Jazz breaking news: University of Salford Announces Europe’s Largest Ever Jazz Research Project
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Entitled Rhythm Changes: Jazz Cultures and European Identities, the University of Salford will collaborate with six other universities over a 3 year period in a study which seeks to investigate how jazz operates within and how it has shaped European culture.
The project, which has secured €996,318 of funding from the Humanities in the Human Research Area’s Joint Research Programme, will commence at the end of April and bring together academics, performers and industry experts.
Salford’s Dr Tony Whyton, formerly of Leeds College of Music, is leading the project, working in conjunction with the universities of Amsterdam, Birmingham City, Copenhagen, Graz, Lancaster and Stravanger. He says: "One of the reasons the funding panel was so positive about Rhythm Changes was the way the project will use jazz to investigate changes in European culture. Our research on jazz cultures will be a way in to addressing larger issues – are we still distinct nations or has technology, cultural change and political collaboration made people across the continent more similar?"