The European Festivals Association has announced plans to host two Ateliers for Young Festival Managers in 2013 and 2014.
An intensive seven-day training programme, this year’s atelier will take place in the Arab world for the first time. Co-organised and hosted by the Beiteddine Art Festival, it will run in Beirut from 5-12 October 2013.
Next year’s atelier in 2014 – the seventh edition – will happen in Edinburgh and is hosted by the Edinburgh International Festival. The ateliers provide networking opportunities and offer 45 young people the chance to expand their knowledge and skills in the field of artistic festival management and programming practices.
Nora Jumblatt, president of the Beiteddine Art Festival, said: ‘Beirut, a city at the crossroads between East and West, was reborn seven times from its ashes. This resilient capital is an Arab metropolis but nonetheless a contemporary European city. The Beiteddine Art Festival is at the heart of this interchange: it was born at times of war, and has grown against all odds into a spectacular cultural hub for the region. It offers a vibrant and unique platform for multicultural exchange and debate.’
As part of the training scheme, 10 renowned pioneering festival managers from around the world will share their experiences with the participants. Over five previous editions (Gšrlitz, Germany 2006; Varna, Bulgaria 2009; Singapore 2011; Izmir, Turkey 2011; and Ljubljana, Slovenia 2012), 28 presenters have worked with 172 young festival managers from 52 countries and regions.
EFA president Darko Brlek said: ‘The Atelier for Young Festival Managers is about formulating experiences and passing on knowledge to a next generation of festival makers: knowledge about programming a festival, thematically focussing on the very essence of arts festivals – the art and the artist.’
Applications for the Beirut 2013 atelier must be submitted by 31 March 2013 – and by 30 June 2013 for the Edinburgh 2014 atelier.
