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EFA News
EFA to participate in first FestArab Forum in Baghdad
17 May 2013
From 18-20 June 2013 in Baghdad, Iraq, FestArab is organising a Forum entitled “Cultural events as a tool for dialogue, social integration and economic growth”. A selected group of students from the fields of culture, education and tourism will have the opportunity to exchange their experience under the guidance of high-qualified professionals from the cultural sector. The Forum is aimed especially at cultural actors in Iraq as well as all other actors interested in broadening their horizons through dialogue and debate. The European Festivals Association will be represented by its President Darko Brlek (Festival Ljubljana) and its member Jurriaan Cooiman (Culturescapes, swissfestivals). - more...
First edition of Festival Readings to take place in Sibiu from 11-13 June 2013
13 May 2013
The first edition of the European Festivals Association’s new training programme Festival Readings will take place from 11 to 13 June 2013 in Sibiu, Romania during the Sibiu Performing Arts Open Market and as part of the Sibiu International Theatre Festival. The Festival Readings are part of The Festival Academy which was launched by EFA in April 2013. The three-day unique training programme consists of public lectures and introduces its participants to artistic festival management and to the essence of festivals: their artistic meaning for artists, their innovative nature and the unique experience they allow their audiences. - more...
New on Festival Bytes: Visiting Ankara – the capital of Turkey
03 May 2013
I have never been to Ankara – the capital of Turkey. This is probably true for many who travelled to Turkey several times to spend some holiday at the Aegais or the Riveira, or to dive into the rich cultural life of Istanbul. Ankara does not figure as the first destination. Ankara is the capital, and I imagined something like Canberra in Australia: a city which has been designated capital because of certain reasons; but not because it represents the social, economic, cultural centre of the country. But I was wrong. - more...
New on Festival Bytes: Through the Gate of Pomegranates (2). Back and again.
26 April 2013
Festival Life 2013. That’s the title of this conference day. Working day, to be precise. Visiting Granada is of course fun, but all participants came with a mission and everybody knows that a vibrant cultural and festival life is only there thanks to the blood, sweat and tears of those who carry the “holy festival flame”. - more...
Cultural Coalition for a Citizens' Europe welcomes the EU’s New Narratives for Europe project
30 April 2013
The Cultural Coalition for a Citizens’ Europe announces its participation in the New Narratives for Europe project initiated by the European Union and launched at the Center for Fine Arts (BOZAR) in Brussels on 23 April 2013. The Cultural Coalition, initiated by “A Soul for Europe,” supports the project which looks to find new visions for Europe’s future through its vast network of partner organisations such as the European House for Culture, and the European Festivals Association (EFA). The Cultural Coalition for a Citizens’ Europe will offer the New Narratives for Europe project the ideas and visions that are gathered through partners’ interactions, discussions, and debates with citizens across Europe. - more...
New on Festival Bytes: Through the Gate of Pomegranates
25 April 2013
(By Jelle Dierickx) A freshly mowed lawn. That’s what Granada smells like once the door of the airplane is opened. The two-day experience of the senses can begin. Before having a short night rest I meet Eva, Kathrin, Nathalie and Jacqueline at the entrance of the hotel. The team is well prepared for the storm tomorrow, and Eva immediately asks some deep questions about a possible future for Europe. Yes, this is clearly an EFA meeting. Not one second is wasted. - more...
European Festivals Association launches ‘The Festival Academy’
25 April 2013
[Press Release Brussels, Belgium, 25 April 2013] On 18 April 2013, the European Festivals Association (EFA) launched The Festival Academy during its 2013 General Assembly in Granada, Spain. “The true role of a festival is to help artists to dare, to engage in new projects” is a statement by Bernard Faivre d’Arcier (former Director Avignon Festival) that serves as the motto of The Festival Academy. It offers various training formats for festival management to young, dynamic and passionate festival makers worldwide. Its mission is to share, exchange and construct know-how on festival management focusing on the essence of festivals – the art and the artist – and touching upon all artistic disciplines. The Festival Academy is ambitious to develop and sustain a network of festival leaders of the future. - more...
Atelier BEIRUT 2013: one week left to apply, new mentors revealed
24 April 2013
The sixth Atelier for Young Festival Managers, will take place from 5 to 12 October 2013 in Beirut, Lebanon, in collaboration with the Beiteddine Art Festival. Three new mentors have confirmed their participation: Robyn Archer, Rania Elias, and His Excellency Mohammed Kabbaj will join Hugo De Greef, Bernard Faivre d’Arcier, Rose Fenton, Nele Hertling, and Jonathan Mills to guide 45 participants during the 7-day intense training programme, initiated by the European Festivals Association (EFA). Emerging artistic festival directors worldwide are invited to apply until 1 May 2013. - more...
2013 EFA General Assembly: new members, Darko Brlek re-elected President
23 April 2013
[PRESS RELEASE, Brussels, Belgium, 23 April 2013] The 2013 General Assembly & Conference of the European Festivals Association (EFA) took place from 18-21 April in Granada, Spain, and was hosted by the Festival Internacional de Música y Danza de Granada. It was the opportunity for 145 delegates representing 66 festivals from 35 countries to meet peer colleagues, to exchange on what is at stake in the world of festivals all over Europe and beyond, to identify festivals’ contributions to today’s world, and to have an inspiring time. One of the main outcomes: the Association representing 109 festivals from 44 countries re-elected its current President Darko Brlek. - more...
Serving Artists Serves the Public: E-publication launched by ASEF and EFA
18 April 2013
[PRESS RELEASE Granada, Spain; 18 April 2013] The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) and the European Festivals Association (EFA) launch a new e-publication entitled “Serving Artists Serves the Public”. The book talks about the opportunities and challenges of programming arts festivals in Asia and Europe. The launch takes place at EFA’s General Assembly and Conference on 18-21 April 2013 in Granada, Spain. - more...
New on Festival Bytes: Concrete & Conflict: Re-imagining Place through a City of Culture
17 April 2013
In his first blog post entitled “Concrete & Conflict” blogger Jonathan May explores Derry-Londonderry as an example of re-imagining place through a City of Culture. Jonathan May is Digital Producer LIFT, the London International Festival of Theatre. He participated in EFA’s Atelier for Young Festival Managers in Ljubljana in October 2012. Read an excerpt of his article here below; the full article is available on Festival Bytes. - more...
2013 EFA General Assembly to welcome 145 delegates from 35 countries representing 62 festivals
16 April 2013
The 2013 General Assembly & Conference of the European Festivals Association takes place from 18-21 April in Granada, Spain. It is hosted by the Festival Internacional de Música y Danza de Granada. “It is the opportunity for 145 delegates from 35 countries representing 62 festivals to meet peer colleagues, to exchange on what is at stake in the world of festivals all over Europe and beyond, to identify festivals’ contributions to today’s world, and to have an inspiring time,” says EFA President Darko Brlek. - more...
New on Festival Bytes: Technology creates emotion
10 April 2013
Lille Lungegårdsvannet is simply the most visible spot in Bergen. This octagonal water right in the city of Bergen is 700 meters in circumference, and is not an artificial lake. It will be under greater focus in the evening of 22 May, as the 2013 Bergen International Festival officially opens outdoors with an especially composed electronic concert called Murmuration. It is set within an ever-changing multimedia-light-sculpture using latest high-end-technology in the form of 35 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), LED-architecture and artful light design. Guest blogger Hjørdis Losnedahl, Communications Coordinator at the Bergen International Festival, gives some more insight into the mutlimedia production. - more...
New on Festival Bytes: Lingering limbo: the festival scene in Belgrade
05 April 2013
In her first blog post on Festival Bytes, Inge Ceustermans, Manager of EFA’s Atelier for Young Festival Managers, shares her impressions of the Belgrade festival scene after a visit of the city in March. Her blog post was inspired by the question “What would you do if I told you that you have zero Euro for your festival?” of Katarina Zivanovic, City of Belgrade Secretary for Culture, addressing an international audience at the opening of the European Festivals Association’s (EFA) meeting of its 2013 Collective and Affiliate Members at the City Hall in Belgrade. - more...
Atelier for Young Festival Managers BEIRUT 2013: EFA extends application deadline until 1 May 2013
04 April 2013
In response to numerous requests, the European Festivals Association (EFA) extends the deadline for application of the Atelier for Young Festival Managers BEIRUT 2013 until 1 May 2013. Thus, EFA gives the opportunity to more emerging artistic directors and curators worldwide to apply to this unique 7-day training programme. Furthermore, EFA is delighted about the broad international partnership with institutes in the region and worldwide, which have confirmed their support. This sixth edition of the Atelier, BEIRUT 2013, organised by EFA and the Beiteddine Art Festival is the first Atelier in the Arab world and takes place from 5-12 October 2013 in Beirut, Lebanon. - more...
New on Festival Bytes: co-creating a musical portrait of Edinburgh
03 April 2013
In her latest blog post on Festival Bytes, the blog of the European Festivals Association (EFA), Jackie Westbrook, Marketing and Communications Director of the Edinburgh International Festival, introduces a new project launched in the run-up to this year’s festival edition: Edinburgh residents, visitors, and fans and performers at Edinburgh International Festival are being called on to send in sound files which capture their memories of Edinburgh, and its transformation into the Festival City each August. - more...
New on Festival Bytes: What does an image sound like?
27 March 2013
[By Nina Calopek, Music Biennale Zagreb] On Friday, 5 April 2013, at 8 pm, one day before the music opening of the Music Biennale Zagreb (MBZ), the opening of Ivan Marušić Klif's exhibition at the Student Centre Gallery will take place. I.M. Klif is one of the most recognisable and most interesting names of the Croatian new media art scene. His continuous artistic work on the "borders of genres", his questioning of possibilities offered by media, as well as his open approach ensured him a prominent place in contemporary visual arts. He has been dealing for many years now with exploring the relationships between sound and image and their manipulation. - more...
EFA’s 2013 CAMM in Belgrade: fruitful exchanges, new collaborations, a lot of inspiration
22 March 2013
The 2013 Collective and Affiliate Members’ Meeting (CAMM) of the European Festivals Association (EFA) took place from 15-18 March 2013 in Belgrade/Serbia and was hosted by the Serbian Festivals Association (SEFA). It is the key gathering for EFA’s 16 national festival associations and European cultural networks – representing altogether more than 2000 festivals and events organisations all over Europe. The EFA delegation met some 30 representatives from the region – SEFA members and partners, all key actors in the cultural sector of Balkan countries including Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, and Montenegro. It was also the occasion for the EFA Board to hold its first meeting in 2013. The gathering resulted in new collaboration opportunities, synergies for future joint projects have been identified, and all participants left with fresh ideas. The 3-day programme also offered a rich insight into the artistic and cultural life of Belgrade. - more...
Brussels event celebrates Edinburgh International Festival’s role in Europe’s cultural landscape
19 March 2013
[Press Release; Edinburgh/Brussels, 19 March 2013] Immediately following the UK launches of the 2013 Edinburgh International Festival, the Festival’s Director Jonathan Mills and its Managing Director Joanna Baker take part in a special event this Wednesday (20 March, 18:00-20:00) in Brussels, Belgium. At the event, which has been organised by the European Festivals Association, Jonathan will discuss this year’s programme which brings together artists from around the world to celebrate the relationship between artists and materials and technologies. Festival 2013 includes world-leading Belgian artist René Jacobs. - more...
Brussels launch of 2013 Edinburgh International Festival: programme update
14 March 2013
The European Festivals Association (EFA) invites to the launch of the 2013 Edinburgh International Festival in Brussels with Festival Director Jonathan Mills who will present the programme. It takes place on Wednesday, 20 March 2013, from 6pm to 8 pm, at the Flagey (Place Sainte Croix, 1050 Brussels) and includes a drinks reception. The launch is kindly hosted by the Flagey vzw/asbl. - more...
Serbian Festivals Association to welcome delegation of the European Festivals Association
14 March 2013
[PRESS RELEASE; Brussels, Belgrade, 14 March 2013] The 2013 Collective and Affiliate Members’ Meeting (CAMM) of the European Festivals Association (EFA) will take place from 15-18 March 2013 in Belgrade/Serbia and will be hosted by the Serbian Festivals Association (SEFA). It is the key gathering for EFA’s 16 national festival associations and European cultural networks – representing altogether more than 2000 festivals and events organisations all over Europe. Delegates will explore common concerns, such as: Europe as a cultural project; the role of arts and culture in general and festivals in particular in the development of a democratic society and in economic processes; festivals and education; as well as the quest to jointly combat budget cuts that the cultural sector is facing currently all over Europe. The 3-day programme also offers an insight into the artistic and cultural life of Belgrade. - more...
New on Festival Bytes: Small is beautiful
13 March 2013
“I have come to most things by accident. It never occurred to me that I could ever be a festival director and there were no recognisable models to follow,” Robyn Archer starts to share her insights into festival making in the latest publication by the European Festivals Association (EFA), entitled “Inside/Insight Festivals. 9 Festival Directors — 9 Stories”, the fifth volume in the EFA BOOKS series. Festival making is the “art of juxtaposition”, says Robyn. “The director must have the skill to combine old with new, international with local, familiar with unfamiliar, so that a seamless beast emerges, much much greater than the simple sum of its parts.” - more...
Atelier BEIRUT 2013: application deadline approaching, first presenters confirmed
07 March 2013
The Atelier for Young Festival Managers 2013 is taking place in Beirut/Lebanon from 5-12 October 2013. While the application deadline is approaching, the programme of the Atelier BEIRUT 2013 is shaping: first mentors and presenters confirmed their participation, including Bernard Faivre d’Arcier, Hugo De Greef, Rose Fenton, Nele Hertling and Jonathan Mills. The sixth edition of the Atelier is the first in the Arab world; it is organised by the European Festivals Association (EFA) and the Beiteddine Art Festival. The Atelier for Young Festival Managers is EFA’s 7-day training platform addressed at emerging artistic festival directors. Applications have to be submitted by 31 March 2013. - more...
New on Festival Bytes: A visit at the Winter International Arts Festival Sochi
06 March 2013
In 2013, EFA Secretary General Kathrin Deventer visited the Winter International Arts Festival Sochi for the first time since it became a member of the Association in 2011. On Festival Bytes, she gives an insight into the festival, the city and their future aspirations, especially regarding the 2014 Olympic Winter Games that take place in Sochi. - more...
New on Festival Bytes: Audience participation: a buzz word or real engagement for active citizenship
01 March 2013
Audience participation is a buzz word that reigns programmes in support of arts and cultural activities. It is a key to many strategic objectives in several policy fields also for the European Commission and its new Creative Europe programme: Mainstreaming culture and access to culture to promote audience participation is important in external relations, in development policies etc. In this series of posts on the topic of arts and politics, Festival Bytes will share opinions and reflections of personalities form the cultural and festival sectors on the concept of ‘audience participation’. - more...
European Festivals Association invites to Brussels launch of Edinburgh International Festival
28 February 2013
The European Festivals Association (EFA) invites to the launch of the 2013 Edinburgh International Festival in Brussels with Festival Director Jonathan Mills who will present the programme. It takes place on Wednesday, 20 March 2013, from 6pm to 8pm, at the Flagey (Place Sainte Croix, 1050 Brussels) and includes a drinks reception. The launch is kindly hosted by the Flagey vzw/asbl. - more...
New on Festival Bytes: Strategic intent with artistic integrity
21 February 2013
In a newly launched series entitled “Inside/Insight Festivals” on EFA’s blog Festival Bytes EFA and its bloggers will share insights and expertise, exchange ideas and visions, explore trends and best practices – and thus create a space for story-telling about festivals. In the latest blog post, an excerpt of Ching-Lee Goh’s essay “Strategic intent with artistic integrity” is featured. Ching-Lee is the former Director of the Singapore Arts Festival, and Executive and Artistic Director of CultureLink Singapore. The essay appeared in the latest publication by the European Festivals Association “Inside/Insight Festivals. 9 Festival Directors — 9 Stories”. - more...
18 key festival leaders endorse statement “Culture Combats Cuts”
18 February 2013
[PRESS RELEASE; Brussels, 18 February 2013] On 12 February 2013 the European Festivals Association (EFA) and Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, invited 18 directors of major European festivals for the annual round table "Arts Festivals meet EU Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou". At this occasion, participating festival leaders launched a joint statement “Culture Combats Cuts”. In the released statement, festival leaders and the European Festivals Association call upon the Members of the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission to maintain the EU budget 2014-2020 for culture under the heading ‘citizenship and security’ at the level proposed by the European Commission. - more...
Joining forces, pooling strengths: 2013 Mission Statement by EFA President Darko Brlek
21 January 2013
2012 has been an important year for the European Festivals Association (EFA): EFA and its 111 member festivals celebrated 60 years of EFA’s existence. What’s more, EFA and its members demonstrated through a joint mission that they care about Europe and the world and the common challenges they are facing. In his mission statement for 2013, Darko Brlek, President of the European Festivals Association, expresses his eagerness to continue this engagement. - more...
EFA calls for applications: Atelier for Young Festival Managers BEIRUT 2013 & EDINBURGH 2014
17 January 2013
[PRESS RELEASE; Brussels / Beirut / Edinburgh, 17 January 2013] The European Festivals Association (EFA) will organise two Ateliers for Young Festival Managers in 2013 and 2014. The sixth edition in the Atelier’s history is the first in the Arab world: co-organised and hosted by the Beiteddine Art Festival, it will take place in Beirut (Lebanon) from 5-12 October 2013. The seventh Atelier from 3-10 April 2014 in Edinburgh (UK), the “City of Festivals”, is co-organised and hosted by the Edinburgh International Festival. The Atelier for Young Festival Managers is an intensive 7-day training programme initiated by EFA. It aims at providing 45 young festival managers with solid knowledge and valuable skills in the field of artistic festival management. Applications have to be submitted until 31 March 2013 for the Atelier BEIRUT 2013 and until 30 June 2013 for the Atelier EDINBURGH 2014. - more...
