Call for Host Festivals: Registrations are open for the Placements & Exchange Initiative 2026

The Festival Academy is excited to announce a new Open Call for Host Festivals to take part in the Placements & Exchange Initiative, organized in collaboration with the European Festivals Association (EFA), aimed to build strong links between our festival communities. The call invites festivals worldwide to host an international festival maker from our global Alumni community of 1000+ professionals across 100+ countries.

Do you have a festival coming up? Would you like to bring fresh ideas, international perspectives, and hands-on support to your artistic or production team? Hosting an Alumni participant is a unique opportunity to strengthen your team, foster cross-cultural collaboration, and benefit from the experience and passion of globally connected festival professionals.

The goal of this initiative is to foster meaningful exchange between our festival networks. Alumni applying for a placement/exchange, will have the opportunity to enrich their skills through hands-on experience, while the host festival or cultural organization will benefit from fresh perspectives as passionate professional who will assist with ongoing projects. This exchange offers a true two-way learning experience. Participants will benefit from new approaches and ideas from a different geographical and/or cultural context, enrich their own festival-making practices and open the door to possible future partnerships.

Like this, the Placements & Exchange Initiative promotes extensive cooperation, networking and career development opportunities through global collaborations.

Program Details:

Formats: Online, in-person, hybrid
Duration: Minimum 1 week
Support: Ideally includes accommodation, transport, food/per diems, and insurance

Apply now here!

Deadline: 29 March 2026