Music, culture & creative leadership
Rhymes & Rise
International music collaboration, cultural diplomacy, artistic leadership and sustainable creative careers.
What this program covers
- International music collaboration
- Cultural diplomacy
- Artistic leadership
- Sustainable creative careers
The vision
Germany–China International Music Bridge
The flagship Rhymes & Rise pilot is the Germany–China International Music Bridge — an international platform that uses music as a powerful medium to connect emerging and established creators from Germany and China.
Berlin and Shanghai represent two deeply different but highly complementary creative worlds — one shaped by underground culture, independence and decades of DIY innovation; the other by scale, rapid cultural evolution and boundless creative energy. This programme bridges both.
Participants develop not only as artists but as globally minded professionals — gaining artistic skills, international industry knowledge and the human capabilities required for sustainable international careers. It is an equal creative exchange, not a one-way export channel — and the foundation of a long-term annual programme.
Programme structure
Four phases, two cities
- 1
Phase 1 — Shanghai Residency
Three weeks on-site: programme opening, joint songwriting, studio work and a Phase 1 showcase.
- 2
Phase 2 — Hybrid Collaboration
Eighteen weeks online: co-writing sessions, industry masterclasses, 1:1 mentoring and NexRise leadership development sessions.
- 3
Phase 3 — Berlin Preparation
Four to six weeks of focused execution readiness: logistics, visas, performance preparation and setlist finalisation.
- 4
Phase 4 — Berlin Residency
Three weeks on-site culminating in a public Final Showcase with press and industry, followed by a collective debrief.
Three dimensions
What the programme delivers
Professional Artist Development
A curated creative bridge between two complementary music ecosystems — led by bt'em entertainment management and brewer-international.com.
International Collaboration
Real creative output: co-written music, joint performances and lasting industry relationships.
Human Capability Development
Leadership, emotional intelligence, communication, team effectiveness and international collaboration — delivered by NexRise.
Beyond the programme
An ongoing international pathway
Selected artists continue into an ongoing international development pathway after the Final Showcase: German and European music industry follow-up — label meetings, booking conversations and sync opportunities — plus festival performance platforms such as Reeperbahn, c/o pop, Rock am Ring/Park and MISA Shanghai, and Shanghai music ecosystem opportunities for European artists.
The pilot is delivered in partnership with Underground Music City Shanghai, bt'em entertainment management, brewer-international.com and NexRise — and is designed to grow into a long-term annual programme.
Interested in Rhymes & Rise?
Tell us what you want to build and GLI will shape the program around it.
Also at GLI