The European Festivals Association (EFA) is holding its 2015 General Assembly from 4-7 June in Ostrava/Czech Republic. It will be hosted by the Janácek May International Music Festival. The General Assembly is the most important moment for EFA members and invited guests to come together, exchange, network, explore the grounds for future collaboration and discuss the state of play of the festival business.

When we think of EFA, we think of a dynamic and diverse network of festivals. We think of a place where we can meet colleagues, work together, learn from each other, and create alliances; we think about trust and friendship. The most important part are EFA’s distinguished members from all over the world. The network helps festivals to connect, to access information; it supports its members to function better in an open, European and global context. The network becomes alive and dynamic through the active participation and commitment of EFA members and colleagues connected to festivals: the annual General Assembly is the perfect moment to do so.

The “Janáček May” Festival celebrates its 40th jubilee from 24 May to 8 June 2015. It is the top event of the musical life in the city of Ostrava, and brings to Ostrava artists and ensembles of the highest artistic quality. We are delighted to share this special moment together with our host.We invite you to discover not only the fantastic festival programme which Director Jaromír Javůrek has curated for the festival audience and for EFA in the jubilee year; but also a city in change, in early summer, with a great artistic and creative energy. The perfect backdrop for us to connect and take time to look into and beyond our single festivals at home.

Ostrava’s history dates back to the 13th century; its look has mainly been influenced by metal industry and mining. However, the city has always been a cultural centre, where excellent dramatists, writers, painters and musicians created their works of art. Amongst famous personalities who visited Ostrava are: Paul Hindemith – we will show you the restaurant, where he went to have a glass of beer –, Sergei Prokofiev or Igor Stravinsky. Ostrava has lived and still lives a rich artistic and cultural life. It is also associated with one of our greatest composers of the 20th century – Leoš Janáček.

We feel the effects of current political and economic challenges in our daily work, be it as a festival or as a network. We keep repeating that change and reinvention is key for all of us to continue to have a meaningful impact. We feel that the community is an important support factor in this scenario. EFA provides a platform for the festival community to come together. Over many decades, together we have achieved to establish this community of trust. In Ostrava, we want to underline the importance of exchanging on our respective challenges and about possible solutions to react adequately to dynamic environments – as a festival and as a network of and for festivals today.

Have a look at the draft programme. Updates and speakers will be communicated shortly.

Please note: the EFA General Assembly is open only for EFA members and invited guests. If you are interested in the EFA General Assembly or in getting to know more about EFA please contact the EFA Secretariat at info(a)efa-aef.eu.

EFA members and guests are invited to register online on www.efa-aef.eu/ostrava by 17 April 2015.