The 18th Darmstadt Jazz Forum dared to look ahead, asking about the possibilities that jazz opens up as a musical practice and its boundaries. During the event, discussions were held on the balance between respect for the origins of jazz as an African American art form and the challenges of the contemporary avant-garde. Also, the role that jazz plays in the discourse of the time and the region in which it is perceived was discussed. 

Questions about the future of the sound recording and broadcasting industry, the role of radio, the internet, and podcasts, as well as education focusing not only on future jazz musicians but also on creative music as a whole, were also addressed. 

Mariana Bondarenko, the head of the “Music” at the Ukrainian Institute, was invited to participate in a panel discussion on the topic “Es geht ums Ganze!”. She, along with Jan Klare, a saxophonist and initiator of the Dorf project in Münster, and Akiko Ahrendt, a composer and performer from Cologne, discussed the connection between music and politics and the importance of cultural diplomacy in times of war. In particular, the risks of the Ukrainian jazz scene operating in conditions of war were highlighted, and possible solutions to current issues in jazz and improvisational music in the European context were discussed. 

The discussion was moderated by journalist and music curator Sophie Emilie Beha.