Michał Merczyński: “Co-production is a risk but it is the most fruitful way to produce new pieces”

In the run-up to the Atelier for Young Festival Managers in Edinburgh from 3-10 April 2014, all presenters who will participate in the Atelier to exchange with 52 young artistic festival directors from all over the world will be introduced. One of them is Michał Merczyński, General Director of the Malta Festival Poznań. He previously participated in the Atelier IZMIR 2011 and Atelier LJUBLJANA 2012.

“Co-production is a risk but it is the most fruitful way to produce new pieces,” said Michał Merczyński during the Atelier IZMIR 2011.

Michał Merczyński is a culture promoter, producer and art manager with expertise in the performing art, musical and audiovisual field. He managed the Rozmaitości Theatre (TR Warszawa), Henryk Wieniawski Musical Society, Tzadik Poznań Festival, Festival of Dialogue of Four Cultures, the Polish Film Institute and Nostalgia Festival. In 1991, he initiated the Malta Festival Poznań in Poland; he has been the festival’s General Director ever since. He also founded the Nostalgia Festival, with contemporary music as its programme core. Since 2005, he has been the Director of the Polish Audiovisual Institute (NInA), a public cultural institution established by the Ministry of Culture to record, digitise, archive, and facilitate the dissemination of the most valuable manifestations of Polish culture, including film, music, theatre and art.

Michał Merczyński was an expert within the European Union Culture Programme 2007-2013. In 2011, he was appointed Coordinator of the Cultural Programme of the Polish EU Presidency, as well as the European Culture Congress.

His admiration for new methods of presenting art forms meets the need for spreading and circulating ideas that have been proven as the best and most efficient ones. With his open attitude, he encourages the flow of communication across arts practitioners.

“He shared with us a wealth of his experience and remarkable practical examples of management, marketing and communication models. He follows a systematic and goal-oriented approach and draws attention to the functional and structural basis of the project, festival or art organisation,” said one of the Atelier LJUBLJANA participants in 2012.

Nine renowned mentors from all over the world will guide the participants throughout the seven days of the Atelier EDINBURGH 2014 under the coordination of Hugo De Greef (former EFA Secretary General (2004-2008), Director European Capital of Culture Bruges 2002; Co-Founder Kaaitheater, Brussels, Belgium): Mark Ball (Artistic Director London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT), UK), Bernard Faivre d’Arcier (former long-standing Director Avignon Festival, President Lyon Biennial, France), Heiner Goebbels (Artistic Director Ruhrtriennale, Germany), Nele Hertling (Vice President of the Academy of Arts Berlin, Germany), Grace Lang (Programme Director Hong Kong Festival, China), Joseph V. Melillo (Artistic Director Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), USA), Michal Merczyński (General Director Malta Festival Poznań, Poland), and Sir Jonathan Mills (Festival Director and Chief Executive Edinburgh International Festival, UK).

More information about the Atelier EDINBURGH 2014 can be found on the Atelier website.