The presenters of the Atelier LJUBLJANA 2012: Nele Hertling

Nele Hertling joined the team of presenters of the Atelier for Young Festival Managers in Görlitz (2006), Varna (2009), Singapore (May 2011), Izmir (October 2011), and will now participate, for the fifth time, in Ljubljana. “A festival gives you the chance to do extraordinary things. It creates an atmosphere, and supports productions that most theatres wouldn’t be able to produce. And you can really use this atmosphere to take risks and to take an audience with you because they are in a group, sharing a moment together. But as a festival director, you have to keep in mind that you must support the artist and that the artist isn’t there to support you. You are the one to enable the artist to create something,” explained Nele Hertling in a joint interview with Bernard Faivre d’Arcier in "Cahier de l’Atelier”. Nele Hertling studied philosophy, German philology and theatre at the Humboldt University in Berlin. She collaborated with the media, developed concepts and produced educational programmes devoted to culture and art. From 1963 to 1988, she was Research Associate at the Academy of Arts in Berlin (West). In 1988, she was the Artistic Director of “Berlin - Cultural Capital of Europe, 1988”. One year later, she reactivated the Hebbel-Theatre in Berlin and managed it until 2003. She also organised contemporary dance festivals in Berlin: “Tanz im August” (1988) and “Internationales Tanzfest” (1999). She created, together with Thomas Langhoff, the programme of the 1999 edition of “Theater der Welt” festival. From 2003 to 2007, she was head of the Berliner Künstlerprogramm des DAAD, a well-known scholarship programme for artists in residence, associated with various fields of art: visual arts, filmmaking, literature and dance. Since 2006, she has been Vice-President of the Academy of Arts in Berlin and she is a founder and member of many international associations devoted to support and promotion of art, such as the European House for Culture or “A Soul for Europe". Nine renowned festival managers from all over the world will guide the participants throughout the seven days of the Atelier LJUBLJANA 2012 under the coordination of Hugo De Greef (Belgium): Robyn Archer (Australia), Bernard Faivre d’Arcier (France), Rose Fenton (United Kingdom), Nele Hertling (Germany), Michal Merzcyński (Poland), Jonathan Mills (United Kingdom), Gerard Mortier (Belgium) and Fruzsina Szép (Hungary). In the run-up of the Atelier, all presenters will be introduced. Keep an eye! More info on the Atelier LJUBLJANA 2012 on the Atelier website.