The first regional edition of the Atelier for Arts and Production Managers, which is addressed to Balkans and MENA region, starts in co-organization of 2023 ELEVSIS with The Festival Academy, Drosos Foundation, Zoukak Theater Company and ArtLink Young Talents Festival.
For the first time, part of the speeches will be available to the public via live streaming. You can watch them on the official Facebook account of The Festival Academy and 2023 ELEVSIS European Capital of Culture.
2023 ELEVSIS European Capital of Culture and The Festival Academy in collaboration with Drosos Foundation, Zoukak Theater Company and ArtLink Young Talents Festival are organizing the first part of the Atelier for Arts and Production Managers, which will take place online from 24 to 28 February, 2021. For the first time, parts of the keynote speeches will be available to the public via live streaming. Therefore, professionals in the field of cultural management and production of cultural events will have the opportunity to explore the international cultural scene, its challenges, but also the new trends that prevail. All speeches will be conducted in English.
The speakers of the Atelier, renowned professionals from different parts of Europe, Asia and Africa, have long experience in organizing festivals, as well as in the management of various cultural institutions (museums, educational institutions, etc.). The speeches will cover various topics, such as the new challenges for the cultural sector, the new “hybrid” models of festivals, as well as the possibilities of international and regional cultural cooperation, etc.
The Atelier for Art and Production Managers is set up as a long-term programme which explores all phases of programming a festival and producing an artistic work: a programme with 3 modules which explores all phases and challenges in the participants’ field of action. The participants are emerging professionals and were selected from around the world through an open call. Module I focuses on the exchange between expert and emerging art and production managers.
Speeches open to the public via Live Streaming:
Wednesday, 24 February | 19:00-20:30 (CET)
The challenges faced by festival makers from specific world regions
Panelists representing the different regions identifying challenges (social, cultural, political, economic etc.) of that specific region and formulating some provocations for participants to reflect upon in next days
Speakers:
Ouafa Belgacem – Founder and CEO Culture Funding Watch – Tunisia
Serhan Ada – Professor Cultural policies and management, Cultural diversity, Art practice and criticism Istanbul Bilgi University – Turkey
Michail Marmarinos – Artistic Director of 2023 ELEVSIS – Greece
Omar Abi Azar – Theatre Director and founder Zoukak Theater Company – Lebanon
Dea Vidović – Director Cultura Nova – Croatia
Thursday, 25 February | 11:00-13:00 (CET)
The challenges and possibilities of international and regional cultural collaboration
Speakers:
Rania Kamhawi, Senior Programme Development Manager and Director Amman Contemporary Dance Festival – Jordan
Christos Carras – Executive Director Onassis Cultural Centre – Greece
Carole Gürtler – Head Department Levant, Drosos Foundation (Zurich) – Switzerland
Thursday, 25 February | 16:30 – 18:00 (CET)
Analogue, digital and hybrid festivals: the good, the bad and the ugly – festival and business models for the ‘new normal’
Speakers:
Eckhard Thiemann – Artistic Director Shubbak Festival – London/ Mena
Roy Luxford – Production Manager Edinburgh International Festival – UK
Hamza Boulaiz – CEO and Artistic Director “Spectacle Pour Tous” – Morocco
Yolanda Markopoulou – Director and Creative Producer Greece / Polyplanity Productions, Mind the fact – Greece
Friday, 26 February | 11:00-13:00 (CET)
The role of festivals in dealing with contemporary issues: gender-based violence, inequality, racism, social cohesion, decolonisation, post-conflict etc.
Speakers:
Ellada Evangelou – Artistic and Cultural Director Buffer Fringe Festival and member of IMPACT’s Leadership Circle – Cyprus
Ahmad Tobasi – Artistic Director The Freedom Theatre – Palestine
Dijana Milošević – Theatre director, co-founder and artistic director DAH Theatre – Serbia
Hooman Nassimi – Founder of Society in Motion and the New Faces toolkit – The Netherlands
Sunday, 28 February | 15:30-16:00 (CET)
Closing Speaker
The main sessions of Atelier for Arts and Production Managers will be held via Zoom and will be closed to the general public, however part of the speeches will be available via Live Streaming on the official Facebook account of The Festival Academy and linked to on the 2023 ELEVSIS European Capital of Culture account. All speeches will be conducted in English.
Please note that all times indicated below are in CET/Brussels Time. If you need to convert times to your time zone, please find a tool for this here. For reference, 12:00 pm CET/Brussels Time is 1:00 pm in Beirut and Greece and 2:00 pm in Turkey.
The Atelier for Arts and Production Managers Elevsis-Beirut is implemented within the framework of Act for Global Change: A Global Conversation from the Arts to the World (ACT)’, supported by Creative Europe under the cooperation projects 2019 and by its organising partners Drosos Foundation, 2023 ELEVSIS, Zoukak Theatre Company and Artlink.
