22 young festival directors from all over the world are about to take part in the Atelier for Young Festival Managers in Merano, Italy. For them, it is the opportunity to exchange with experienced presenters. One of them is Hugo De Greef, Atelier Coordinator, former EFA Secretary General, General Manager Bruges European Capital of Culture 2002, Founder and former Director Kaaitheater.

The Atelier for Young Festival Managers was launched by the European Festivals Association (EFA) in 2006, when Hugo De Greef was the Association’s Secretary General (2004-2008). He is the General Coordinator and co-founder of The Festival Academy - the organisation set-up by EFA to run various training formats - amongst other functions in the cultural sector, both in Belgium and internationally. Hugo De Greef is continuously engaged for better conditions of art and artists around the world. To mention just a few highlights in what has been a distinguished career in the cultural sector: Hugo De Greef co-founded the Informal European Theatre Meeting (IETM), the Flemish Theatre monthly ETCETERA, the international publication THEATERSCHRIFT, the Philosophy Festival, the European House for Culture in Brussels, and in 2013 the School of Gaasbeek, a new workplace and residency for artists near Brussels. Hugo De Greef has been the General Manager of the Kaaitheater in Brussels for 20 years. He was the General Manager of the European Capital of Culture in Brugge 2002 and Artistic Director for Brussels 2000. From 2007 to 2010 he was the General Manager of the Flagey Arts Centre in Brussels and in 1998/1999 he was the Artistic Advisor of the Flanders Festival.

His international activities include, amongst others: co-productions with Flemish/Belgian, European and American artists, organisation of the Flemish Arts presentation during the Expo in Lisbon in 1998, member of the advisory board for the Theaterformen festival for the Expo in Hannover in 2000, initiator for the New Europe festival in New York in October 1999.

Hugo De Greef was international policy advisor of the Flemish Minister of Culture Joke Schauvliege. He is a  Board member of ”A Soul for Europe” and the European House for Culture, President of PARTS, a dance school in Brussels founded by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, and President of Passa Porta, the house of literature in Brussels. He is also the Co-director of the EFFE – Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe – Platform.

Renowned mentors from all over the world will guide the participants throughout the seven days of the Atelier Merano 2017 under the coordination of Hugo de Greef (Atelier Coordinator, former EFA Secretary General, Director European Capital of Culture Bruges 2002m Co-Founder Kaaitheater Brussels – Belgium), Bernard Faivre d’Arcier, (President Lyon Biennal -  France), Rose Fenton, (Co Founder and Director LIFT Festival 1980 - 2005; Director Free Word 2011 - 2016,  Co-Founder of The Festival Academy – UK),  Nele Hertling, (Member Strategy Group “A Soul for Europe”, Former Vice-President of the Academy of Arts Berlin, Former Director Hebbel-Theater Berlin – Germany), Marta Keil (Curator, dramaturg and researcher – Poland), Gundega Laivina, (Director New Theatre Institute of Latvia, Curator – Latvia), Michał Merczyński, (Director Malta Festival Poznan and Nostalgia Festival Poznan – Poland), Roberto Naccari, (General Manager Santarcangelo Festival – Italy).

More information about the Atelier Merano 2017 can be found on the Atelier website.

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