Open Call: 5 Grants for Festival Makers in Latin America & Africa to participate in the Atelier Donostia / San Sebastián 2025
The Network of Cultural Centers of Spain abroad (Red CCE), part of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), is offering 5 grants to festival managers in Latin America and Africa to participate in the Atelier for Young Festival Managers. The support will cover the full Atelier participation fee and travel expenses for the five selected participants.
The 23rd edition of the Atelier for Young Festival Managers will take place from 11-17 March 2025 in San Sebastian, Spain, organized by The Festival Academy -initiated by the European Festivals Association (EFA)- in partnership with dFERIA - Performing Arts Fair and the Victoria Eugenia Theater. This will be the first time a global Atelier will be held in Spain, following previous editions in other European countries, and Africa, Asia, North America, and the SWANA region.
The Atelier is an internationally recognized capacity building program that will bring together 35 emerging art festival leaders and curators from all over the world for an intensive 7-day professional exchange. Participants will be guided by experienced festival directors, cultural activists, cross-sector experts and artists to engage in a global conversation about today’s challenges and the role that festivals, art, and culture play in society.
The program is designed for festival curators interested in exchanging knowledge and experiences with peers active in the festival sector and who wish to develop leadership, programming, and management skills, learn from renowned experts, share ideas and best practices, and explore new international collaboration opportunities. More information about the program is available here.
The Atelier Donostia / San Sebastián 2025 will take place alongside dFERIA, a key event for performing arts professionals in Spain, known for fostering connections between the Latin American and European cultural markets. It will be a unique platform for networking and collaboration. The historical Victoria Eugenia Theatre will be the hub for both the festival and the Atelier.
Participants will also have the chance to immerse themselves in the sociopolitical and cultural landscape of the Basque Country and Spain, while connecting with local festivals, cultural professionals, and artists from the region.
The Red CCE -part of AECID-, The Festival Academy, and dFERIA will select 5 festival managers in Latin America and Africa for this unique learning opportunity, covering the full cost of participation, including travel expenses. To be eligible, festivals must be in one of the AECID – Red CCE cooperation regions.
What the grant includes:
Round-trip airfare from the country of origin to Spain
Bus/train ticket from the airport in Spain to San Sebastian
Schengen visa
Accommodation for 7 nights in San Sebastian.
Meals and beverages during the 7 days of the Atelier
Atelier registration
Access to all sessions
Working materials
Receptions
Local transport to the program activities
Cultural and artistic program
Follow-up activities
Requirements:
Proficiency in English is essential, as it is the working language of the Atelier.
Applicants must be directors, managers, coordinators, programmers, or producers of an artistic festival in Latin America or Africa
The festival must be located in a country that is part of the cooperation regions of the AECID - Red CCE. For more information, click here.
Applicants will be asked to provide information about themselves, their work experience, their festival and organisation, their expectations related to the program, and, most importantly, their motivation to participate.
The willingness to develop leadership, programming, and international collaboration skills, as well as the motivation to explore the social role that art and festivals play in society as agents of change and transformation, will be positively valued.
There is no age limit, although it may be interesting to note that the average age of participants in previous editions of the Atelier is 32-35 years.
How to Apply
The call for application is now closed.
Results will be announced by the end of December 2024.
For more information about the application and selection process, please contact The Festival Academy at info@thefestivalacademy.eu