International Day of Jazz 2025
UNESCO Jazz Day Relay III: Learning for Lasting Peace -SDG 4
Presented by the Music Subnetwork of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network
For the third edition of the Jazz Day Relay organized by the Member Cities of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), the theme isLearning for Lasting Peace – SDG Goal 4: Quality Education.
Building on the success of the 2024 Annual UCCN Meeting in Braga, Portugal, and the conference theme “Bringing Youth to the Table” – the 2025 edition of the Jazz Day Relay invites UCCN Member Cities to engage their young creatives and musicians in a project built of solidarity, creativity, and resilience.
Each year, the UNESCO Cities of Music share a video montage of music from the UCCN Creative Cities on the occasion of 30 April – the International Day of Jazz.
For this year, the Music Subnetwork of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network welcomes contributions from all Member Cities of the Network following the guidelines outlined in our technical specifications. As in years past, each City must record the audio and video of local musical group performing their unique version of a shared composition.
For 2025, the musical composition is provided by educator and composer Mark Simeon Ferguson of Adelaide, Australia. Mark has written an open letter explaining the composition HERE.
This year each full video performance will be shared individually via YouTube in a Jazz Day Relay playlist. A montage video of selected performances will be produced by the team in London, Canada.
How it works…
Each year for the annual celebration of the International Day of Jazz on 30thof April, the participating cities of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network invite musical groups from the UCCN Member Cities to contribute one original performance of a shared musical composition.
The submitted videos are shared in the form of audio/video recordings that feature each group in their city. Together, the compositions “travel” from one city to another – in the form of a musical and media “relay race” around the globe.
These videos are stitched together in a unique montage to highlight the contributing UCCN cities, to build a shared language of musical cooperation, and to advance awareness of one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs).
Goal 4: Quality Education: Learning for a Lasting Peace
Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals speaks to the need for equitable and inclusive access to quality education – as well as opportunities for lifelong learning, and the role of education in promoting a culture of peace.
This year the UCCN Cities of Music invite participating UCCN cities and their musical groups to engage youth in every step of the process -from project conceptualization to the recording and production of a local version of the composition provided by composer, musician and educator – Mark Simeon Ferguson, University of Adelaide, Australia.
Mark has participated in each of the previous editions of the Jazz Day Relay since 2023 when the tradition began in Frutillar, Chile with a composition from the young musician Jaylen Ward of Kansas City, Missouri USA. Learn more about Mark here: https://www.marksimeonferguson.com/
Jazz Day Relay 2025: A Lifetime of Learning = SDG 4: Quality Education
For the third edition of the UCCN Jazz Day Relay, the UCCN Music Subnetwork opens the call for submissions to all UCCN Member Cities, with a special interest in highlighting and welcoming new UCCN cities, and videos that feature youth and young musicians.
The focus of each video contribution should highlight local efforts to use music as a vehicle to advance quality music education.
Each participating city must follow the guidelines and contribute music videos that meet the required technical specifications for audio and video recordings, or we may be unable to include your contribution.
Each qualifying contribution will be featured in a joint press release, as well as a video playlist shared via YouTube in April 2025. Selected contributions will be included in a music video playlist, and a montage video will be produced and curated by the UCCN Jazz Day Relay team.
Timeline
January 1, 2025 – Project announced.
January 10, 2025 – Expressions of Interest Due: Member cities of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network should express their interest in participating by Friday January 10th. Interested cities must email Deputy Coordinator Jacob Wagner – wagnerjaco@umkc.edu and Communications Coordinator Mark Roach mark@aucklandcityofmusic.nz
January 17, 2025: Online Workshop to cover project details and technical requirements. A zoom link will be emailed to interested cities. Participation is recommended but not required. This call will review the materials provided for the 2025 edition of the Jazz Day Relay and answer questions – especially for new cities!
February 2025: Music and Video Production Time Participating cities should work with local musicians, videographers and audio technicians to record a version of the 2025 composition with local musicians – including youth when possible. Cities are responsible to pay for the costs of hiring local musicians, video and audio producers, and additional staff as needed. UCCN Cities should seek gender equity on the video, audio and music teams. This is not a volunteer opportunity – please pay your musicians a living wage for their performance and rehearsal time!
March 15, 2025: Final Videos must be submitted online following the technical specification provided by the Jazz Day Relay team. This will include a specific folder (online location) for each city to upload their final video and associated audio files, logos and other required materials. A unique folder will be provided for each participating city.
Technical questions can be sent to Richard Gracious in London, Canada: Richard rgracious@londontourism.ca
April 1, 2025: Participating Cities distribute a shared press release and help to raise awareness about the publication of the online video playlist (YouTube) and the premiere of the Jazz Day Relay online via the UCCN Music Cities website, London Music Office website, and social media outlets for all participating cities.
April 30, 2025: Debut of the 2025 Jazz Day Relay available online for the 2025 International Day of Jazz.
Learn more about the first and second editions of the UNESCO Jazz Day Relay here:
Jazz Day Relay I: 2023 – Life Below Water (SDG14)
The theme of the performance was based on SDG14: “Life Below Water”, connecting musicians around the world through jazz in the same way our rivers, lakes and oceans all interconnect through the water cycle. The Cities of Frutillar, Chile and Kansas City USA provided the inspiring performance of Afro Red, composed by Jaylen Ward of Kansas City.
The creative collaboration on this project of the UNESCO Creative Cities of Music Network on the International Day of Jazz highlights the importance of local and global efforts for water conservation, healthy oceans and sustainable urban development on the water’s edge.
Jazz Day Relay II: 2024 – Climate Action (SDG13)
Continuing the jazz day relay tradition in April 2024 – the City of Daegu shared a gorgeous version of a traditional Korean melody – Bird, Bird Blue bird, and heightened everyone’s attention to the need for immediate action to address the global climate crisis through Climate Action SDG Goal 13.