Music Development Forum

19 - 21 March 2010

The inaugural Cape Festival Music Development Conference in March 2010 drew firm commitments from all participants to continue working together for a better future for music education in South Africa. Projects which participated, from Venezuela's FESNOJIV to London's Music Masters, the Trondheim Soloists and the USA-based Sphinx Organization all expressed a clear intent to continue their partnerships with South African music education initiatives through the Cape Festival. Berlin's UdK and the University of Stellenbosch offered both financial and logistical support on the basis of an ongoing partnership with a research component. South African participants have initiated a national network of music educators under the umbrella of the Cape Festival.

The conference is to be an annual national event. Local government education bodies are committed to an ongoing collaboration. The Cape Festival is able to fulfil a unique role in bringing together South African music education projects on neutral ground in an international context.

At the expressed wish of all participants, the event is to be the basis of an ongoing platform for exchange, debate, and lobbying. This broad-based cooperation across a wide variety of fields within the South African music education landscape will strengthen and develop existing structures for a lasting positive impact at grass-roots level.