The European Festivals Association (EFA) celebrated its 60th anniversary with its Jubilee Gala from 23-25 May 2012 in Bergen, Norway. Thanks to all participants who made their way to Bergen to celebrate with us and to discuss the issues at stake in the festival business; thanks to all speakers, presenters and contributors to the conference who shared their expertise and who stimulated critical discussions; thanks also to the alumni of the Atelier for Young Festival Managers who demonstrated the future of festivals – thanks to the contribution of all participants, the Jubilee’s ambition to define the ‘Bergen Agenda’ for the years to come was reached. This FestFlash revives some of the highlights and shares first impressions with you. A thorough follow-up is being prepared. All speeches and presentation will be circulated in the weeks to come. The EFA Jubilee publication and film will be distributed soon. Please feel invited to further shape the EFA Jubilee in 2012! “The powers we use must not be destructive, but the question of breaking with our traditions is one of the most essential ones in our artistic community. And it is exactly here and at this very point where the arts, the artists and each one of us can perhaps play their most important role: on the one hand by forming a strong agenda but, on the other hand, by strengthening awareness of the power of the arts.” (Michael Haefliger, Director Lucerne Festival) Celebration highlights at a glance • Picking up a quote from one of our tweeters: Atelier alumni occupied the stage • 180 yellow balloons were sent into the air on one of Bergen’s probably most summary days of 2012. We hope that 180 good wishes for the next 60 years went along. • The 2012 Jubilee Gala, hosted and co-organised by the Bergen International Festival, was concluded with an intervention by Jelle Meander, poet, Simon Mundy, poet, and Carte Blanche, the Norwegian National Company of Contemporary Dance. From now on, EFA members will dedicate events in their 2012 festival editions to the Jubilee. Information on all related activities by EFA and its members can be found at www.efa-aef.eu/efa60. Three days of celebration and in-depth discussion Three days of networking, professional exchange, celebration and artistic inspiration! Debate was shaped by 180 participants from 46 countries and regions in the world, by delegates from sister festival networks from Africa, Asia and the Arab region, by Alumni of the Atelier for Young Festival Managers, and by politicians of EU, national and local levels. Topics such as innovation, business and audience participation in digital times are feeding into the Bergen Agenda which is to characterise EFA’s work in the years to come. Furthermore, EFA released its Jubilee publication and first film entitled “60 Years On: Festivals and the World”. The gathering saw many festive highlights including an artistic closing moment with Carte Blanche. Read the latest press release! First impressions online First pictures have been shared on EFA’s facebook page. Have a look, like it, share it! A bigger collection is being prepared and will be published soon! Thanks to all participants who already sent their photos! Furthermore, some key issues that came up during the conference’s panels and workshops were picked up on the EFA twitter hashtag #efa60. Thanks to Claire Heskin (Association of Irish Festival Events) from the EFA Working Group “Communicating Festivals – Communicating Europe” for tweeting! Issues will be further discussed on the EFA blog at www.festivalbytes.eu. Keep an eye! Setting the Bergen Agenda Next to the discussion and definition of key topics – innovation, festivals and business, audience participation and citizenship in digital times – one of the main results was the agreement on joining efforts in a coalition of: EFA members, sister festival networks such as the African Festival Association AFRIFESTNET, the Association of Asian Performing Arts Festivals (AAPAF), FestArab, alumni of the Atelier for Young Festival Managers, as well as the three co-producers of the Jubilee Conference, the European House for Culture, A Soul for Europe and the Access to Culture Platform. Atelier Alumni revived their network For the first time 20 Alumni of the Atelier for Young Festival Managers gathered in Bergen. Together with Atelier presenters such as Bernard Faivre d’Arcier, Steve Austen, Hugo De Greef and Ching-Lee Goh, they discussed the personal and professional impacts of the Atelier as well as its future and their involvement in it. The next edition of the Atelier takes place from 14-21 October 2012 in Ljubljana. Apply or delegate a young colleague now! EFA Jubilee publication launched in the presence of many authors EFA released its Jubilee publication and first film entitled “60 Years On: Festivals and the World”. Eminent festival directors speak about what EFA has meant, means now and can mean for citizens, Europe and the world: Franco Bianchini, Jan Briers, Darko Brlek, Hugo De Greef, Frans de Ruiter, Kathrin Deventer, Jelle Dierickx, Bernard Foccroulle, Enrique Gamez, Ching-Lee Goh, Marie Gouy, Gavin Henderson, Henk Heuvelmans, Peter Inkei, Nora Joumblatt, Gintautas Kevisas, Tamás Klenjánszky, Salvatore Marra, Manuel Martin, Christopher Maughan, Jonathan Mills, Piñeiro Nagy, Dusan Sidjanski, Jacqueline Steels, Galin Stoev, Ary Sutedja, Yossi Tal-Gan, Daniël Termont, Mike Van Graan and Biljana Zdravkovic. Out of the 30 authors, 19 were present in Bergen to talk about their experiences. EFA Film released and available online Accompanied by compositions of Ennio Morricone and André Feldhaus, the first EFA film features festival impressions provided by EFA members and statements of Herman Van Rompuy, European Council; José Manuel Barroso, European Commission; Androulla Vassiliou, European Commission; and Doris Pack, European Parliament; as well as Darko Brlek, EFA President; Frans de Ruiter, Conservatory The Hague, European House for Culture; Hugo De Greef, European House for Culture, former EFA Secretary General; Yossi Tal-Gan, Israel Festival, Jerusalem; Premil Petrovic, Conductor; Tamás Klenjánszky, Former EFA Secretary General; Robyn Archer, Centenary of Canberra (2013), Artist; and Kathrin Deventer, EFA Secretary General. It was realised by Editor-in-Chief Nadin Deventer and Editor Oliver Taranczewski. It is available for download on the EFA Jubilee website and the EFA Youtube Channel. Latest news can be followed in the media section of the Jubilee website at www.efa-aef.eu/efa60. Congratulations and video messages are published regularly. Keep an eye!