Atelier News #5: Journey through the festivals of the world

On Friday, 28 October 2011, the Atelier for Young Festival Managers was back to İKSEV’s offices for a new day of work, presentations, debates and networking. The day was launched with a presentation by Ching-Lee Goh on the festivals in the world and the world of festivals, the different contexts and challenges they are facing. “You should not take festivals for granted, their lives are actually very fragile,” Ching-Lee reminded the participants. She also presented the main differences between European and Asian festivals: their position towards the artists and towards the audience, their relation with their local societies and neighbours or the relevance of Arts Markets etc. The participants, as well as the other presenters - Robyn Archer, Nele Hertling and Hugo De Greef - also presented the festivals that inspired them. Through the day, participants chose the topics of the discussions, leading to an intense knowledge and experience sharing. Peer-to-peer exchanges and discussions is one of the main features of the Atelier, making it one of a kind. Participants raised issues about the role of an artistic director and his/her relation with his/her team: is the artistic director an artist? A manager? An intellectual? Are burn-outs inevitable when working for a festival? They also discussed the opportunities and challenges of implementing an initiative such as the European Capitals of Culture. For the evening session, İKSEV – the Atelier host – welcomed the Atelier group in the new Ahmed Adnan Saygun Sanat Merkezi (AASSM) Arts Centre, home to the Izmir National Symphony Orchestra and exhibition place for plastic and contemporary arts. Jonathan Mills, Director and Chief Executive of the Edinburgh International Festival, gave a stimulating presentation, reminding the ancient history of festivals and their importance in society, as well as the specific context artistic festival directors have to face nowadays. “You are here to be the continuum of memory for your community, and for this, you need ingenuity in conceiving the kinds of community that you give voice to and, most importantly, that you give hope and ambition to,” he challenged the participants. For further information please visit the Atelier website or contact EFA at atelier@efa-aef.eu. More photos at the Photo Gallery. Related news: • Atelier News #7: End of the week, new beginning! • Atelier News #6: To the roots of civilizations • Atelier News #4: Discussing co-productions and meeting the artist • Atelier News #3: Experienced festival directors disclose their strategies and driving forces • Atelier News #2: Second Atelier day sparking many “aha moments” • Atelier News #1: Inspiring start for the 4th Atelier for Young Festival Managers