News

Spanish Festivals Association signed Arts Festivals’ Declaration

30 January 2009

At the occasion of the European Festivals Association’s annual collective and associated members meeting held in Ubeda from 28-30 January 2009, FestClásica, the Spanish Association of Classical Music Festivals, organised the 9th signing ceremony of the Arts Festivals’ Declaration on Intercultural Dialogue. During the first signing ceremony in 2009 on 29 January, FestClásica officially demonstrated its commitment to the objectives of the Declaration. The Mayor of Ubeda Mr Marcelino Sánchez, General Director of Arts and Music of the Cultural Ministry Mr Juan Carlos Marset, Darko Brlek, President of European Festivals Association, and Luis Lopez de Lamadrid, President of the Spanish Association of Classical Music Festivals, signed the Arts Festivals’ Declaration. In November 2008 in Paris, EFA and festivals from all over Europe had confirmed their future commitment to enhancing exchange between cultures by publishing an Epilogue to the Declaration. The signing ceremony in Spain can been seen as a first prove that festivals take their role in promoting intercultural dialogue and cultural diversity seriously. At the same time, all festivals and festival associations affirmed their engagement in promoting festivals as laboratories for creativity and promoters of innovation, at the occasion of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation celebrated in Europe in 2009.