On Sunday, 14 October 2012 in Ljubljana, at 19:00 at the Ljubljana Castle, the Atelier for Young Festival Managers LJUBLJANA 2012 (14 to 21 October) will be officially opened. Internationally renowned Australian festival director Robyn Archer will deliver the keynote speech setting the tone for the intense 7-day training programme which will offer to 32 emerging artistic festival directors from 21 countries an exclusive training schedule, thoroughly developed in cooperation with eight experienced festival managers from all over the world. The European Festivals Association (EFA), initiator of the Atelier, and the Ljubljana Festival, host of this year’s edition, warmly invite the press and the public to attend the opening ceremony. The programme of the opening is promising: next to the keynote speech by Robyn Archer, the welcome will be given by Zoran Janković, Mayor City of Ljubljana. Furthermore, Darko Brlek, EFA President, Artistic and General Director Ljubljana Festival; Kathrin Deventer, EFA Secretary General; James Hampson, Director British Council Slovenia; and Graham Sheffield, former Artistic Director Barbican London, Director Arts British Council London, will address Atelier participants, the public and the press. EFA is looking back on a yearlong collaboration with Robyn Archer. Robyn previously acted as presenter in the Ateliers for Young Festival Managers in Varna/Bulgaria (2009), in Singapore (May 2011), the first Atelier in Asia, and in Izmir/Turkey (2011). In SINGAPORE 2011, she brought the Atelier to a close with an inspiring keynote speech and shared her invaluable experience as an artist and a festival leader. In IZMIR 2011, she also delivered the opening keynote speech. Furthermore, Robyn wrote for EFA BOOKS 5 “Inside/Insight Festivals. 9 Festival Directors – 9 Stories”. The fifth volume in the EFA BOOKS series will be launched on 18 October at the Atelier LJUBLJANA in a press conference. Robyn Archer is part of a group of eight renowned festival managers from all over the world who will share their rich experiences with the next generation of festival managers: General Atelier Coordinator Hugo De Greef (initiator of festivals, General Manager Bruges European Capital of Culture 2002; Belgium), Bernard Faivre d’Arcier (former long-standing Artistic Director Avignon Festival, President Lyon Biennial; France), Nele Hertling (Vice-Chair Academy of Arts Berlin; Germany), Michal Merczynski (Director Malta Festival Poznan; Poland), Jonathan Mills (Festival Director and Chief Executive Edinburgh International Festival; UK), Gerard Mortier (General Director Teatro Real de Madrid, former Director Salzburger Festpiele, former Director Ruhr Triennale; Belgium), and Fruzsina Szép (Programme Director Sziget Festival, Budapest; Hungary). “I am glad to welcome this outstanding group of two generations of festival making to Ljubljana in 2012. The two Diamond Jubilees – of both EFA and the Ljubljana Festival – and Ljubljana’s rich cultural scene, which we will explore, are the perfect backdrop for this exceptional training programme,” underlines Darko Brlek. Next to the opening, the press and cultural representatives are invited to two more public moments: On Thursday, 18 October at 13:30 at Križanke (Knight’s Hall), a press conference takes place with Darko Brlek, Kathrin Deventer, Hugo De Greef, and Nele Hertling. In the context of EFA’s and Ljubljana Festival’s Jubilee, the panel will shed light on festival making 60 years on, and on the Atelier for Young Festival Managers and its future steps. Furthermore, EFA BOOKS 5 “Inside/Insight Festivals. 9 Festival Directors – 9 Stories” will be launched. On Saturday, 20 October at 18:00 at the City Hall, the closing ceremony takes place. President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr. Danilo Türk, will give the welcome speech. Gerard Mortier will hold an exclusive lecture and enter into a discussion with, amongst others, Jonathan Mills, Bernard Faivre d’Arcier, and the young festival managers, who will draw conclusions of the 2012 edition. Furthermore, participants will receive their certificates. To register for any of the three events please contact asap Hermina Kovacic, Ljubljana Festival at hermina.kovacic@ljubljanafestival.si, +386 1 241 60 16. Upon request, journalists may attend certain sessions of the Atelier programme to observe. Detailed programme and a comprehensive press kit are available online, interviews can be arranged. Latest news can be found at www.atelierforyoungfestivalmanagers.eu. Please contact atelier@efa-aef.eu for further questions. (Photo (c) Heide Smith) Contact Inge Ceustermans Project Manager Atelier for Young Festival Managers European Festivals Association Kleine Gentstraat 46 B-9051 Gent • Belgium Tel: + 32 9 241 80 80 Fax: + 32 9 241 80 89 atelier@efa-aef.eu www.efa-aef.eu www.atelierforyoungfestivalmanagers.eu