Organizer Information
TOURBUS EUROPA is delivered by a five-partner consortium spanning Denmark, Sweden, and Germany. Art Music Denmark is the Danish national organisation for contemporary music, classical music and sound art, working as a network-based specialist organisation that supports creative professionals through advice, project development, and international travel subsidies. Founded in 2000 and based in Copenhagen, it works alongside the other Danish musical genre organisations to develop, strengthen, and promote the Danish music sector at home and abroad.
jazzahead!, based in Bremen, Germany, is the world's largest event bringing together the international jazz industry — musicians, labels, agencies, festival organisers, bookers, and media — combining a trade fair with a showcase festival and public programme. It runs an annual conference programme and showcase festival presenting contemporary jazz from Germany, Europe, and beyond. The other consortium partners are Föreningen Svenska Tonsättare (the Swedish Society of Composers), the technology company Tourbus AB, and Lund University, contributing data science and touring-route research to the project.
The project is co-funded by Creative Europe, the European Union's programme supporting the cultural and creative sectors.
Title & Description
TOURBUS EUROPA
TOURBUS EUROPA is a European collaboration exploring new ways of organising international touring and collaboration in the field of contemporary and experimental music. Using data-informed insights, the project identifies potential touring routes, connections, and opportunities across Denmark, Sweden, and Germany. Its purpose is to test how such tools and insights can support artistic and strategic planning and decision-making for touring artists and bookers. The programme runs two parallel open calls: one for performers/ensembles, and one for venues and independent organizers, who will test a new data- and AI-driven touring-planning tool in a real-life setting.
Categories
- Sound/Music
- Composer
- Performance
- Interdisciplinary Arts
- AI
- Art Management
- Research
Eligibility
For Open Call 1 (Artists and ensembles):
- Must work within the field of contemporary, experimental, or newly composed music
- Must have had international activity (concerts, collaborations, residencies) within the past 3 years, or be actively seeking to expand internationally
- Must not be fully dependent on established booking structures, and open to new ways of building connections
- Must be interested in reflecting on how they make decisions about touring and collaborations
- Must have flexibility to explore new opportunities if relevant
- Open to: solo performers, ensembles (no formal organisation required), composer-performers, and project-based constellations
- Applicant must be based in Denmark, Sweden, or Germany (15 total spots: 5 per country)
For Open Call 2 (Venues and independent organizers):
- Must present or programme contemporary, experimental, or newly composed music
- Must have experience with or interest in international artists
- Must have influence on programming decisions
- Must be open to engaging with artists and opportunities beyond existing networks
- Must have some flexibility in future programming
- Open to: venues, festivals, curated concert series, independent presenters
- Applicant must be based in Denmark, Sweden, or Germany (15 total spots: max 5 per country)
Program Benefits & Awards
- Participation stipend of €800 per selected participant/group, to compensate for time required to engage in the programme and prepare for workshops
- Access to a new data- and AI-driven touring-planning tool, tested in a real-life setting
- Participation in 3–4 group workshops
- Participation in 1–2 reflection sessions
- Opportunity to test selected ideas within the participant's own artistic practice or organisation
- Exchange with venues and artists across Denmark, Sweden, and Germany
- For artists: opportunity to reflect on touring/network alignment with artistic goals and explore new opportunities
- For organizers: new perspectives on programming and international collaboration, access to new artistic networks, and opportunity to contribute to shaping future working models in the field
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 14 September 2026
- Notification of results: Week 41 (2026)
- Programme learning sessions: October to April (exact dates to be announced)
Location
Denmark, Sweden, and Germany
Additional Details
- The project is a collaboration between Art Music Denmark, jazzahead!, Föreningen Svenska Tonsättare, Tourbus AB, and Lund University
- All applicants are reviewed by a panel of representatives from the partner organisations
- Contacts: Asbjørn Kleding (Art Music Denmark, Copenhagen) — asbjoern@artmusicdenmark.org; Jakob Fraisse (jazzahead!, Bremen) — fraisse@jazzahead.de; Anna Jakobsson (Föreningen Svenska Tonsättare, Stockholm) — anna.jakobsson@fst.se