Start of The Bridge Program: A Mentorship Program Launched by Creative Mentorship to the World

During the end of April 2024, the Creative Mentorship team officially launched the The Bridge mentorship program as part of the Erasmus+ Music4Change project, in collaboration with partners from across Europe. The project is led by the University of Bergen, and partners including the University of Edinburgh, the University of Groningen, the Gustav Mahler Private University of Music, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and the European Music Council from Bonn. The Bridge program will support 11 mentorship pairs working together for a year, from April 2024 to March 2025.

The program involves participants from around the world—Brazil,  USA, Australia, Norway, UK etc.. The concept of The Bridge mentorship program is based on the Creative Mentorship methodology and it is created for music doctoral students, postdocs, and independent researchers who have recently completed their doctoral studies. The goal is to support mentees transition from an academic environment to the job market with the support of an experienced mentor, dedicated Creative Mentorship team, peer-learning from other mentees, as well as from other mentors.

At the Kick Off workshop, all participants of The Bridge program had the opportunity to meet and introduce themselves, while the Creative Mentorship team provided an overview of the project timeline. Additionally, the workshop covered the tips for a successful mentorship relationship, which include:

• Show Respect – Show respect towards your mentee/mentor and their ideas.
• Trust – Build and maintain trust in all aspects of the relationship; believe in your mentees/mentors and their abilities.
• Boundaries – Define unwanted topics and set clear boundaries.
• Open Communication – Maintain open and honest communication.
• Active Listening – Listen with attention and interest..
• Clear Communication – Be clear in your expression and communication.
• Get to Know Each Other – Make an effort to truly get to know your mentee/mentor.
• Participation – Actively engage in the mentorship relationship, both verbally and through actions.
• Embrace Challenges – Be ready for challenges and use them as opportunities for growth.

As stated principles help in building a high-quality and successful mentorship relationship, the Creative Mentorship team recognized the importance of addressing them at the beginning of the program while participants are still getting acquainted and being introduced to the mentorship relationship.

Participants in The Bridge programme also gain additional advices for establishing a successful mentorship relationship including: planning in advance, agreeing on the agenda, scheduling dates, locations and times of meetings, notifying mentors about the meeting topic a few days in advance, maintaining regularity with an optimal frequency of once a month, and consistently evaluating progress, even at the final meeting.

Additionally, a base of knowledge and tools available on the Creative Mentorship website was presented, which can be used as supportive tools in addressing any uncertainties and questions during the mentorship relationship.

The next informal consultations are scheduled to be held with mentees and mentors at the end of June 2024, after which all mentorship pairs are invited to schedule their first mentoring session and begin their mentorship journey.