On 5 May, the European Festivals Association concluded its Arts Festivals Summit 2017 hosted by the Rheingau Musik Festival with a great success, when 230 festival makers EFA members, EFFE Label Festivals and Atelier Alumni met in Wiesbaden at the invitation of Mr. Michael Herrmann and his Rheingau Musik Festival team for 3 intense days of inspiring exchanges with colleagues and friends from all over the world.
At the 2017 annual meeting, Lisa Sand was elected new chairman of MAIS (Music Organizers in Collaboration). As a former national coordinator at Musikverket, Lisa was instrumental in making SAMSPEL happen, a national task now handled by MAIS. She has previously worked as a producer/project manager at Kultur i Väst, and is currently Deputy Head of Unit at El Sistema, Stockholm.
The MAIS Board consists of the chairman and 9 members and 9 deputies. All are representatives of the 10 federations who are members of the MAIS.
Application deadline April 30 April. Answer in mid-May. As an organizer and member of one of the associations listed below, all organizers have four opportunities in 2017 to apply for a grant of up to 15 000/concert to carry out a brave conception - something that goes beyond what you usually put on stage. You do not have to be a music festival to apply, you only need a project where music is a central part. And it is not impossible to apply more than once. Ny(a)modigheter also includes training in one of our four seminar weekends.
Sweden Festivals is committed to become a festival organisation in the European context - a members based collective of ART FESTIVALS in all fields of the art. Landskrona Foto Festival recently became a new member. No institution in the country has hitherto tried to show the dynamic and complex role it entails to exhibit the best of contemporary international and Swedish photography, and simultaneously to be a centre of learning for the theory and history of photography – with the emphasis on Scandinavia, but taking a broader view when necessary. Landskrona Foto aims to do this.
Saturday, April 1st the Festival Platform organises its annual conference. The confernce is particularly aimed at those who organise or plan to start a cultural festival, but also for those who work with the festival and organising issues in other ways, such as cultural administration and tourism within the municipality or the region. The theme of the day revolves around the site's significance for the festival, and the festival's importance to the community where it takes place. In addition eight cultural festivals from Västra Götaland give short presentations.
What is a bold concert concept for you? What would you like to programme, but not dared so far? Ny(A)modigheter is a project run by MAIS with support from the Postkodlotteriets Kulturstiftelse. As a member of Sweden Festivals, you can apply for support of the project Ny(A)modigheter. And of course festivals within other artforms than music can apply .... as long as you do music. And for such a festival that is probably bold!
Economic conditions for the free professional cultural operators have become increasingly tougher. Now is the time to increase support for them, writes the Director General and the Chairman of the Swedish Arts Council in the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. Today, on March 1, the Arts Council deliver their budget documents to the government. The Arts Council's priorities for the next three years is clear: it is time to increase support for the independent cultural sphere.
On March 15, the five members of the national EFFE jury met in Stockholm and went through all the Swedish applications. The jury - composed by Sweden Festivals - consisted of Ulrika Bandeira, Festivalcentrum - a network of film festivals in Stockholm; Carita Forslund, Kultur i Väst - and responsible for their Festival Platform; Peter Eriksson, artistic director of Saxå Chamber Music Festival; Gerd Román Hall, director of Lund Choral Festival and Sten Johannisson Thörne, President of Dalhalla Opera.
On 23 February 25 renowned Festival Directors from all over Europe and beyond met the European Commissioner for Culture, Mr. Tibor Navracsics in Brussels at the invitation of the European Festivals Association (EFA). The Commission and EFA agreed on a continued strong collaboration for the best of the arts, artists and cross-border and cross-continental cooperation. Peter Eriksson, President of Sweden Festivals attended the meeting.
