Music export and Cultural Diplomacy

NAMM Russia Music Convention and RMA Business School arranged a discussion panel "Music export and Cultural Diplomacy", within the conference program of the Convention in Moscow. The participants of the discussion were: Jeffrey Sexton, cultural attaché of the US Embassy, and Christian Boysen, cultural attach? of the Embassy of Norway. Greg Goldenzwaig was invited to moderate the discussion.

 

The concept of national music exports is based on understanding the potential of music - as an economic product, a creative phenomenon and an instrument for nation branding. The strategy and tactics of national musical exporting,  the set of measures for promoting national music and the range of actors involved in this work, vary significantly from one country to another.  Every national agenda is unique.

 

In Russia, the Western diplomatic structures and/or national cultural centers and institutes have historically played an important role in promoting music. The cultural departments of diplomatic missions regularly engage in the music activities in the Russian capitals. Along with local promoters, producers and the media they participate in shaping the cultural content of music events. Moreover, they often catalyze international cooperation between music industry professionals on the bilateral level. At the same time, compared with other aforementioned actors, relatively little is known about their agendas, their priorities and the working modes.
What are the priorities of cultural diplomacy in the field of promoting national music in Russia? What is on the cultural departments/cultural centers’ agenda? What kind of collaboration with the Russian music industry can they be interested in – in terms of genre, region, event profile? How can the industry and the cultural diplomacy actors benefit from this collaboration? 

These and other practical issues were form the basis of the discussion panel.