The European Festivals Association is proud to have eight renowned festival managers from all over the world on board for IZMIR 2011. Under the coordination of Hugo De Greef (Belgium) they will guide the participants throughout the seven days of the Atelier. In the run-up of the Atelier we will tell you more about: Robyn Archer (Australia), Rose Fenton (United Kingdom), Ching-Lee Goh (Singapore), Nele Hertling (Germany), Michal Merzcyński (Poland), Jonathan Mills (United Kingdom), and Fruzsina Szép (Hungary). The first presenter to be introduced here is Robyn Archer. Robyn Archer joined the team of presenters of the Atelier for Young Festival Managers in Varna (2009), Singapore (2011) and now, for the third time, in Izmir. “When I put a programme together, it is as an act of creation: it must have a meaning as a whole,” Robyn stated in the VARNA Atelier. Robyn is a singer, writer, director, artistic director and public advocate of the Arts. In all of these roles her reach is global. In 2010 she has given concerts in Honolulu, Adelaide and Port Fairy: in February 2011 she has sung Brecht in his birthplace, Augsburg, at the Brecht and Music festival. She is in demand throughout the world as a speaker on the Arts and recent destinations have been Varna (Bulgaria), Perth and all points east in Australia, Vancouver, Prague, Seoul, London, Gent: there are new invitations to Jeju (Korea) , Glasgow, Sydney, Townsville, Mackay, Yolgnu Land (NT). Robyn is currently the Creative Director of The Centenary of Canberra (2013) and Artistic Director of The Light in Winter which she created for Federation Square in Melbourne. She is devising the program for the 5th World Summit on Arts and Culture (Melbourne October 3-6 2011) and advising on the National Gallery of Victoria's 150th celebrations in 2011. She was recently appointed as Adjunct Professor to the University of Canberra. Robyn was Artistic Director of the National Festival of Australian Theatre in Canberra for three years and of the Adelaide Festival in 1998 and 2000. She was chair of the Australia Council's Community Cultural Development Board, a consultant to the new Melbourne Museum for three years and advisor on the Australian cultural content for EXPO 2000 in Hannover, Germany. She created a new celebration of the arts for Tasmania: Ten Days on the Island. Robyn was artistic director of the Melbourne International Arts Festival 2002, 2003, 2004 and created a trilogy of festivals there: TEXT BODY VOICE. For two years Robyn has worked on Liverpool European Capital of Culture, and was adviser to the startup of Luminato, a new festival for Toronto. In 2008 she curated the Deakin Lectures, served as juror for Culture France's Danses Caribes in Cuba, went to the Australia 2020 Summit, was formal mentor to Arts Mildura, and was juror for the Victorian Premier's Literary Prize. Robyn is an Officer of the Order of Australia, Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France), Officer of the Crown (Belgium) and holds honorary doctorates from Flinders and Sydney Universities. More about Robyn’s projects at: www.robynarcher.com.au