The European Festivals Association (EFA) is glad to announce that applications for the third edition of the Atelier for Young Festival Managers in Europe can be delivered until 7 April 2011. The Atelier IZMIR 2011 is taking place from 24-31 October 2011, and is hosted and co-organised by the International Izmir Festival. Following the outstanding number of applications received for SINGAPORE 2011 (14-21 May), the first edition of the Atelier in Asia, interested young festival directors are invited to participate in the intensive one week training programme initiated by EFA in 2006. The Atelier addresses the next generation of ambitious artistic festival directors who feel the need to widen their horizons, broaden their programming skills and get inspired by colleagues and experienced forerunners. EFA and the Atelier host International Izmir Festival are inviting interested applicants to read the Call for Application and submit the Application Form until 7 April 2011. Further information, the selection criteria and procedure are included in the Call for Application. The programme comprises working groups, lectures, in-depth exchanges based on papers that participants prepare for the Atelier, as well as informal talks with artists, leading cultural institutions and arts houses from Izmir and the region. The participation of renowned Festival Managers from all over the world make this training programme one of a kind. Distinguished festival directors including Bernard Faivre d’Arcier (former Artistic Avignon Festival - France), Rose Fenton (Co-Founder LIFT, London International Theatre Festival - UK), Goh Ching Lee (Founder & Artistic Director CultureLink Singapore), Hugo De Greef (Founder and former director Kaaitheater - Belgium) and Nele Hertling (A Soul for Europe - Germany) will mentor the young festival directors throughout the week. Further eight outstanding and experienced festival directors (to be announced soon) will attend for at least two days to share their knowledge and rich experiences with Atelier participants. “Izmir, the third largest city of Turkey on the Aegean coast in Asia Minor, will be the inspiring setting for the third edition of the Atelier in Europe. The exceptional historic and cultural features of our ancient city bonding Asia to Europe offer a lot of food for thought for the emerging artistic directors,” stresses Filiz Sarper, Director of the International Izmir Festival. Two editions of the Atelier took place so far: one in Görlitz/Germany (2006) and one in Varna/Bulgaria (2009). “The success of these editions as well as the overwhelming response on the Singapore Atelier proved the necessity for a training programme such as the Atelier. While much has been taught in terms of ‘arts management’, the ‘art’ of programming, curatorial impulses and their related consequences have not been fully addressed,” underlines EFA President Darko Brlek. Latest news and information can be found at www.efa-aef.eu/en/activities/atelier. Contact atelier@efa-aef.eu in case of further questions. Download the press release here.