GROOVE announces a music journalism programme for aspiring writers around the world

Berlin-based magazine GROOVE together with the Goethe-Institut are inviting young journalists and aspiring writers from all over the world to participate in a programme that looks to develop written and in-depth features on their local scenes.

“The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has completely altered cultural life as we have known it," says Groove on their website. "The sudden standstill of the global culture and music industry poses new challenges for artists, but also cultural journalists – with no gigs or club nights happening in most parts of the world, there is little to report about. At the same time, the new situation has led to the creation of new cultural formats, and spaces for discussion have been opened in the digital realm, not only by many of the figures from within the scene themselves but also by the institutions that are strongly linked to cultural events.”

The programme is called GROOVE Global and there are two elements to it. Beginning August 17 to August 28, a two-week seminar will be held that will help participants develop the tools to assist in writing narratives in music journalism. They will include topics like Interviews, Digital Journalism, How to Write a Pitch and Get Your Story Published, Conflicts of Interest and Criticism, and Boundaries And Ethics In Music Journalism. The workshops will take place online via Adobe Connect and are open to everyone. Find the full programme here.

After the workshops are finished, 10 participants will be selected to write an article in their native language covering electronic music in their respective countries. The pieces will then be published in their language and in English in the November edition of GROOVE and each participant be compensated €500 for their contribution.

Applications will be accepted until August 3 by emailing [email protected] with the subject line: “Global GROOVE: Electronic Music Journalism”. For a complete overview of the programme including application criteria, head here.

Requirements:

– an interest in electronic music culture
– basic experience in journalism
– stable internet connection
– English language proficiency sufficient for fluent communication

Both the Goethe-Institut and electronic music magazine GROOVE have been documenting and shaping the global developments in electronic music culture for many years. Both are also widely known for investing in local scenes not just in Germany but beyond, supporting electronic music initiatives all over the world, and it comes as no surprise that they are again giving back to the community and supporting youths.