Creative Mentorship at the International Research School in Groningen: Mentorship as an Innovative Pathway for Education in the Music Sector
The Creative Mentorship team participated in the International Research School held from November 6th to 8th, 2024, at the University of Groningen, dedicated to sustainability in music education and research. This international gathering, titled Sustainable Cities and Cultures of Music, was part of the Erasmus+ project Music4Change, in which Creative Mentorship participates as a partner, implementing the pilot mentorship program The Bridge, aimed at music PhD and postdoctoral students to help them transition more easily to the job market after completing the program. The lead partner of the project is the University of Bergen, while other partners include the University of Edinburgh, the University of Groningen, the Gustav Mahler Private University of Music, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and the European Music Council from Bonn.
The Creative Mentorship team presented their work titled ‘Encouraging Sustainable Musical Innovation through Mentorship: A Case Study of The Bridge Mentorship Programme’. The presentation explored how informal education and a mentoring approach can foster the development of original and sustainable musical ideas, positively impacting various aspects and the formation of sustainable musical cultures and communities. The Bridge Mentorship Programme served as a case study, highlighting how participants in the program have developed relevant ideas and projects with the support of their mentors. By sharing their experiences, the team underscored why mentoring is an effective tool for personal and professional development in this context. Despite being designed for PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in music, the program’s non-academic approach and cross-sector mentor-mentee matches provide participants with new perspectives and dimensions for growth.
Three participants (mentees) of The Bridge Mentorship Programme — Ole Kristian Einarsen, Natalija Stanković, and Alexandra Karamoutsiou — also attended the conference in Groningen. Natalija and Alexandra shared their experiences as mentees, emphasizing the impact of mentorship on their professional development and the potential of innovative mentorship approaches to drive positive changes in music research and practice.
Throughout the three-day program, we had the opportunity to hear outstanding presentations from colleagues who explored innovative ways of connecting music, urban spaces, and sustainability through workshops, performances, sound walks, and academic papers. The sessions opened new questions about how music communities can contribute to the creation of more sustainable cities and how inclusive and sustainable musical practices can thrive in urban environments.
