EFFE Award - six remarkable festivals!
EFFE – Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe - is the European Festivals Association’s mark of recognition for Europe’s most exciting arts festivals
Respected festival representatives from across Europe gathered in Brussels on 18 September for the Arts Festivals Salon and announcement of the 2017 EFFE Awards. EFFE is the scheme for the recognition of Europe’s remarkable festivals selected by the European Festivals Association with the support of the European Commission and European Parliament.
An International Jury presided over by Sir Jonathan Mills, composer and former Director of the Edinburgh International Festival, selected 6 of the most trend-setting European festivals from a pool of 715 which were recognised with the EFFE Label in May. The label is eligible to festivals in 39 countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme.
The EFFE Award winners (in alphabetical order) are:
- Altofest International Contemporary Live Arts Festival, Italy
- European Film Festival Palic, Serbia
- FMM Sines - Festival Músicas do Mundo, Portugal
- Gdansk Shakespeare Festival, Poland
- Utrecht Early Music Festival, Netherlands
A special Award for its continued reinvention of the arts and festival sector is given to the Edinburgh International Festival, UK.
From the many festivals given the EFFE label, 26 Laureates were announced in July as candidates for the Award. They ranged geographically from the Azores to Kiev, from Cyprus to Estonia and in scope from early music to digital arts. The International Jury’s decision was built on national experts’ advice on applicant festivals from world famous fixtures in the cultural calendar to eclectic events known only to a few.
Sir Jonathan Mills, Chairman of the EFFE international Jury, reminded the guests during the Award Ceremony at BOZAR on 18 September of the enriching impact of arts activities on our society and their powerful message towards European integration. Read Sir Jonathan Mills' entire speech here.
European Commissioner for Culture Tibor Navracsics underlined that, “as Commissioner in charge of culture, I will keep working with all the representatives of the major arts festivals in Europe to make sure culture is high on the European agenda. Together with the European Festivals Association, the European Commission is proud to recognise the work that is done by thousands of people working in festivals as well as the artists performing in them.”
