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Festival Readings – Sibiu/Romania, 12-14 June 2014

3 June 2014

The 2014 Festival Readings took place from 12 to 14 June in Sibiu, Romania during the Sibiu International Theatre Festival. Hosted by the Sibiu Arts Market, the unique 3-day programme consisted of public lectures and debates and introduced participants to artistic festival management. An initiative of The Festival Academy and the European Festivals Association (EFA), the Festival Readings in 2014 included speakers such as Jan Simko (International Theatre Festival Divadelna Nitra), Marie-Agnès Sevestre (Les Francophonies en Limousin); Ada Paukstyte (Vilnius Festivals); Maria Szilagyi (Contemporary Drama Festival); Nelson Fernandez (NFA International Arts and Culture); and Hugo De Greef (General Coordinator of the Atelier for Young Festival Managers).

Three debate sessions

The 2014 Sibiu Festival Readings were co-organised by The Festival Academy, the Sibiu Arts Market and the Sibiu International Theatre Festival (6-15 June 2013), the most significant annual performing arts event in Romania. The following festival leaders shared their professional insight into artistic festival management:

  • Thursday, 12 June 2014: Jan Simko (International Theatre Festival Divadelna Nitra) and Marie-Agnès Sevestre (Les Francophonies en Limousin)
  • Friday, 13 June 2014: Ada Paukstyte (Vilnius Festivals) and Maria Szilagyi (Contemporary Drama Festival)
  • Saturday, 14 June 2014: Nelson Fernandez (NFA International Arts and Culture) and Hugo De Greef (General Coordinator of the Atelier for Young Festival Managers)

The speakers introduced the participants to the essence of festivals: their artistic meaning for artists, their environment for innovation and their unique experience for the audience.

The Festival Readings focus foremost on the central place of the artistic aspects of festival management. Against this background they look at: artistic vision, political and social responsibility related to cultural and artistic value of a festival in a certain region, a certain community but also internationalisation, networking, renewal and sustainability.

The Festival Readings aim to illustrate festivals as platforms with a strong meaning for the arts, the artist and their place in society, giving special attention to the context they take place in. Instruments such as communication, production and budget which play an important role in achieving this main goal are discussed to a certain extent during the Festival Readings – concerning their relevance in the implementation of the artistic programme.

The festival partner and the city

Sibiu is a vibrant city that carried the title European Capital of Culture in 2007. The Sibiu International Theatre Festival is an outstanding opportunity for its expected 60,000 spectators to enjoy more than 350 events with artists from more than 70 countries taking place in 60 venues.

About the Festival Readings

The initiative responds to the need for suitable life-long training opportunities in the field of festival programming and management. The Festival Readings are part of The Festival Academy, which EFA launched in April 2013.