ETEP The Black Sheep

Many bands, agents and festivals will be disappointed to learn that Eurosonic-Noorderslag creative director Peter Smidt has been told that he’s once again failed to get EU funding for the European Talent Exchange Programme in The Netherlands.

“I’m very disappointed and beyond that I don’t know what to say,” he told Pollstar March 1, days after the European Commission published a cultural grants list that included giving euro 900,000 to an organisation researching the key role sheep have played in the development of European culture.

Smidt, who asked for an estimated euro 150,000 per year for three years in order to double the size of ETEP, vowed the scheme will continue, albeit without the expansion he envisaged. He says he’ll prepare another bid for funding in time for the next EC deadline in the summer.

Smidt and ETEP organiser Ruud Berends had plans to extend the scope of the project and possibly set up a similar scheme for the former Eastern Bloc countries. They also hoped to increase the number of participating festivals from 60 to 100 and bolster the subsidies the festivals receive when booking an act.

Although the European Commission makes the awards, a panel of cultural experts picks the recipients. Smidt has frequently admitted he doesn’t understand the logic behind the decisions. He’s also said he believes the experts tend to favour the classical end of the spectrum when granting awards for music projects.

As for the panel awarding the sheep study close to euro 1 million: “The project aims to study the cultural heritage of pastoral life, with emphasis on the sheep and the shepherd, from a social, economic, ecological and artistic perspective.” The project is led by the Hungarian Open Air Museum.

ETEP did have pilot funding for the three years ending in 2007, but the grant wasn’t renewed and subsequently Smidt has relied on key sponsors including Buma Cultuur, the Dutch author’s rights organisation, Yourope, the European Broadcasting Union and the European Music Office.

Already established as the best talent shop on this side of the Atlantic, and arguably the best in the world, in 2009 ETEP busted its own impressive records by helping 71 acts find slots on European festivals.

It’s made remarkable progress since the first ETEP in 2003, which found 23 artists a total of 53 shows on 23 European festivals.