Registrations for the Atelier Chemnitz 2025 are now open!

The Festival Academy, an initiative of the European Festivals Association (EFA) calls for applications for the 25th edition of the Atelier for Young Festival Managers, taking place from 20-26 November 2025 in Chemnitz, Germany. The Atelier will be hosted by the Chemnitz European Capital of Culture 2025 (ECoC).

This edition of the Atelier for Young Festival Managers will offer the opportunity to up to 35 young festival leaders and curators from all over the world to spend 7 days together guided by experienced festival leaders, cultural activists, cross-sector experts and artists. The Atelier facilitates a global conversation about today’s challenges and the role that festivals, art and culture can play in these.

This seven-day long capacity building programme targets festival curators, regardless of age, gender and nationality, who are interested in exchanging knowledge and experiences between professionals active in the field of festivals and who wish to improve their management skills, learn from renowned experts and exchange ideas and best practices with other participants.

The Atelier will also provide an opportunity to get to know the sociopolitical and cultural context of the city and region of Chemnitz, as well as to connect with festivals, cultural professionals, and artists from the region.

Chemnitz locates itself as an Eastern European city in the German state of Saxony. The city and it's surrounding region are linked by a vibrant shared cultural and industrial heritage.

"C the Unseen" - the motto for Chemnitz 2025 is both an invitation and a program. The aim is to make the previously unseen and undiscovered visible. The title "European Capital of Culture" shines a spotlight on people, places and activities that have not yet been the focus of tourist attention. They want to show themselves and warmly welcome their guests. The ECoC program creates experiences and encounters. It conveys the past and present of the people who live here. New places are created as well as opportunities for active participation.

Find out more about the programme, the experts and the application procedures and funding opportunities for the Atelier in Chemnitz. Passionate festival makers from across the globe are invited to apply for the Atelier before 31th of January 2024.