One of the presenters who will participate in the Atelier Gwangju, taking place from 31 August to 6 September 2015, and exchange with 35 young artistic festival directors from all over the world is Robyn Archer, Artistic Director of The Light in Winter in Melbourne, Deputy Chair of the Australia Council for the Arts and Strategic Advisor Gold Coast Arts and Culture in Queensland and Member of the European House for Culture. She has participated in the Atelier Varna (2009), Singapor (May 2011), Izmir (October 2011), Ljubljana (2012) and POZNAN (2014).

“Arts festivals require not just the good logistics and organisation, the clean books and thorough reporting which funders demand today, but also courage , especially behind the lines, where you have to argue with your Board, your city, your funders, that your mission is not just entertainment – supplying what an audience demands, but asking them to be curious, to be willing to treat art as the safest place for a dangerous conversation, and a place for the kind of understanding an increasingly troubled world needs.” Robyn Archer 

Robyn Archer is a singer, writer, artistic director and public advocate of the arts. She is currently Artistic Director at The Light in Winter in Melbourne, Deputy Chair at the Australia Council for the Arts and Strategic Advisor Gold Coast Arts and Culture at Queensland. She is a Member of Council for Australia Latin America Relations (DFAT) and Member of the European House for Culture.

Singer, but also patron of numerous arts organisations across Australia, Robyn Archer has been awarded throughout the world for her contribution to the arts. She is an Officer of the Order of Australia, Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France), Officer of the Crown (Belgium) and holds honorary doctorates from five Australian Universities. She is an Honorary Fellow of the Australian Academy for the Humanities.

A selection of public speeches is published under the title Detritus (UWA Press) and she is in constant demand as a speaker on the arts, most recently in Beijing, Hong Kong, London and throughout Australia. Robyn is a patron of numerous arts organisations and has received many prestigious arts awards, most recently a Helpmann for Best Cabaret Performer 2013.

Robyn Archer is the former artistic director of the National Festival of Australian Theatre, the Adelaide and Melbourne Festivals, and Ten Days on the Island, which she created for Tasmania. She worked for 5 years as Creative Director of the Centenary of Canberra 2013.

 “I enjoyed Robyn Archer’s honesty and breadth of experience and felt confident asking her more challenging questions. The smaller session with her was the best for me.” Participant Atelier POZNAN 2014.

Renowned mentors from all over the world will guide the participants throughout the seven days of the Atelier GWANGJU 2015 under the coordination of Hugo De Greef (Atelier Coordinator, former EFA Secretary General, Director European Capital of Culture Bruges 2002, Co-Founder Kaaitheater Brussels - Belgium): Robyn Archer (Artistic Director The Light in Winter in Melbourne, Deputy Chair Australia Council for the Arts, Strategic Advisor Gold Coast Arts and Culture in Queensland, Member European House for Culture - Australia), Chiaki Soma (Art Producer, Representative Director Arts Commons Tokyo, former Artistic Director Tokyo Festival - Japan), Nele Hertling (former Vice President Academy of Arts Berlin; Member Strategy Group “A Soul for Europe”, former Director Hebbel-Theatre – Germany), Marie-Hélène Falcon (former Director TransAmériques Festival Montreal – Canada), SeongHee Kim (Artistic Director Asian Arts Theater - South Korea), and Monique Veaute (President Fondazione Romaeuropa - Arte e Cultura - Italy).

More information about the Atelier GWANGJU 2015 can be found on the Atelier website