The third edition of the FestFlash on Creativity and Innovation profiles festivals as platforms for the creation of new works. They explore cross-disciplinary, interactive approaches and programme in non-traditional venues. One of the commitments defined in the FestLab for Creativity and Innovation is to offer young artists specific laboratory spaces “in order to broaden creative skills and foster individual and collective talents and competences.” Summer time is festival time – and offers many meeting moments and spaces between arts, artists and audience! In an interview, David Dittrich, Director of the Contentus Moraviae Festival, a unique musical event of the South Moravian and Vysočina Regions involving 20 towns in two countries, stresses the importance of “the presentation and co-creation of new names in the musical world.” Otherwise, according to Mr Dittrich, “it could happen that in just a few short years we would only have a very narrow group of overpriced artists who would be the only ones capable of attracting the public.” Further highlights of creative and innovative festivals this summer: the Emilia Romagna Festival (Italy), the Estoril Music Weeks (Portugal), the Festival Internacional de Música y Danza de Granada (Spain), the Dubrovnik Summer Festival (Croatia) and the Rheingau Musik Festival (Germany). Find out more! The FestLab for Creativity and Innovation is an initiative of the European Festivals Association launched at the occasion of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation. It is established to spotlight the excellence of festivals in the creative and societal process and to give incentives to successfully fulfill the festivals’ core mission which still is the artistic one. EFA invites all arts festivals to sign up to the initiative “FestLab for Creativity and Innovation” and commit to its objective. Read the Open Call here. Download the FestFlash on Creativity and Innovation No 3/July 2009 here. Keep an eye on the FestFlash that is distributed widely – it is also featured on the EFA FestLab website! To receive the FestFlash by e-mail, write to Juliane@efa-aef.eu . Related documents: • FestFlash on Creativity and Innovation No 3/July 2009: "Audiences meet artists: Summer Festivals invite to explore emerging artists and new works" • FestFlash on Creativity and Innovation No 2/June 2009: "Baltic and Black Sea regions go innovative" • FestFlash on Creativity and Innovation No 1/April 2009: "Launch of an innovative and creative initiative: the EFA FestLab"