19 events this week

Festival in portrait

Quote of the Week

“A festival is a unique occasion for meeting different people and different cultures. Together with artists who are real masters of communication through art, a festival is a strong builder of bridges between different cultures - and even between civilizations."

Ján Figel’, former European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture, and Youth

SINGAPORE 2011

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«Car le vrai rôle d'un festival est d'aider les artistes à oser, à entreprendre des projets...»

Bernard Faivre d'Arcier, former director of Festival d’Avignon
and Chairman of Les Biennales de Lyon, France

First Atelier for Young Festival Managers in Asia

From 14 to 21 May 2011 in Singapore, the European Festivals Association (EFA) – together with its local partners – organised the first edition of the Atelier for Young Festival Managers in Asia.

A group of 45 participants from all over the world was invited to take part in this intense course from 14 to 21 May 2011 in Singapore. The Atelier is especially designed for those who are working or have ambitions to become involved in programming or in programming related departments within a festival. Participants developed exciting new ideas under the professional and extremely generous guidance of renowned festival managers.

Next to high-level reflections in small topic-based working groups, lectures and debates, practical activities and case studies, interactive exchanges based on papers that participants prepared for the Atelier, informal talks and contacts with artists and with leading cultural institutions from the region created an outstanding opportunity to link insights gained in the working groups with the concrete environment.

More photos in the Atelier photo gallery!

Theme

The motto borrowed from Bernard Faivre d’Arcier “The true role of a festival is to help artists to dare, to engage in new projects” is the theme of the Atelier. Particular emphasis is placed on the artistic aspects of festival management, including artistic vision, political and social responsibility, internationalisation, networking, renewal and sustainability.

Presenters

Leading and experienced festival operators, professionals and artists give lectures, lead workshops and take part in round tables and debates – all of them spending some days with the participants of the Atelier for face-to-face contacts and discussions.

Ching Lee Goh (Executive and Artistic Director CultureLink Singapore, Former Director Singapore Arts Festival - Singapore)
Grace Lang (Programme Director Hong Kong Festival Society - China)
Hugo De Greef (former EFA Secretary General (2004-2008), Director European Capital of Culture Bruges 2002, Co-Founder Kaaitheater, Brussels - Belgium)
Nele Hertling (Member of the Strategy Group “A Soul for Europe”, former Director Hebbel-Theatre, Berlin, General Manager European Capital of Culture Berlin 1988 - Germany)
Rose Fenton (International Arts Producer and Advisor, London- UK)
Bernard Faivre d’Arcier (President Biennale de la Danse de Lyon, former Director of the Festival d’Avignon - France)
Carla Van Zon (Artistic Director Auckland Arts Festival, former Director Creative New Zealand - New Zealand)
Seok Kyu Choi (Creative Producer of AsiaNow Productions, Jongno-gu - South Korea)
Norman Armour (Executive Director of the PuSH International Performing Arts Festival, Vancouver - Canada)
Robyn Archer (Creative Director The Centenary of Canberra (2013), Artistic Director of The Light in Winter - Australia)
Wai-Lap Kwong (Programme Director Guangdong Modern Dance Festival - China)

Find out more about mentors and presenters here.

Schedule

Next to a high-level reflection in working groups and lectures, interactive exchanges and insightful face-to-face talks about case studies make the Atelier a unique format. Have a look at the full schedule! Find out more about the opening and the closing sessions of the Atelier.

Participants

The Atelier is a working space especially designed for festival operators:

dealing with one or more artistic disciplines within a festival
having a basic practical knowledge in festival operation
demonstrating the ambition to deepen their skills in the field of programming or in a department closely related to it (e.g. communication, production...)
proving alternatively that a study course (already completed or due to be completed) is in line with the Atelier
giving evidence of his/her ambition to work in the festival business