MERITA

MERITA is an online and offline platform that increases the visibility and circulation of European string quartets by innovating and improving the sustainability of the music industry, increasing access and participation in cultural activities, promoting European cultural heritage, strengthening connections between local and European culture. Winner of the “Creative Europe – European Platforms 2021” call and co-funded by the European Union, MERITA development lasts 3 years. It involves 38 string quartets for a total of 152 artists, 31 historic houses and 9 cultural sites in Europa Nostra’s 7 Most Endangered programme.

Through the digital platform, MERITA showcases artists and presents cultural sites, historic houses, educational material, and content for the public and it includes online and on-site activities, i.e. training, artistic residencies, transnational and international circulation of young artists, studies and research. The platform also allows new audiences to be brought closer to classical music and places of historical interest. 

MERITA aims at becoming a reference point, promoting a sustainable business model that unites emerging chamber music artists, audiences, and cultural heritage, fostering among others the exchange of best practices for artists, environmental sustainability, and awareness. It also provides specific training for the 38 string quartets on Sustainable Events, environmental management analysis for cultural venues, and a Carbon Footprint Tool for chamber music concerts.

Comitato AMUR, Milan (Italy)
European Historic Houses, Bruxelles (Belgium)
EuAbout Lab ASBL – European Association for Research, Educational, Cultural and Social Innovation, Bruxelles (Belgium)
ProQuartet – Centre européen de musique de chambre, Paris (France)
B&M Theocharakis Foundation, Athens (Greece)
Stichting Strijkkwartet Biënnale Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Europa Nostra, The Hague (Netherlands)
Traces&Dreams, Stockholom (Sweden)
Lofoten Internasjonale Kammermusikkfest, Oslo (Norway)
University of Arts of Tirana, Tirana (Albania)
Qendra EVENT, Tirana (Albania)
Julian Cochran Foundation, Warsaw (Poland)
Beogradska Umetnička Nova Teritorija (Belgrade Artistic New Territory – BUNT), Belgrade (Serbia)
Kolarac – Zadužbina Ilije M. Kolarca, Belgrade (Serbia)
Cadenza Arts Management Ltd., Budapest (Hungary)
experimentadesign – Associação para a Promoção do Design e Cultura de Projecto, Lisbon (Portugal)

European Historic Houses is in charge of acting as an intermediary between historic houses owners and MERITA, spreading the word among its network and informing individual owners about the project and getting them to participate as hosts for the string quartets in their trainings and concerts across Europe.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.