Arrival of all delegates: EFA Members, EFFE Hubs, Alumni of The Festival Academy, EFFE Label festivals, Spanish festivals, Cities & Regions' representatives, speakers, and others

Registration | 14.00-19.30 at Hotel Carlemany & 19.30-21.00 at Centre Cultural La Mercè - Girona

12.00-14.30 | Individual lunch time

13.00-14.30 | Lunch EFA board meeting (by invitation only)

14.30-18.30 | Sant Jordi festivities across the city of Girona

The streets and squares of Girona are filled with people strolling among the flower and book stalls. You will discover the city by yourself through another light thanks to outdoor activities, human towers, etc.

16.30-18.30 | Festivals and Cities Meet up, in partnership with A Soul for Europe at Hotel Carlemany (for cities and regions representatives and all interested delegates)

Read more about the Festivals and Cities Meet up here. This session is moderated by Nicolas Bertrand and Nele Hertling from A Soul for Europe. 

20.00 | Official Opening of the Arts Festivals Summit

At Centre Cultural La Mercè - Girona

20.00 Welcome speeches

• Marta Madrenas, Mayor of Girona
• Jan Briers, President of the European Festivals Association
• Isabel Suqué Mateu, President of the Foundation Castell de Peralada
• Xavier Cester, ICEC music area director from Generalitat de Catalunya

20.20 How festivals contribute to building a cultural Europe and the responsibility of Festivals to take care of emerging artists: Keynote speech by Jordi Savall, conductor, composer, and viol player.

20.40 New ideas and creative forms for a festival. Rufus Wainwright Hadrian’s experience in Peralada: A dialogue between Rufus Wainwright, singer, songwriter and composer, and Jorn Weisbrodt, Stage Director, with Oriol Aguilà, Director of the Festival Castell de Peralada.

21.15 Welcome drink

A day of conversations, meet ups, keynotes and ceremonies at the Peralada Castle in Peralada

Registration | 9.30-13.30 at Peralada Castle

8.45 | Bus to Peralada: Meeting point at your respective hotels in Girona

10.00-13.30 | Let’s talk business

In 3 conversations of 1 hour, the arts community will discuss with business representatives its role and the interaction between arts, festivals and business.
Find out more info on this session and discover the speakers now.

13.30-15.00 | Lunch Denis de Rougemont Forum

You will eat delicious traditional Catalan Cuisine at Peralada Castle. While eating, we propose to “Talk and work”. The lunch Denis de Rougemont Forum will give dedicated project leaders a table to receive guests and introduce their project/idea in detail to interested participants. Check out the topics of the tables here.

15.00-16.30 | Business as usual? The role of the arts and arts festivals in our time

This session will address the role of the arts during and after conflict times, violence or dictatorship as well as the role of festivals in providing a platform for (emerging) artists to express their views on the times we live in. Find out more about this session here.

16.30-17.15 | European Arts Festivals Alliance under continual construction: Arts, cities and business

"The European Arts Festivals Alliance under continual construction: Arts, cities and business" session is a stocktaking moment launching the participation of the business community and of cities signing the EFFE Seal for Festivals Cities and Regions in Europe's Festival Alliance. Read more here.

17.15 | Group Picture

17.20 | Visit of the Peralada Castle and its different museums and collections

During this visit you will see the library, the glass and ceramic museum, the beautiful gardens, the church and the cloister.

18.30 | Albert Guinovart Concert

Albert Guinovart is a Catalan composer and pianist. He will present his new album ‘Poems without words’. 

19.30 | Drink at the new cellar

20.15 | Bus back to Girona

21.00 | Individual dinner

A day of local emersion and workshops at Hotel Carlemany in Girona
Throughout the day: Meet-and-Greet at Hotel Carlemany

9.25 | Meeting point at the Auditori de Girona

9.30-13.00 | ‘Walk and Talk’

We will start the 'Walk and Talk' at the Auditorium of Girona to meet the Director and two representatives from the Black Music Festival. You will then split into small groups to visit the beautiful city of Girona. We will finish the tour at the Municipal Theatre of Girona to meet the Director and a representative from the Cultural Department of the City hall.

13.00-14.00 | Lunch at Hotel Carlemany

13.00-14.00 | Lunch Cities Steering group at Hotel Carlemany (by invitation only)

13.00-14.00 | Lunch 70-Years-On Thinking group at Hotel Carlemany (by invitation only)

14.00-15.00 | The Festival Academy (TFA) invites: Take a stance

This session is an open space for EFA members and other delegates to come together with The Festival Academy Alumni to engage with the mission of TFA in mind: strengthen festivals to consider themselves as tools for change. You can more info about this session here.

15.15-16.30 | Festivals & Sustainability: How to translate the SDGs and environmental care in day to day activities

In this session, we will discuss the place of cultural activities in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - in particular how festival’s day to day activities could integrate those goals and in this way become more sustainable and environmental friendly. This session is moderated by Silke Lalvani, Head of Public Affairs at Pearle. Read more about it here.

16.30-17.00 | Coffee break

17.00-18.30 | EFA meets festivals from the region

• Miquel Noguer, President of the Diputació de Girona
• Marta Domènech, General Director of Catalunya Turisme
  
• Jaume Dulsat, Vice-President from Patronat Turisme Costa Brava
• Salvador Sunyer, Director of Temporada Alta Festival

We offer participants of the Summit an opportunity to meet and learn more about festival life, the arts and their issues in the city/region/country. 
Read more about the session.

20.00 | Cantoría Concert at Sant Pere Galligants and monastery visit

Cantoría is an Emerging European Ensemble of Early Music that tours on international level since 2018.

21.00 | Individual Dinner

A day of working meetings at Josep Irla Hall in Girona, before enjoying Dali and the farewell evening

9.00-11.00 | EFA General Assembly at Josep Irla Hall (for EFA Members only)

The EFA General Assembly is to discuss all legal and financial affairs of the association and includes the Spring Catch Up inviting new members. EFA Members will be able to follow the Assembly online.

11.00-12.30 | Let's Talk... EFA! at Josep Irla Hall

EFA Members invite all delegates for a series of conversations around EFA’s work programme for the broader festival community. Read more about this session here.

12.30-13.30 | Individual lunch

12.30-13.30 | Lunch The Festival Academy Board meeting (by invitation only)

13.30-15.00 | EFA Collective and Affiliate Members and EFFE Hubs meeting (by invitation only)

13.30-15.00 | The Festival Academy Alumni meeting (by invitation only)

15.00 | Bus to visit the Dalí Museum

The bus will leave from Plaça Poeta Marquina, in front of Bar Núria, and you will get to visit the Dalí Museum in Figueres.

21.00 | Closing Evening of the Arts Festivals Summit

The Summit includes a farewell dinner with excellent Catalan cuisine at Hotel Carlemany.

Good news! Girona City Hall has arranged free entrance for the Summit participants for the following museums between 23 and 26 April. Participants can enter these museums by showing their badge.

• Museu del Cinema
• Museu d’Arqueologia
  
• Casa Masó – Important to pre-book your visit 
• Museu d’Història de Girona  
• Museu d’Història dels Jueus 
• Museu d’Art

EFA's Arts Festivals Summit 2023 is hosted and co-organised with Festival Castell de Peralada.

With the support of

In collaboration with