Report from the 2008 “Behind-the-Scenes”The 2008 IFEA Europe “Behind-the-Scenes” took place in Borlänge, Sweden, at the end of June. For the attending IFEA members, it became a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience, as IFEA Board member Maria Anderberg of “Kulturproduktionen” guided the group, quite literately, through the gorgeous Swedish landscape for meetings both with the dedicated idealist behind the “Peace & Love” Festival and the organisers of the nearby “Tällberg Forum”. The Peace and Love festival is an idealistic project featuring workshops and exhibitions, alternative theatre and eight downtown stages with all sorts of rock/pop/metal music, and has in a few years grown to be Sweden’s largest festival of its nature, attracting thousands of young people who by looks and attitudes are clearly the modern day Woodstock generation, driven by a desire to bring - as the name of the festival implies - peace and love each other and the world. The logistics behind this city center festival were amazing, as was - or is - the festival’s concern for the environment, and for ensuring a peaceful and friendly relationship with the permanent residents of Borlänge’s downtown area. How many other festivals do you know who actually offer older downtown residents a free weekend in the countryside, in case they don’t want to stay in town in midst of all the concerts?

Visiting the Tällberg Forum was a contrasting experience. Situated on a beautiful hillside at the eastern shore of the Siljan Lake, Tällberg has become host to an annual summer gathering of hundreds of politicians, scientists, and leaders in international industries and organisations. The means might be different, but the goals are, essentially, the same as those of the festival in Borlänge on fifty-some kilometers away; to advance fruitful and peaceful dialogue and cooperation - or, if you will, to bring peace and love to the world.

One may wonder if the music festival or the dialogue event is the most successful in achieving this goal. Lots may result from a currently non-existing cooperation between the two events. But both a amazing events in their own right, and I am sure that they both make the world is a better place.

For the members of IFEA Europe, visiting both events was most inspiring. Thank you, Maria!

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Okay the global focus has been rather on the economic crisis in some countries recently and the effects on our industry. But arts organizations (including festivals?) also need to worry about something else that is threatening the sustainability of many organizations and that is the recent culture change.During an Arts Marketing Summit by the Australian Arts Council, Keynote speaker Diane Ragsdale (Andrew Melton Foundation, USA) gave an interesting insight in what is going on and suggests a few strategies to survive the change.

A complete podcast of her Keynote can be found at fuel4arts.com, but you might wish to start with the commentary on her Keynote by Simon Wellington (Urban Theatre Projects) who also gives a great summary of her presentation.

The PDF handout by Diana Ragsdale gives you the text of her complete Keynote including valuable references to literature and related research.

Go to the links fuel4arts.com for the downloadable PDF’s and Podcast.

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(Source: www.on-the-move.org)  

A two-day seminar on “Culture, social cohesion and integration challenges” will be held in Zoetermeer, the Netherlands on December 13-14, 2007. This event is organized within the framework of the EU co-funded project on ‘Awareness Raising for Culture and Development’ (ARCADE).

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Join members of IFEA Europe at the Annual Conference of the Association of Irish Festivals & Events on 8/10 November.

Familiar IFEA speakers:  William Culver Dodds (Harrogate International Festivals), Steven Wood Schmader, (President/CEO IFEA World),  Paul Gudgin, (Former Director Edinburgh Festival Fringe),  Allan Xinus Grige (Chairman IFEA Europe), Robyn Nelson (Dogwood Arts Festival), Maria Nusser-Wagner (The Guggenheim),  Sylvia Allen (Allen Consulting) and Jeroen Mourik (CreativeFellowship.org) are amongst the international speakers.

Conference Brochure (pdf 575 Kb)
Conference Programme (Word 256 Kb)

Please note that the Early Bird Rate ends Friday 19 October!

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On Tuesday during Festivak, twenty delegates from the Netherlands and Germany participated in a Master Class Creativity by creative consultant Jeroen Mourik.

This part of Festivak was presented by the International Festivals & Events Association, IFEA Europe and was aimed at event managers with a dominant left-brain-hemisphere.

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Last week at IFEA’s 52nd Annual Convention & Expo in Atlanta, it was the first opportunity for IFEA members to come face to face with the brain behind www.powersponsorship.com.

Jeroen Mourik attended the seminar by Kim Skildum-Reid and wrote a review.

Click here to read the review and for more information on Kim Skildum-Reid and her best selling book.

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If you plan to attend one of our IFEA Europe Round Table Discussions or wish to participate in the Masterclass on Creativity at FESTIVAK in the Netherlands on 1 & 2 October, please note that our Online Registration ends this Friday.

For more information, please visit www.ifeaeurope.com/news/ifea-festivak/

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On Your Marks, Get Set……Go to Buxton

We are sure it hasn’t escaped your notice that the Olympic Games are very topical at the moment and so BAFA is including some sessions in the forthcoming BAFA conference to look at the question of festivals and the Cultural Olympiad.

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