News

Atelier BEIRUT 2013: one week left to apply, new mentors revealed

24 April 2013

The sixth Atelier for Young Festival Managers, will take place from 5 to 12 October 2013 in Beirut, Lebanon, in collaboration with the Beiteddine Art Festival. Three new mentors have confirmed their participation: Robyn Archer, Rania Elias, and His Excellency Mohammed Kabbaj will join Hugo De Greef, Bernard Faivre d’Arcier, Rose Fenton, Nele Hertling, and Jonathan Mills to guide 45 participants during the 7-day intense training programme, initiated by the European Festivals Association (EFA). Emerging artistic festival directors worldwide are invited to apply until 1 May 2013.

Format and Speakers

The Atelier is an exchange between 45 festival managers from all over the world and distinguished festival directors, well selected, renowned festival pioneers attending for at least two full days. So far, eight presenters have confirmed their participation in the Atelier BEIRUT 2013:

  • Robyn Archer (Creative Director The Centenary of Canberra (2013), Artistic Director The Light In Winter Melbourne, Australia)
  • Hugo De Greef (Initiator of festivals, General Manager Bruges European Capital of Culture 2002, Belgium)
  • Rania Elias (Director Jerusalem Festival and Yabous Cultural Centre, Palestine)
  • Bernard Faivre d’Arcier (President Lyon Biennial, France)
  • Rose Fenton (International Arts Producer and Advisor, UK)
  • Nele Hertling (Vice-Chair Academy of Arts Berlin, Germany)
  • His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Kabbaj (President and founder of the Fès Festival of World Sacred Music and of Spirit of Fes Foudation, Morocco)
  • Jonathan Mills (Festival Director and Chief Executive Edinburgh International Festival, UK)

In lectures, one-to-one talks, group discussions as well as intense workshops on case studies, issues such as artistic vision, political and social responsibility, internationalisation, networking, renewal and sustainability are explored.

Partners and city

The sixth edition of the Atelier is the first in the Arab world, in Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon which strikes with its cultural dynamism. An overwhelming number of cultural events, such as artistic workshops, theatre plays, concerts and exhibitions of all kinds are presented to the public on a regular basis. In Beirut, art can be found everywhere, as more than 5000 artists are active in the city.

The Beiteddine Art Festival has been founded during the Lebanese Civil War in 1985. The festival, which started locally, has managed to raise international interest and has become the most attended festival in the region. For 27 years now, it has attracted more than tens of thousands of spectators every year in its beautiful location, the palace’s courtyards. The Beiteddine Art Festival is regarded as a great space of encounters for all those who believe that culture and art have a fundamental role to play in the development of society.

Application procedure and deadlines

All information on the Atelier, selection criteria and application procedure can be found in the Call for Application. The Application form has to be submitted until 1 May 2013:

Spread the word

Young festival managers from all over the world are invited to apply. Festivals, cultural organisations, networks, foundations, universities etc are invited to delegate a young festival manager to participate in the Atelier BEIRUT 2013, and to spread the Call for Application broadly to their members, partners, contacts and interested people.

Latest news, documents, and all information related to the Atelier can be followed at www.atelierforyoungfestivalmanagers.eu. In case of further questions please contact atelier@efa-aef.eu or call +32 9 241 8080.

Related links and documents