The Festival Academy and its initiator, the European Festivals Association (EFA), are delighted to announce news on its training formats in 2014: ten outstanding festival leaders have confirmed their presence in the Atelier for Young Festival Managers organised in Edinburgh, UK from 3 to 10 April in collaboration with the Edinburgh International Festival. Furthermore, two more Ateliers will take place in 2014: from 4 to 11 October in Beirut, Lebanon in collaboration with the Beiteddine Art Festival; and from 20 to 27 October in Poznań, Poland in collaboration with the Malta Festival Poznań.

“After the recent launch of The Festival Academy we are glad to further develop and offer various training formats for young festival managers in 2014. While extending the partnerships and geographical outreach, The Festival Academy aims to share, exchange and construct know-how on festival management across all art disciplines. In this way The Festival Academy offers various training opportunities to a diverse group of young and passionate festival makers worldwide,” explains President of EFA and The Festival Academy Darko Brlek the Academy’s vision for 2014.

The Atelier EDINBURGH 2014 will bring together 50 young festival managers from around 30 countries all over the world. Ten renowned mentors have confirmed their participation. Under the guidance of Atelier Coordinator Hugo De Greef (former EFA Secretary General, General Manager Bruges European Capital of Culture 2002, Founder and former Director Kaaitheater), these festival directors will share their rich experiences with the participants in lectures, one-to-one talks and intensive workshops: Robyn Archer (Creative Director The Centenary of Canberra (2013), Artistic Director The Light In Winter Melbourne, Australia), Mark Ball (Artistic Director London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT), UK), Bernard Faivre d’Arcier (former long-standing Director Avignon Festival, President Lyon Biennial, France), Heiner Goebbels (Artistic Director Ruhrtriennale, Germany), Nele Hertling (Vice-Chair Academy of Arts Berlin, Germany), Grace Lang (Programme Director Hong Kong Festival, China), Joseph V. Melillo (Artistic Director Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), USA), Michal Merczyński (Artistic Director Malta Festival Poznań, Poland), and Jonathan Mills (Festival Director and Chief Executive Edinburgh International Festival, UK).

In autumn two more Ateliers will take place: BEIRUT 2014 in Lebanon and POZNAŃ 2014 in Poland. The Beiteddine Art Festival and The Festival Academy hope that the situation in Lebanon and the region will allow the Atelier to take place in 2014, as the edition envisioned for 2013 had to be postponed. The calls for application for both Ateliers will be launched in 2014.

In 2015, the Atelier for Young Festival Managers will travel for the first time to Africa, to take place in Kampala, Uganda from 20 to 27 September 2015, organised in collaboration with the Bayimba International Arts Festival.

Furthermore, the Festival Readings, another initiative by The Festival Academy in the field of festival programming and management, will take place in 2014. During three intense days, public lectures on artistic festival management will allow participants to gain professional and practical behind the scenes insights. Dates and places will be announced in 2014.

“The Festival Academy offers new models for collaboration and networking between the members of its ever-growing Alumni Network, currently counting 172 young festival managers and 28 renowned festival directors, ensuring continuity beyond the training formats,” explains EFA Secretary General Kathrin Deventer.

Interested festival managers are invited to find the latest news on The Festival Academy at www.TheFestivalAcademy.eu and on the Atelier for Young Festival Managers at www.atelierforyoungfestivalmanagers.eu or to contact us at atelier@efa-aef.eu.

The Atelier EDINBURGH 2014 is hosted by Edinburgh International Festival in partnership with Creative Scotland, British Council Scotland and Institut Français Écosse; the Atelier POZNAN 2014 is hosted by Malta Festival Poznan in partnership with Polish Institute; the Atelier BEIRUT 2014 is hosted by Beiteddine Art Festival in partnership with The Flemish Community, British Council Lebanon and Institut Français Liban.