The 10th edition of the Atelier, taking place in Budapest, kicked off!

The 10th edition of the Atelier, taking place in Budapest, kicked off!

The 10th Atelier for Young Festival Managers of The Festival Academy (initiative of the European Festivals Association) was launched yesterday 2 June 2016 in Budapest, Hungary, at Müpa Budapest. The Atelier Budapest is organised in collaboration with the Armel Opera Festival.  The opening ceremony was moderated by Ms. Krisztina Bombera. Mr. István Márta, Chairman of the Hungarian Festivals Association and Mr. Csaba Káel, Chief Executive Officer Müpa&festivals and Ms. Agnes Havas, the Director of the Armel Opera Festival, greeted the 43 participants from 25 countries and 8 mentors. Ms. Inge Ceustermans, Managing Director of The Festival Academy introduced the Atelier. Sir Jonathan Mills finally kicked off BUDAPEST 2016 with a Keynote speech, striking up 7 days of international cultural exchanges, and intense discussions.

In an inspiring keynote speech, Sir Jonathan Mills addressed the participants with a strong message:

“ Do not take no for an answer. Be endlessly resourceful. Most important - trust your artists. And acknowledge that the imagination of an artist can ignite the imagination of an audience.”

The Atelier for Young Festival Managers celebrates 10 years since the first Atelier took place in 2006 initiated by the European Festivals Association. At this special occasion Inge Ceustermans underlined:

I invite you all to profit as much as possible from this experience. To listen and try to understand the other, to create mutual understanding and to foster alliances which will last longer than these 7 days. The Atelier offers you a platform to meet and to make connections with a diversity of creative minds.’

Read the full speech here.

Eight renowned festival managers from all over the world are guiding the participants through lectures, one-on-one talks and intense workshops under the coordination of Hugo De Greef, who has been doing this since 2006: Rania Elias (Director of the Yabous Cultural Centre and Jerusalem Festival, Palestine), Bernard Faivre d’Arcier (President Lyon Biennial, former long-standing Director Avignon Festival, France), Rose Fenton (Director Free Word, former Director LIFT London, UK), Agnes Havas (Director Armel Opera Festival, Hungary), Nele Hertling (Member of the strategy group ‘A Soul for Europe’, former vice-president Academy of Arts in Berlin, former Director Hebbel-Theatre Berlin, Germany), Michal Merczyński (Director of the Malta Festival Poznan and founder and director of Nostalgia Festival Poznan, Poland) and Jonathan Mills (Director of the Edinburgh International Culture Summit, former Director of the Edinburgh International Festival, UK).

The Atelier will close on Wednesday, 8 June at 19:00 at the Hungarian National Gallery. Have a look at the detailed 7-day programme.

Follow the Atelier BUDAPEST 2016 online:

  • On The Festival Academy website and EFA’s blog Festival Bytes Atelier participants will share some first-hand insights.
  • Latest news and pictures are published on facebook
  • twitter: #AtelierBUDAPEST
  • Opening Ceremony Speech Inge Ceustermans, Managing Director of The Festival Academy