The aim of the project is to enable young people in situations of vulnerability, from diverse backgrounds, cultures and genders, to access musical or artistic practices that differ from those offered by traditional arts-education institutions—practices that are often rejected or not taught there. Young people will be actively involved at every stage of the project’s development through active and inclusive learning approaches that take their expectations into account and draw on the principles of cooperation, participation and self-assessment.
The project takes place in Leipzig (Germany, with the Academy of Music (AOM)), in the Métropole de Lyon (France, with Jarring Effects, JE, and Chef Menteur, CM), and in Paredes de Coura (Portugal, with Space Ensemble, SE). Each partner will offer a group of young people—primarily NEET (not in education, employment or training)—the opportunity to find their place within the project by distributing roles and tasks. Bringing together the diverse and complementary experiences of the four partners will support each individual’s development and create a rich and varied pathway by involving young people in every decision.
Through the proposed activities—by sharing knowledge and each person’s cultural heritage, transmitting skills and making them transferable—we hope to highlight the richness of young people’s life journeys and their creativity. We aim to strengthen their self-confidence by encouraging them to take initiative, even when doors seem closed.
Travel will allow young people to discover other cities, other languages, and other ways of doing things depending on countries and environments. These artistic and cultural exchanges will nurture the shared project as well as each individual’s personal projects.
The creative work carried out in large groups will foster opportunities for discussion around tolerance, sharing, inclusion, understanding others, collective building and citizenship, helping to reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness.
The creation of a website throughout the project will serve as a space for written, audio or video exchanges, enabling asynchronous interactions. Creating or learning to use suitable digital tools will allow young people to develop new skills.
This caring and inclusive co-construction proposed by NOMADES (New Organization for Musical Arts and Development in Empowering Schools)—which we want to be relevant, demanding and joyful—will involve young people throughout the process, with constructive feedback at every stage. These evaluations will help generate a dataset for designing a new NOMADES school and will be designed to be consulted and shared by other organisations interested in this approach.
By using this project to build a new community of European stakeholders who will experiment with and study practices of transmission and creation in the field of popular music, we aim to lay the foundations for a new nomadic school that meets young people’s expectations. This school will welcome young people with proposals tailored to their reality—a flexible school able to adapt to new technical and digital tools and to emerging artistic movements.
Coordinator
The NOMADES project targets young people aged 18 to 30. The goal is to offer them non-formal learning opportunities tailored to their needs, while focusing on young people from diverse social backgrounds.
In the Métropole de Lyon (Chef Menteur, CM; ME; Jarring Effects, JE): following the project “100 guitares sur un bateau ivre,” a need for alternative approaches to institutional music education was identified, particularly among young amateur musicians who do not feel aligned with conventional teaching formats. CM also works with the city services of Villeurbanne, and thanks to the reciprocity agreement signed in 2023 with Le Teil (a rural municipality located 150 km to the south), two young participants from that initiative will be able to join the NOMADES project. In addition, JE collaborates with self-taught young people passionate about technology through audio-activism and intercultural exchanges. Coming from disadvantaged backgrounds, they are looking for accessible, inclusive and thoughtful experiences that resonate with their lived reality.
In Paredes de Coura (Space Ensemble, SE), despite significant investment in classical music education, many students stop playing music after the compulsory period. NOMADES aims to offer an alternative to these young people by providing learning opportunities outside formal systems. Initiatives such as Escola do Rock, which enables young musicians to work in a professional environment, have shown the positive impact of non-formal approaches—particularly on self-confidence and teamwork. The objective is to include inactive young people, as well as those who have never explored this field before. The IEFP (Institute for Employment and Vocational Training) will also be involved in order to reach a wider audience of young people who are neither in education nor in employment.
In Leipzig (Academy of Music (AOM)), several strategies have been put in place to recruit participants. The project “40 Guitares Sur Un Bateau Ivre” in 2023 with CM had already brought together young people from Lyon and Leipzig (supported by OFAJ, the Franco-German Youth Office). The aim is to attract young people outside traditional music-education pathways. Social media has proven effective in broadening participation and reaching a wider audience through the opportunities on offer. The project will also rely on students already enrolled in AOM music courses to act as ambassadors and encourage their peers to join the project.
In all three locations, each partner will establish partnerships with local associations, community centres and youth clubs. The project will prioritise gender balance, inclusion and welcoming young people of all musical levels and backgrounds, including those less familiar with this type of initiative. Clear, targeted communication through different networks will be essential to mobilise these young people. They will be selected primarily on their willingness to engage actively in collective learning.
By combining all these strategies, the NOMADES project aims to create a diverse and committed group of young people.
Trip 1: Leipzig — February 2026 (France and Portugal to Germany), 15–19 February 2026
Trip 2: Paredes de Coura — July 2026 (France and Germany to Portugal), 14–17 July 2026
Trip 3: Lyon Metropole — October 2026 (Germany and Portugal to France), 19–24 October 2026
(3–4 days total including travel, for 2 full days on site)
Day 1: city visit and visits to local cultural venues/organisations (chosen by the young participants)
Day 2: music workshop led by one of the host organisations / debrief / next steps and follow-up planning
(6 days total including travel, for 5 days on site)
During the final trip to Lyon Metropole, three additional days will be added to the two initially planned, with the organisation of a forum bringing together stakeholders from the Lyon Metropole, and a live performance by the young participants from the three countries.
In each location, the partner organisation will gather a local group of 10 to 15 young people (including at least 7 musicians).
Each local group will appoint two or three representatives who will take part in the first two trips.
These delegated participants will prepare the trips in advance and will be responsible for sharing the experience with their respective groups and producing a report for all the other young participants. This document will also be made available on the project’s dedicated website.
For the third trip, AOM and Space Ensemble will travel to France with 7 young musicians, accompanied by two staff members from each organisation.
