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Festival Readings Mechelen, Belgium, 27-29 April 2018

Following a successful 8th edition of the Festival Readings taking place in Sochi, Russia last week, 23-25 February 2018, The Festival Academy (an initiative of the European Festivals Association – EFA) is delighted to already announce the upcoming 9th edition, for the 1st time taking place in Belgium, more specifically in Mechelen from 27-29 April 2018, organised in collaboration with Festival of Flanders Mechelen / Lunalia. We are delighted to have the following speakers amongst us: Eva Neklayeva (artistic director Santarcangelofestival, Italy), Marta Keil (curator, dramatist, researcher, Poland) and Andrea Voets (musician, founder of Resonate Productions – Musical Journalism, Netherlands).

More information on the programme can be found on our website.

One week left to apply for the Atelier for Young Festival Managers Gothenburg, Sweden, 23-29 August 2018

The Festival Academy calls for application for the 14th edition of the Atelier for Young Festival Managers, taking place in Gothenburg, Sweden, 23 – 29 August 2018, hosted by and co-organised with Kultur i Väst, the cultural administration of the region Västra Götaland.  Some ten renowned festival directors will guide up to 40 participants through the 7-day training programme. Young festival managers from all over the world are invited to apply through this link before 15 April 2018.

For selection criteria, application procedure, fee, etc. check the Atelier Gothenburg 2018 website.

Deadline extended for Festival Production Management Training 2019, module I, apply by 15 May! 

The deadline for the Festival Production Management Training is extended to 15 May 2018 in order to give more production managers the chance to apply.

Module I of the fourth edition will take place in Antwerp, Belgium, from 16-20 January 2019, hosted by deSingel International Arts Campus. Young production managers from all over the world will meet and exchange with experienced production managers.

Join a unique new network

All participants of the training programmes of The Festival Academy will become part of a unique global network of young festival makers and production managers that counts 528 alumni from 70 countries to date, after 13 Ateliers for Young Festival Managers since 2006 in Görlitz, Varna, Singapore, Izmir, Ljubljana, Edinburgh, Poznan, Beirut, Gwangju, Budapest, Chiang Mai, Merano and Johannesburg, one Atelier for Young Festival and Cultural Managers in Shanghai, 2017, and three editions of the Festival Production Management Training (2016, 2017, 2018).

The Festival Academy calls for application for the 14th edition of the Atelier for Young Festival Managers, taking place in Gothenburg, Sweden, 23 – 29 August 2018, hosted by and co-organised with Kultur i Väst, the cultural administration of the region Västra Götaland.  Some ten renowned festival directors will guide up to 40 participants through the 7-day training programme. Young festival managers from all over the world are invited to apply before 15 April 2018.

The Atelier for Young Festival Managers is an intense 7-day training programme addressed at emerging artistic festival directors or those who have ambitions to get involved in programming or in related departments within a festival. It is about sharing experiences and passing on knowledge to the next generation of festival makers: knowledge about programming a festival, while focusing on the very essence of art festivals – the arts and the artist.

“The true role of a festival is to help artists to dare, to engage in new projects,” is the motto of the Atelier, coined by Bernard Faivre d’Arcier, longstanding Director of the Avignon Festival, President of the Lyon Biennial (France).

Explore festival issues in different formats

Up to 40 young festival managers from all over the world will be selected to participate in the Atelier. Around 10 distinguished festival directors, will each attend for at least two full days and work together with participants throughout the 7 days. In lectures, one-on-one talks, group discussions as well as intense workshops on case studies, issues such as artistic vision, public responsibility, creation and coproduction, internationalisation, networking, renewal and sustainability will be explored. Have a look at the list of presenters of the previous Ateliers.

“Gazing from the airplane window on my way back “home” I caught myself thinking the Atelier, for me, was like the first time I took a plane. Full of expectations – you prepare, buckle-up, accelerate, take off, penetrate the hazy clouds and gain clear vision of the immensity of the sky. Feel it, experience it and learn from it.” said Martin Kadinov, participant of the Atelier Beirut 2015

Join a unique new network

All participants of the training programmes of The Festival Academy will become part of a unique global network of young festival makers and production managers that counts 528 alumni from 70 countries to date, after 13 Ateliers for Young Festival Managers since 2006 in Görlitz, Varna, Singapore, Izmir, Ljubljana, Edinburgh, Poznan, Beirut, Gwangju, Budapest, Chiang Mai, Merano and Johannesburg, one Atelier for Young Festival and Cultural Managers in Shanghai, 2017, and three editions of the Festival Production Management Training (2016, 2017, 2018).

Programme details

• Dates and place: 23-29 August 2018, Gothenburg, Sweden
• Application deadline: 15 April 2018
• Procedure: Submit the application form. For selection criteria, application procedure, fee, etc. check the Atelier Gothenburg 2018 website.

The deadline for the Festival Production Management Training is extended to 15 May 2018 in order to give more production managers the chance to apply.

Module I of the fourth edition will take place in Antwerp, Belgium, from 16-20 January 2019, hosted by deSingel International Arts Campus. Young production managers from all over the world will meet and exchange with experienced production managers.

Early-career production managers will have the opportunity to meet with peers from across the world, learn from renowned experts, and exchange experiences in a variety of session formats. They will be able to enjoy artistic performances and get behind-the-scenes insight from the artists and their teams.

The training programme looks at the practical side of this process, with special attention given to working with artists. Participants meet and exchange with experienced production managers and artists, including set designers, light designers, conductors, choir leaders etc.

• Module I: a 4-day workshop with practical study visits and focus on the exchange of experiences
• Module II: a practical, hands-on placement at a festival
• Module III: a 3-day concluding session

The programme has been set up to allow flexibility in attending the different modules. Selected participants who take part in Module I can attend Module II or III of Edition II or of future editions. Some 25 young production managers will be selected to take part.

Join a unique new network

All participants of the training programmes of The Festival Academy will become part of a unique global network of young festival makers and production managers that counts 528 alumni from 70 countries to date, after 13 Ateliers for Young Festival Managers since 2006 in Görlitz, Varna, Singapore, Izmir, Ljubljana, Edinburgh, Poznan, Beirut, Gwangju, Budapest, Chiang Mai, Merano and Johannesburg, one Atelier for Young Festival and Cultural Managers in Shanghai, 2017, and three editions of the Festival Production Management Training (2016, 2017, 2018).

After eighteen lively years, Barbara Stevens—Business Manager since 2016 and previously Marketing and PR Manager—is stepping down to take a new direction in her career. Veerle Simoens, who was formerly at her side as Artistic Director, is taking over the business management, thereby becoming General Director. She has already been at the artistic helm for three years, adding three impressive festivals —Roots, Heroes and Flash Forward— to her growing list of accomplishments. In addition, considering her long career as a cellist and her experience as the Business Manager of Casco Phil, the Ghent Festival is clearly in good hands.

As the Artistic Director, Veerle Simoens made some discerning choices in which the balance between tradition and renewal have played an important part. When it comes to the business side, she foresees a similar mission: ‘The Ghent Festival is a loyal and high-quality partner in its cooperation with audiences, the business world and the authorities. We have to foster and deepen these partnerships. At the same time, many challenges lie ahead, in a world where measurability is becoming increasingly important. We owe the fact that the festival is where it is after 60 years to the leaders who preceded me; who responded to changes; and kept their finger on the pulse. Following in their footsteps, and on a foundation of artistic content, I want to pilot the Festival towards the next 60 years.’

Jan Briers, Provincial Governor and Chairman of the Board of the Festival:‘For Ghent Festival of Flanders, Veerle Simoens is an asset as someone who is at home in three areas and who responds to the constant challenges of an international festival: she is a future-oriented artistic programmer, a real people manager both inside and outside the organisation, and has the required business-like common sense.’

‘The main feeling is one of gratitude: for the many opportunities and the possibility of personal growth. The unforgettable concert experiences and unique events we have organised in the finest city in the country are also etched into my memory. But above all there is the warm and productive collaboration with my colleagues, our sponsors and all the artistic partners.’ This is how Barbara Stevens summarises her 18 years at Ghent Festival of Flanders. Over the years she has succeeded in nurturing close partnerships and making the Ghent Festival known to a broader audience. She is now leaving the cultural sector for the world of interiors, where she will be combining aesthetics and business as Sales Director for Buro Project. The management and Board of Directors thank Barbara for her boundless dedication and wish her every success in her further career.

 Veerle Simoens in brief

Veerle Simoens studied the cello at the Antwerp Conservatoire and the Folkwang Musikhochschule in Essen. For some time she taught talented youngsters, then launched a career as a soloist and was much in demand as a cellist in orchestras and other ensembles. She recorded numerous CDs and collaborated with such composers as Jef Neve, Wim Henderickx and Frédéric Devreese. As a chamber music musician with the acclaimed Simoens Trio she studied at the European Chamber Music Academy in Hanover and performed concerts all over the world.

As from 2010, Veerle Simoens took over the business reins at the Casco Phil orchestra, which, together with Benjamin Haemhouts, its Artistic Director, she guided through a spectacular metamorphosis. Since then, Casco Phil has become known for its refreshing and flexible approach in a constantly changing world both within the arts and beyond.

In 2015 Veerle Simoens became the Artistic Programmer at the Ghent Festival, and in 2016 became its Artistic Director. As from March 2018 she is combining business and artistic management as the new Director of the Ghent Festival of Flanders and the 27 partner boroughs.

The second Young Czech Performers Showcase will take place on 15th and 16th June 2018 as part of the accompanying program of Leoš Janáček International Music Festival. The showcase offers the performances of the youngest generation of musicians in classical music. The presentations of artists will take place at the Janáček Conservatory in Ostrava and apart from professionals, they will be accessible to the public as a special form of a concert.

The purpose of the showcase is to utilize short performances to present the youngest generation of classical music artists (from 15 to 30 years of age) to Czech and foreign professionals. The expert commission will choose performers who have succeeded in competitions. There are no special requests for the repertoire, but the musicians should choose pieces underlining their talent. The preliminary selection finished and the commission with the members of PhDr. Lenka Dohnalová, Ph.D. (Arts and Theatre Institute), prof. MgA Dušan Foltýn (University of Ostrava), PhDr. Helena Havlíková (Czech Radio), MgA. Václav Hudeček (violinist, pedagogue), Mgr. Soňa Javůrková (Janáček Conservatory in Ostrava), doc. MgA. Jan Jiraský, Ph.D. (Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno),  doc. MgA. Helena Kaupová (Academy of Performing Arts in Prague), prof. Mgr. Vítězslav Kuzník (University of Ostrava), prof. MgA Jindřich Petráš (Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts) will meet at the beginning of March.

“The current young generation of artists in classic music interpretation has accomplished a number of international achievements, yet it has insufficient systematic support in their careers after their graduation,” Lenka Dohnalová, the prime initiator, said. Pavla Petrová, the director of the Arts and Theatre Institute, adds: “The mission of the ATI, which is the public cultural institution, is to support projects helping young talents and contribute to the development of Czech culture, among other things.”

The showcase is one of the formats how to draw attention of experts, i.e. representatives of agencies, festivals, orchestras and media – to young artists in a concentrated way. This has been a popular practice in pop music (such as the showcase at Colours of Ostrava).

In 2015, when the Young Czech Performers Showcase took place for the first time, the organizers seized the opportunity of meeting the representatives of European festivals (European Festivals Association) in Ostrava on the occasion of Janáček May. The added value for performers is the opportunity to meet the professionals because the integral parts of the career are both the performance and the ability of self-presentation.

The program also includes a workshop about interpretation of Leoš Janáček, whose anniversary we celebrate. The supervision of singers is provided by doc. Helena Kaupová (HAMU) and doc. Jan Jiraský (JAMU) supervises instrumental music.

Experts can enjoy the accompanying program, which should present the cultural values of the Ostrava region.

The main organizer is the Arts and Theatre Institute, the co-organizers are Leoš Janáček International Music Festival and Leoš Janáček Conservatory in Ostrava. The event takes place under the auspices of the non-governmental organization of the Czech Music Council. The project is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.

Contact: PhDr. Lenka Dohnalová, Ph.D., lenka.dohnalova@institutumeni.cz; +420 603 584 218

Websites of organizers and partners:
ATI
Leoš Janáček International Music Festival
Janáček Conservatory in Ostrava
Czech Music Council

The 2015 Young Czech Performers Showcase catalogue can be downloaded here:  2015 Young Czech Performers Showcase 2015