Intercultural learning through peer education in traditional music

Ethno is Jeunesses Musicales International’s program for folk, world and traditional music. The program, founded in 1990 and present today in 40+ countries, is aimed at young musicians up to the age of 30 with a mission to revive and keep alive global cultural heritage amongst youth.

Ethno engages young people through series of annual international music camps as well as workshops, by working together with schools, conservatories and other groups of youth. 

Ethno promotes emerging artists by touring selected groups of talented musicians through its Ethno On The Road initiative. The Ethno ecosystem also include annual trainings for mentors and organisers, Ethno Kids, Ethno Family, and Ethno Studio (music studio-based training). 

Participating in Ethno programs provides a unique opportunity for young people from across the globe to come together and engage through music in a manner that is characterised by the respect, generosity and openness.

Sharing music traditions and learning from one another

At the core of Ethno is its democratic peer-to-peer learning approach whereby young people teach each other the music from their countries and cultures. It is a non-formal pedagogy that has been developed over the past 32 years and embraces the principles of intercultural dialogue and understanding.

Personal development through exchange

The goal is that through these interactions, musicians will be inspired to deepen their musical interests and build a global network to support their future careers. Each Ethno event embraces a combination of workshops, jam sessions, seminars and performances to develop young musicians both personally and technically.

Traditional music, social inclusion and respect

Ethno is a platform for building respect and tolerance, preserving cultural heritage by ensuring that traditional, folk and world music live on within young people, and is transmitted from generation to generation. It widens and deepens relationships among musicians and cultures from around the world, whereby participants are able to build a greater appreciation of each other’s respective cultures through music. As such, Ethno uses music as a powerful tool to combat xenophobia, intolerance and racism.

Find out more on Ethno's website!



Discover the history of Ethno, read about the previous editions, listen to upcoming artists and find out how to get involved!

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