The Festival Academy

The Festival Academy Contactgegevens, kaart en routebeschrijving, contactformulier, openingstijden, diensten, beoordelingen, foto's, video's en aankondigingen van The Festival Academy, Buurtwerk, SaincteletteSquare 17, Brussels.

The Festival Academy is a non-profit organisation initiated by the European Festivals Association offering various training formats on festival management.

๐Ÿ“ข We are happy to announce that we are opening registrations for two online sessions as part of our Voices From series. ...
04/05/2026

๐Ÿ“ข We are happy to announce that we are opening registrations for two online sessions as part of our Voices From series. We started organising the series 2024 together with alumni of the TFA community with the aim to create a space to listen and stay present with the realities lived by cultural workers from regions affected by conflict or systemic injustice. โœจ

๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธVoices From Iran
14 May, 3:00 PM CEST
At a moment when war, repression, and over a month of internet blackout make it difficult to understand what is happening inside Iran โ€“ even for those living through it โ€“ we turn to artists and cultural workers from Iran whose practices persist despite fear and uncertainty. This session opens space for the realities they are navigating, the forms of care and solidarity that sustain them, and perspectives that remain unheard in international conversations. Speakers: Sepehr Sharifzadeh , Helia Shadifar , Arezoo Kazanbeik

๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธVoices From: Festivals That Are Disappearing
21 May, 3:00 PM CEST
In many regions, festivals hold communities together as artistic, social, and political ecosystems. Today, many have disappeared, become dormant, or been forced into silence due to political, economic, or infrastructural pressures. This session brings together speakers from Iran, Turkey, and Argentina to reflect on what is lost, what remains, and how artistic practices continue when festival infrastructures collapse. Speakers: Amirali Ghasemi , Mohammad Abbasi .abbassi, Roni Isola .isola, Fatih Genรงkal .

Both sessions include short presentations followed by a Q&A. Participation is based on registration. For more information and the registration form follow link in bio. ๐Ÿ‘ˆ

We look forward to connecting with you.
Register now! โœ๏ธ

On the 27th of April, Mette Van Zoest was awarded with the Cultural Management Masterthesis Award 2026, granted by The C...
29/04/2026

On the 27th of April, Mette Van Zoest was awarded with the Cultural Management Masterthesis Award 2026, granted by The Cultural Management Fund at Antwerp University๐ŸŽ“๐Ÿ’š

She developed her thesis during an internship at The Festival Academy. The paper โ€œAbout Non-democracy: Conversation and Understanding, (Dis)trust and Space.โ€ is based on interviews with Alumni of The Festival Academy. Case studies and best-practice examples from the research have been translated into a new toolkit that is now online ๐ŸŒ

โ€œThis award feels not only as a special recognition of my thesis research, but I think more importantly it is a recognition of the work people are doing out there to create spaces for people to make and experience arts in places where this is not an easy thing to do.โ€ - ๐Ÿ’๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐ŸŽ“

Find out more about Metteโ€™s research and the way festivals can be important spaces in the discourse on democracy in our new Toolkit! โžก๏ธ link in bio๐Ÿ‘€

Part II - Placements & Exchange opportunities ๐Ÿ’š๐ŸŽช There are 25 festivals in total eager to host TFA Alumni as part of the...
21/04/2026

Part II - Placements & Exchange opportunities ๐Ÿ’š

๐ŸŽช There are 25 festivals in total eager to host TFA Alumni as part of their production or artistic teams! Below you will find 12 of these opportunities, taking place in 10 different countries! Check out Part I to discover the others!

- Festival iMรญ (Nigeria)

- Fรธrdefestivalen (Norway)

- Palestine International Theater Festival for Children (Palestine)

- Bethlehem Site-Specific Theater Festival (Palestine)

- Kind Family Gathering (Portugal)

- Spider Festival of Radical Bodies (Slovenia)

- FestMusic Mallorca (Spain)

- Festival Rizomes (Spain)

- FOG Festival (Switzerland)

- WorldPride Amsterdam (The Netherlands)

- Skillz Dance Festival (Uganda)

- Citizen Arts International (USA)

โœ๏ธ Are you a TFA Alumni interested in doing a Placement & Exchange? Find out more and apply via the link in bio!

Part I - Placements & Exchange opportunities ๐Ÿ’š๐ŸŽช There are 25 festivals in total eager to host TFA Alumni as part of thei...
21/04/2026

Part I - Placements & Exchange opportunities ๐Ÿ’š

๐ŸŽช There are 25 festivals in total eager to host TFA Alumni as part of their production or artistic teams! Below you will find 13 of these opportunities, taking place in 10 different countries! Check out Part II post to discover the others!

- Chronofest Performing Arts Festival (Armenia)

- Jardรญn Teatro Fest (Argentina) .teatrolaboratorio

- WIENWOCHE Festival for Art and Activism (Austria)

- Water Tower Art Fest (Bulgaria)

- Peculiar Families Festival (Croatia)

- Pilsen Busking Fest (Czech Republic) pilsenbuskingfest

- Hรฝl Festival of Healing Sound (Czech Republic)

- Passabay Collective (DRC) .collective

- Festival Bantargebang (Indonesia)

- Dinamico Festival (Italy)

- Easter Theatre Festival (Malawi)

- Nyasa International Film Festival (Malawi)

- Nepal Human Rights International Film Festival (Nepal)

โœ๏ธ Are you a TFA Alumni interested in doing a Placement & Exchange? Find out more and apply via the link in bio!

Exactly one year after our Atelier for Young Festival Managers in San Sebastian / Donostia, we returned to the Basque co...
01/04/2026

Exactly one year after our Atelier for Young Festival Managers in San Sebastian / Donostia, we returned to the Basque coastal city for Festival Visit at dFERIA together with an amazing group of TFA Alumni. โœจ

From 14-18 March 2025, we discovered in-depth the programme of the Performing Arts Fair which featured shows from the Basque country, Spain, Latin America and many more. This year's edition focused on the Danish performing arts scene, highlighting not only inspiring artistic productions from Denmark but also facilitating exchange and networking events. ๐ŸŽญ

The Festival Visit also included hybrid working sessions to connect with participants from Palestine, Iraq, South Africa unable to travel due to closed airspace caused by the ongoing war in Iran. Through this virtual bridge their voices contributed meaningfully to the conversations in Spain. ๐Ÿซ‚

What emerged was not just discussion, but a collective questioning: How do we act when mobility, safety and dignity are unequally distributed? What is the role of festivals in times of violence? And can we hold space for both love and rage? ๐Ÿ’ญ

๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธWhat stayed with us were not only the questions, but the commitments we left with:

- to move people through the arts,
- to support artists who speak out,
- to help sustain artistsโ€™ lives in times of threat,
- to choose authenticity over silence,
- to use our positions to support one another
- and simply, to show up as friends and hold each other.

This was just the beginning of a conversation we hope to keep having, again and again. Thank you to all at dFERIA for providing the platform, and to our wonderful Alumni group for their care, courage, and thoughtful contributions. ๐Ÿ’š

๐Ÿ“ข Call for Host FestivalsRegistrations are open for the Placements & Exchange Initiative 2026! ๐ŸŒThe Festival Academy and...
03/03/2026

๐Ÿ“ข Call for Host Festivals

Registrations are open for the Placements & Exchange Initiative 2026! ๐ŸŒ

The Festival Academy and the European Festivals Association (EFA) invite festivals worldwide to host an international festival maker from our global Alumni community of 1,000+ professionals across 100+ countries.

Do you have a festival coming up? Want to bring fresh ideas and international perspectives to your team? ๐Ÿ‘€

Register now and welcome Alumni in your artistic/production team to gain hands-on experience! Benefit from inspiring ideas and new perspectives of internationally connected and passionate professionals. ๐Ÿค

๐Ÿ’ฌ Have a look at this beautiful feedback of a placements host festival: โ€œThe participant contributed to the festival in a variety of ways, making a valuable and varied contribution. He not only provided support with social media communications, but also shared new ideas and provided valuable suggestions for improving the organisation and the overall experience of the festival.โ€

๐Ÿ”น Formats: Online, in-person, hybrid
๐Ÿ”น Duration: Min. 1 week
๐Ÿ”น Support: Ideally includes accommodation, transport, food/per diems & insurance

๐Ÿ”— More information and application: https://www.thefestivalacademy.eu/en/news/406-call-for-host-festivals-registrations-are-open-for-the-placements-exchange-initiative-2026/
๐Ÿ“… Deadline: 29 March 2026

On 12 December 2025, The Festival Academy was invited to attend a beautifully curated networking event organised by one ...
24/02/2026

On 12 December 2025, The Festival Academy was invited to attend a beautifully curated networking event organised by one of our most longstanding partners, Arts Council Korea - ARKO, ํ•œ๊ตญ๋ฌธํ™”์˜ˆ์ˆ ์œ„์›ํšŒ in Seoul. ๐Ÿ™

The event brought together 13 TFA Alumni from different Ateliers from 2013 to 2025 to get to know each other, share stories and memories about their Atelier experience, and talk about the impact the Atelier had on their careers. โœจ

Through various formats such as presentations, conversation, unconference, and open discussions, participating Alumni further explored strategies and discussed their ideas on festival sustainability, community engagement, and the international dimensions of cultural identity. ๐ŸŒ

This event demonstrates the long-term impact of the partnership between TFA and ARKO. Each year ARKO supports young festival leaders from Korea to attend TFA Ateliers. Since 2013, these efforts have built up a Korean Alumni community of festival leaders. ๐Ÿ’š

TFA is proud of our ongoing partnership with ARKO, which keeps on strengthening the next generation of Korean festival leaders while fostering sustainable cross-cultural exchange. ๐ŸŒŸ

๐Ÿ“ท 1, 2, 4, 5: Arts Council Korea
3, 6, 7: Mar Sebastiร 

๐Ÿ’ฌ On 3 February, The Festival Academy took part in a Roundtable of Arts Festivals organised by the  on the occasion of t...
20/02/2026

๐Ÿ’ฌ On 3 February, The Festival Academy took part in a Roundtable of Arts Festivals organised by the on the occasion of the launch of the conversation โ€˜About Europeโ€™ - in the presence of , European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport.

The meeting was a great opportunity to advocate for the cultural future we want to shape together. ๐ŸŒ

๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธOur Director Inge Ceustermans highlighted the global community of young leaders connected through The Festival Academy:

โ€œThrough The Festival Academy, Europe has access to young festival leaders from all over the world. These young leaders build, day by day and step by step, a different reality. They nurture spaces of belonging, care, and community where the social system falls short. They protect the preservation of cultures, languages, nature, the earth, our riversโ€ฆ of life. What are they fighting for? They are fighting for our humanity, our soul.โ€ ๐Ÿ’š

Inge called for these voices to be seen, heard, and valued in the dialogue 'About Europe'. ๐Ÿค

๐Ÿ”— More about the meeting and the โ€˜About Europeโ€™ initiative via the link in bio.

Photos: Ernest Thiesmeier

๐Ÿ“… Join us at the annual Arts Festivals Summit organised by the European Festivals Association (EFA) and hosted by Grad T...
18/02/2026

๐Ÿ“… Join us at the annual Arts Festivals Summit organised by the European Festivals Association (EFA) and hosted by Grad Teatar Budva, taking place from May 16-19, 2026, in the beautiful coastal town of Budva, Montenegro.

Be part of four days of conversations, workshops, plenary sessions, and encounters across the city and beyond and explore the evolving role of festivals and how they intersect with the pressing issues in our societies.๐ŸŒ Walk the streets of Budva, and meet with up to 200 peers from around the world, and experience the local arts scene firsthand. ๐Ÿค

โœ… If you are an Alumni of The Festival Academy, we are pleased to offer you free access to the Summit, thanks to our partnership with the European Festivals Association (EFA). Accommodation and travel are not covered.

For more info and registration follow the link in our bio! ๐Ÿ”—

Photo 1: Budva
Photo 2: ยฉTheatre City Budva
Photo 3: AFS Edinburgh 2025

๐—๐—ผ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—™๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ฉ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ถ๐˜ โ€“ dFERIA Performing Arts Fair ๐Ÿ“ฃ Exclusive Call for TFA Alumni๐Ÿ’ซ dFERIA - Performing Arts Fair and...
21/01/2026

๐—๐—ผ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—™๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ฉ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ถ๐˜ โ€“ dFERIA Performing Arts Fair
๐Ÿ“ฃ Exclusive Call for TFA Alumni

๐Ÿ’ซ dFERIA - Performing Arts Fair and The Festival Academy are building up on their partnership following an incredible Atelier in Donostia / San Sebastiรกn last year. From 14 โ€“ 18 March 2026, we invite 8 TFA Alumni working in the performing arts field to the beautiful city of Donostia / San Sebastiรกn to take part in the exciting and rich programme of dFERIA which will feature the work of Basque, Spanish, and international artists.

Each year, dFERIA (Donostia Kultura) attracts over 700 professionals and artists from around the world, offering an unparalleled opportunity to connect, collaborate, and celebrate the performing arts. For 2026, dFeriaโ€™s international focus is on Danish creations, with an exciting lineup of contemporary dance and theatre performances. ๐ŸŽญ
Beyond the performances, selected participants will be able to attend a curated programme of professional networking events, thought-provoking discussions, and informal gatherings, designed to introduce them to emerging local talent and immerse in San Sebastianโ€™s vibrant cultural scene. ๐Ÿ’š

๐Ÿ’ฌ The TFA Festival Visits are unique opportunities to expand festival networks and strengthen international collaboration among the TFA Alumni community and beyond.

๐Ÿ™Œ We are offering 8 spots exclusively for TFA Alumni. The selection is based on a motivational letter. Selected participants will benefit from tickets to all dFERIA shows, accommodation and meal vouchers. Travel, visa, and insurance costs are not included.

โœ For more information about the call, visit our website: https://www.thefestivalacademy.eu/en/news/403-exclusive-call-for-tfa-alumni-to-join-the-festival-visit-dferia-performing-arts-fair-spain/

๐Ÿ“… Deadline to apply: 28/01/2026 We will reach out to applicants at the earliest convenience.

๐Ÿ“ธ: Photo by Pablo Cifuentes & Morgan Creativos, dFERIA 2025

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