The Festival Academy

EFA launched The Festival Academy to offer various training formats on festival management to young, dynamic and passionate festival makers worldwide. Its motto is: "The true role of a festival is to help artists to dare, to engage in new projects,” a statement coined by Bernard Faivre d’Arcier, President Lyon Biennale.

Exchanging and constructing know-how

The Festival Academy aims to share, exchange and construct know-how on festival management. All trainings touch upon all artistic disciplines. It empowers a new generation of emerging leaders and generates new professional opportunities for festival makers. This way, The Festival Academy develops and sustains a network of festival leaders of the future. Capacity building and internationalisation are at The Festival Academy’s core. The Festival Academy considers the art and the artists as the essence of festivals. Starting from this conviction, topics such as audience participation, quality of presentation, sustainability, budgetary orthodoxy, social impact and community engagement are on the agenda of the trainings.

Three unique training formats

The Festival Academy offers unique training formats for cultural professionals:

  • Atelier for Young Festival Managers: The intense 7-day training programme brings together around 45 young artistic festival managers from all over the world in each edition. Some 10 renowned and experienced festival directors from exceptional festivals worldwide accompany the participants. The Atelier includes workshops, lectures, dialogues, debates and cultural outings all addressing the artistic aspects of festival management. 
  • Festival Production Management Training: The training focuses on production management in view of realising the mission of the festival, the vision of the artistic director with focus on the work with artists. It consists of 3 modules – an introductory and concluding workshop as well as a placement at a festival – spread over one or more year(s).  
  • Festival Readings: During 3 days high-level speakers from the festival sector give lectures on their experience in managing festivals. The readings take place during a festival and are addressed at the professional audience attending a festival. Speakers are present during the three days and exchange with the participants.

All training formats create opportunities by connecting local and international professionals, foster the development of new and long-term collaborations, and encourage an exchange of know-how. All programmes are designed in close exchange with the local partner, thanks to which participants get to know the local cultural sector, the visibility of the city increases and local artists are supported.