At the occasion of the 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion the European Festivals Association (EFA) launches its 2010 campaign “Open The Door” (www.Open-The-Door.eu). Under the motto “Festivals: Open Doors. Open Minds. Build Societies!” EFA highlights the transforming power of arts and culture in our societies today and showcases examples that demonstrate the privileged position of festivals to provide the means for everyone to experience culture. Read the comprehensive dossier to find out everything you need to know about "Open The Door" - including first results! Commit on www.Open-The-Door.eu at any time! Best practices collected in the newsletter “FestFlash of the European Festivals Association”: • FestFlash No 5 / November 2010: Promoting keys: Which doors to be opened still? • FestFlash No 4 / September 2010: Sharing the creative process: Connecting Artists and Audiences • FestFlash No 3 / August 2010: Arts are the “key ring” • FestFlash No 2 / June 2010: Open the door to politics, to civic debate and to Europe • FestFlash No 1 / April 2010: EFA launches 2010 flagship project “Open The Door” • Follow this space for future editions! Interviews in the framework of “Open The Door”: • Interview Kathrin Deventer, EFA Secretary General (17 November 2010) • Interview Darko Brlek, EFA President, General and Artistic Director Festival Ljubljana (31 August 2010) • Interview Yesim Gürer Oymak, Director International Istanbul Music Festival (17 August 2010) • Interview Henk Heuvelmans, Gaudeamus Music Week (15 August 2010) • Interview Enrique Gámez, Festival Internacional de Música y Danza de Granada (2 August 2010) • Interview Joanna Baker, Edinburgh International Festival (14 July 2010) • Interview Fabrizio Grifasi, Romaeuropa Festival (13 July 2010) • Interview Jan Briers, Jan Briers, General Manager Flanders Festival International (8 July 2010) • Interview Sophie Detremmerie, Business Director Flanders Festival International Brussels (6 July 2010) • Interview Juriaan Cooiman, Director CULTURESCAPES (2 July 2010) • Conversation Ivo Josipović, President of Croatia, former Director Music Biennale Zagreb (5 June 2010) • Interview Kathrin Deventer, EFA Secretary General (April 2010) • More interviews with festival directors are being conducted. Follow this space! EFA events dedicated to “Open The Door”: • 18-20 October 2010, Brussels: "Open The Door" at EU Forum on “Building together a society for all” and at Belgian EU Presidency seminar “The contribution of Culture in Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion” • 25-29 September 2010, Shanghai: first joint meeting between EFA and AAPAF, the Asian Association of Performing Arts Festivals, to open doors to collaboration between European and Asian festivals • 5-6 June 2010, Zagreb: "Open The Door to Arts and Culture." Festivals and President of Croatia commit to a cultural Europe: reception honouring the election of Ivo Josipovic, Director of Music Biennale Zagreb (member of EFA), as President of Croatia to open the door to joined cultural activities between the EU accession country and EU countries • 8-11 April 2010, Merano: 2010 EFA General Assembly and Conference to open doors for new artists and new audiences • 11-14 February 2010, Stockholm: launch of “Open The Door” in the framework of the 2010 EFA Affiliate and Collective Members’ Meeting "Open The Door" toolkit – download and get committed! • Call for Best Practices • “Open The Door” Logo • “Open The Door” Postcard • “Open The Door” Video (©EFA) Related documents: • “Open The Door” Commitment (general) • Commitment Shanghai: Open The Door to Arts and Culture. Open The Door for Dialogue between European and Asian Festivals. • Zagreb Commitment: "Open The Door to Arts and Culture - Open The Door to Europe" • Press release (14 October 2010): “Open The Door” in the frame of EU Forum (EN) • Press release (8 June 2010): The European Festivals Association meets Ivo Josipović: European festivals and Croatian President sign Commitment to a cultural Europe (EN, FR, DE) • Press release (27 May 2010): "Open The Door to Arts and Culture." Festivals and President of Croatia commit to a cultural Europe (EN, FR) • Press release (14 April 2010): EFA General Assembly and Conference on "Open The Door" (EN, FR, DE) • Press release (26 March 2010): 2010 EFA General Assembly and Conference on "Open The Door" (EN) • Press release (22 February 2010): Launch of "Open The Door" (EN, FR, DE) • How festivals foster access to culture (policy guidelines of the Access to Culture Platform) Related websites and links: • “Open The Door” website • 2010 European Year • Article on “Open The Door” on EY2010 • Article on the launch of “Open The Door” on EY2010 • Article on the 2010 EFA Conference on “Open The Door” on EY2010 • “Open The Door” on LabforCulture • Arts Festivals’ Declaration on Intercultural Dialogue • FestLab for Creativity and Innovation • European House for Culture • EU Access to Culture Platform www.Open-The-Door.eu is yet another important contribution of the European Festivals Association to engage festivals in a joint commitment of raising awareness for societal issues at stake in Europe and beyond. As in previous European Years, EFA is official partner of the European Union. The initiative was launched on 12 February 2010 in Stockholm together with national festivals associations and networks representing more than 2000 festivals.