♪ The music inspires new directions ♪

The international music project MIND, Music Inspires New Directions concluded with a final concert in Poitiers, France, on July 15, 2026, marking the end of a year-and-a-half-long initiative involving cultural institutions from Slovenia, Germany, and France. The program was led by the Cultural Arts Institute PerArtem in Slovenia, in collaboration with French organization Ateliers Misuk and German institution Lied Akademie Sindelfingen. Eighteen singers and pianists participated in the project, which focused on self-singing performance while developing skills in creativity, public performance, cultural management, and engagement with communities. Participants were guided by internationally recognized mentors, including Slovenian singer Nejc Lavrenčič, who also initiated the project, soprano Mojca Vedernjak, and French and German artists Juliette de Massy, Johannes Held, Doriana Tchakarova, Emanuel Olivier, Eric Schneider, along with agent and therapist Daniela Spering. The project began in Slovenj Gradec in July 2025, moved to Perleberg, Germany, in February 2026, and culminated in Poitiers, France. In addition to mentor-led concerts, participants performed publicly, aligning with the theme of social responsibility through music. Concerts were also held in care homes, emphasizing the role of musicians in engaging with diverse audiences. The goal of MIND was to build an international community of singers and pianists specializing in self-singing, exchange best practices, and address the lack of self-singing in different cultural contexts and educational curricula. The project received funding from the Erasmus+ program of the European Union and support from local communities. Throughout the duration of the project, nine duets from three countries developed and executed their individual projects with the help of mentors and European funds, scheduled to take place between August and October 2026. In Slovenia, the participating duets included singers and pianists Janja Teržan and Nikola Varžić, Leonarda Kavedžić and Nastja Vidrih, and Ana Benedik and Karlo Posnjak. These collaborations aimed to foster cross-cultural artistic expression and innovation within the framework of self-singing performance. On July 28, 2026, audiences in Ljubljana will have the opportunity to hear the Slovenian-French duo soprano Mance Kumar and pianist Joachim Besse, whose project Občutek tihe nevarnosti explores themes of dreams and night. The performances will take place in the Red Hall of the City House in Ljubljana. On July 31, 2026, the duo will perform again in Vili Vipolže, located in the Goriške Brdo region. Their work focuses on the quiet dangers of dreaming and the nocturnal world, offering a unique perspective on personal and collective experiences through music. Further information about each individual project can be found on the official website of the MIND project. The initiative has demonstrated how collaborative artistic efforts can transcend borders, enrich cultural landscapes, and provide new platforms for emerging talent. By integrating education, performance, and community engagement, MIND has created a lasting impact on both participants and audiences, reinforcing the power of music as a unifying force in today’s globalized society.