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"Culture is not an optional extra! It is a key driver!"

Fiona Hyslop, Scottish Minister for Culture and External Affairs, in the framework of a seminar on "European Festivals: Driving Success Through Culture"

Dragan Klaic - In Memoriam

Gent, Monday, 29-08-2011

On 25 August 2011, Dragan Klaic, theatre scholar and cultural analyst, extraordinarily talented thinker and writer, left this world. The European Festivals Association extends its deep condolences to his wife Julia and daughter Nora in this time of loss.

It is with great sadness that we have learned about Dragan’s passing away. His death leaves a gap for each of us who had the privilege of knowing him. With his relentless curiousness, his great conviction and belief in the need of a free human being and his inexhaustible energy, Dragan has contributed as few others to the development of freedom in Europe’s society, to the reflection on Europe and the role of arts in Europe’s integration process.

Wherever Dragan identified the lack of freedom, he raised his voice in a sharp-minded way; and he mobilised and facilitated others to act. Wherever he identified potential, be it personal or institutional, he supported its progress: Dragan moved people and institutions and he pushed the political and intellectual status-quo.

In this spirit he was a personal member of the European House for Culture and a close associate of the European Festivals Association: his charter of 50 years EFA in 2002, his research and his encouragement of exchange and research on art festivals with the European Festival Research Project underlined his other ever-vivid eagerness to deepen the knowledge about the power of arts, to favour the integration in Europe.

With great gratitude for everything he has done we oblige ourselves to keep his heritage alive. With our repeated deepest condolences,

Darko Brlek
President of the European Festivals Association (EFA)

Frans de Ruiter
President of the European House for Culture
Former President of EFA

Kathrin Deventer
Secretary General of European Festivals Association

On behalf of all EFA members and all partners and members of the European House for Culture.