SINGTANK
Already in 2017 the European Choral Association put together a group of experts from the field of Collective Singing as a “Singtank” which suggested a strategy for the sector which was disseminated in 2021/22 (check out the final strategy document published in 2021: “A Sustainable Vision for the Sector of Collective Singing in the next Decade“”)
As a follow-up, and as part of the project IGNITE, co-funded by the EU Creative Europe Programme under the strand for cultural networks, the European Choral Association put together a new Singtank for the years 2022 which shall identify “hot topics” for the future of the sector and suggest strategic ways towards the years 2025 to 2030.
The Singtank consists of a mix of representatives of the board and youth committee of the European Choral Association, representatives from the membership of the association and representatives of other parts of the collective singing sector including music education in schools, higher music education and professional choirs. The president and secretary general also attend the Singtank meetings and an external facilitator ensures methodologies that will help the group reach satisfying results.
SINGTANK 2022-2024
The first hybrid meeting was connected to the Leading Voices event where new and innovative formats were presented and wishes and recommendations for the future were formulated (also see resulting advocacy statement on “”Breaking Down Walls – A vision for increased unity and cooperation in the collective singing community”.
The first full physical meeting (with a hybrid participation of a few members who could not be present) took place in Freiburg, Germany, in June 2023. First strategic ideas were developed in different groups as a basis for a strategy document which shall be published in October/November 2024 after some online work and a 2nd physical meeting of the Singtank.
Members of the Singtank 2022-2024:
From the board and youth committee of the European Choral Association
Jeroen Beckers (BE)
Augustas Kvedaravičius (LT)
Silvija Pročkytė (LT)
Daphne Wassink (NL)
as well as Dermot O’Callaghan (president, IE), Burak Onur Erdem (vice-president, TR) and Sonja Greiner (secretary general, DE) for the planning and coordination.
From outside the European Choral Association
Tine Fris-Ronsfeld (DK)
Laura Lopes (TENSO, Portugal)
Stephan Luterman (DE)
Nadezhda McCune (BG)
Imre Ploeg (NL)
Merzi Rajala (FI)
Hans-Hermann Rehberg (DE)
Helmut Schaumberger (EAS, Austria)
Jean-Claude Wilkens (FR)
As facilitator
Bogdan Imre
SINGTANK 2017-2021
From 2017 to 2021 the European Choral Association created a first Singtank as part of the EU-funded Network Funding Project Upgrade – Connect – Reach Out.
Read the final document “A Sustainable Vision for the Sector of Collective Singing in the next Decade“
Members of the Singtank 2017-2021:
Mads Bille (DK)
Jim Daus (DK)
Burak Onur Erdem (TR)
Masis Aram Gozbek (TR)
Peder Karlsson (SE)
Ben Lewis (UK)
Merzi Rajala (FI)
Kathrin Renggli (CH)
Roxorloops (BE)
Flannery Ryan (DE)
Helmut Schaumberger (AT)
Tido Visser (NL)
Daphne Wassink (NL)
Anneliese Zeh (AT)
Ex Officio
Carlo Pavese (IT)
Sonja Greiner (DE)
As facilitator
Marianne Zuur (NL)”