding Bureau. This total lack of interest doesn't exactly fill you full of confidence in Creative Scotland's administrative abilities, professionalism, nor any form of commitment (or even interest!) in seeing jazz in Scotland survive.

So, what can we do? There is a large number of international touring groups continually looking for Scottish gigs, but we can't put them on unless they have other forms of funding to cover their tour expenses. For any gigs we stage here, the only cash available to pay for staging the event (venue hire, sound, equipment hire, promotion, printing, accommodation, travel, musicians fees) is the door money. We will indeed be putting on some gigs, and details will be shown here. Please support these events, and help us to continue to provide a base for jazz performance in Scotland.

And if we do ever hear anything positive from Creative Scotland, we'll let you know!

Please keep an eye on this site, or sign up to the email news services, and you will be informed of any developments.

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Events are staged in both Edinburgh and Glasgow, typically (but check listings for occasional variations!), on
Wednesdays in Edinburgh, and Thursdays in Glasgow. Edinburgh events are presented in the City's quadruple award-winning live music venue The Jazz Bar, and Glasgow events are run in the prestigious Glasgow Art Club.

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Join our email list and you'll receive news updates and background info on our great jazz gigs.
Email addresses are kept totally confidential and are not passed to any third parties.

To receive just the Glasgow information (but with the Edinburgh dates included), click here, put 'Glasgow' in the subject line, and your first name and last name in the email body text
info@bridgejazz.co.uk

Edinburgh events are promoted via the venue's email list, please join that here:
Sign up to The Jazz Bar Email List
(This email service broadcasts info on ALL Jazz Bar events, as well as the Bridge Music series)

THE VENUES:

EDINBURGH:
The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1HR
Phone 0131 220 4298
This unique, intimate, atmospheric full-time live music venue stages music several times a day, every day, seven days a week, every week, all year round. It was awarded "UK JAZZ VENUE OF THE YEAR" at the House of Commons Parliamentary Jazz Awards in May 2010, and has won three other major awards in the last 2 years. It is purpose-designed for the presentation of excellent live music (a lot more than just jazz) and is an extremely popular venue, well respected for its consistently high level of programming. At these gigs, bands typically play two one-hour sets starting 9pm, ending 11.45pm approx.
Web: www.thejazzbar.co.uk
Email: info@thejazzbar.co.uk  

GLASGOW:
Glasgow Art Club, 185 Bath Street (at Blythswood St), Glasgow G2 4HU
Phone 0141 248 5210
Performances take place in the very attractive large Gallery at the rear of this historic building. This beautiful, wood-panelled room with high glass ceiling is laid out informally for the events, with cabaret-style tables and chairs, and there's a small bar just off. There is always an art exhibition on the walls too, have a look round! The acoustics are very warm we only use a very small amount of sound reinforcement to balance the overall group sound. Nice vibe! At these gigs, bands typically play two one-hour sets starting 8.15pm, ending 10.45pm approx.
Web: www.glasgowartclub.co.uk
Email: manager@glasgowartclub.co.uk



Contact Bridge Music:  info@bridgejazz.co.uk