Capacity building through connection: My experience at the Chemnitz Atelier 2025
Katriona Grixti, Programming & Productions Officer at Festivals Malta – one of the EFA Members running several festivals in Malta – has attended The Festival Academy's Atelier for Young Festival Managers in Chemnitz, Germany. In this piece, Katriona is sharing her experience of this 7-day Atelier that took place from 20 to 26 November 2025, in parallel of the European Capital of Culture.
In November, I was lucky to join the 25th edition of the Atelier for Young Festival Managers in Chemnitz, Germany. Organised by The Festival Academy and an initiative of the European Festivals Association, this opportunity marked a significant milestone in my development as a cultural practitioner.
The seven-day Atelier, held from 20 to 26 November, brought together around thirty festival leaders, curators, and cultural professionals from across the globe and it was hosted in Chemnitz – a European Capital of Culture 2025. The programme provided a dynamic environment for exchange, reflection, and learning. The setting itself, with its evolving cultural identity and the guiding motto “C the Unseen,” became an integral part of the experience, offering both inspiration and context.
The Atelier focused on the very essence of festivals: the relationship between the arts, the artist, and the audience. Through a series of workshops, discussions, and collaborative sessions led by international experts, cultural activists, and artists, participants were encouraged to question fundamental aspects of festival-making: Why do we do what we do? For whom? And with whom?
One of the most impactful aspects of the programme was its emphasis on critical reflection and dialogue. A particularly thought-provoking session revolved around the statement: “The freedom of artists should be limitless.” This sparked discussions on the contextual nature of freedom – how it is shaped by geography, access, and systems of power. It challenged us to reconsider not only the work we produce but also the conditions under which it is created and presented. The idea that artistic freedom is not universally experienced, but rather shaped by structural realities, was a powerful takeaway.
The programme provided a dynamic environment for exchange, reflection, and learning.
Equally influential were the sessions on collaboration, which highlighted that effective partnerships go far beyond shared intentions. The notion that “collaboration happens at the speed of trust” resonated deeply. Through the framework of the “4Ps” – Proposal, Partners, Process, and Power, we explored how collaborations can fail when objectives are unclear, when power imbalances are not acknowledged, or when processes remain superficial. These discussions reinforced the importance of transparency, mutual respect, and continuous self-reflection, particularly in international and cross-cultural contexts.
Working within the cultural sector can often be demanding and complex, particularly in the context of large-scale festival production. Being part of a global community of practitioners reaffirmed my belief in the importance and necessity of our work in the cultural industry. It also broadened my understanding of festivals as not only artistic platforms, but as agents of social dialogue, cultural exchange, and potential change.
We explored how collaborations can fail when objectives are unclear, when power imbalances are not acknowledged, or when processes remain superficial.
Chemnitz itself played a subtle yet significant role in shaping the experience. Although unfamiliar to me prior to the Atelier, the city revealed a unique character over the course of the week. Its evolving cultural landscape and openness to new perspectives mirrored the ethos of the programme, reinforcing the importance of place in cultural discourse.
Ultimately, the Chemnitz Atelier was more than a training programme – it was an opportunity to step outside my immediate professional environment and engage with the cultural sector on a global scale. It provided me with new tools, perspectives, and questions that I will carry forward in my practice. As I continue my work within the festival landscape, this experience will remain a key reference point in shaping a more reflective, collaborative, and context-aware approach to cultural production.
by Katriona Grixti
Katriona Grixti took part in the 25th edition of the Atelier for Young Festival Managers from 20 to 26 November 2025 in Chemnitz, Germany, hosted by the Chemnitz European Capital of Culture 2025 (ECoC).