Programme - Arts Festival Summit 2025

Focus Edinburgh: The Festival City  

Taking mainly place at The Hub, the first day of the Summit will focus on Edinburgh and its festivals and explore how it gained its world-renowned reputation as The Festival City. We will hear from a range of different voices and perspectives to gain a greater understanding of the interaction between the festivals and the city and to explore the different aspects that contribute to Edinburgh’s success story as well as looking at the challenges it faces. We will broaden the focus beyond Edinburgh to consider the role that festivals play in society and how they remain relevant and vitally important in an ever-changing world. 

In the afternoon, delegates will have the opportunity to explore the city and its cultural venues and meet with the different festivals and their partners.

8.30-9.15 | Registration at The HUB 

The registration desk will open as of 8.30 at The Hub. Enjoy a welcome coffee and networking time/warm up. 

8.30-9.15 | Breakfast Talks - Festivals and Emerging artists

What we do for artists and what artists think we do for them? A conversation between producers and the EFFEA artists
Moderator: Davinia Galea (ARC Research and Consultancy/ EFFEA Platform Member)
The early morning Breakfast Talks will allow you to dig into very practical and concrete questions around festival making and points you would like to discuss discretely with a small group of colleagues around a cup of coffee.
 

9.15-11.00 | The Festival City: the story of Edinburgh and its festivals

• Keynote talk: Nicola Benedetti, Festival Director, Edinburgh International Festival with Roy Luxford, Creative Director, Edinburgh International Festival.
• Panel discussion with Lori Anderson, Director of Festivals Edinburgh, and David Waddell, Senior Manager Cultural Partnerships of the City of Edinburgh Council, looking at the impact of Edinburgh’s festivals on the city and the way the city supports its festivals. 

11.00-11.15 | Signing ceremony of the EFFE Seal for Festival Cities and Regions 

11.15-11.45 | Coffee break 

11.45-12.45 | International Festivals: Global Perspectives in Local Contexts

Panel discussion chaired by Emma Hay, Senior Programme Manager at Edinburgh International Festival, exploring the role of Festivals in bringing global perspectives to local contexts, as spaces of connection, community and discovery.
Panel members include: Belinda McElhinney, Chief Executive, Edinburgh International Children’s Festival; Cecilia Kuska, producer and co-curator of Próximamente Festival, Brussels; and Freddie Opoku-Addaie, Artistic Director & Co-Chief Executive of Dance Umbrella, London.

12.45-13.00 | Group picture

13.00-14.30 | Lunch at The Hub

13.30-14.15 | Meet and Greet – Pitching Time at The Hub

During lunch, we invite you to meet and listen to presentations of a number of projects and ideas from festival organisers on a variety of subjects, and to discuss possible collaboration and co-production opportunities with them.

14.30-14.45 | Introduction to the Walk and Talk at The Hub

14.45-17.30 | Walk and Talk in small groups

Delegates will be split into smaller groups and escorted on a series of ‘walks’ to designated locations, for ‘talks’ with organisers from some of the various Edinburgh Festivals.

18.00-20.30 | Individual dinner
 

20.30 | Golden Quiz night hosted by Tamar Brüggemann and Peter Florence at Malones Edinburgh

Focus on the Future of Festivals  

The second day of works will centre around the future of festivals and their place in society: things exist by grace of their relations. The day will delve into the role of arts in societal topics of sustainability, inclusion, well-being and freedom of speech, discussed from the point of best practices, failures, perspectives and innovative proposals. 

8.30-9.15 | Welcome coffee, networking time/warm up at The Hub  

8.30-9.15 | Breakfast Talks - Festivals Sold Out

Which strategies can festivals implement to be completely sold out? A conversation between festival makers, with Nora Mahammed (TheatreFestival).
The early morning Breakfast Talks will allow you to dig into very practical and concrete questions around festival making and points you would like to discuss discretely with a small group of colleagues around a cup of coffee.  

9.30-10.15 | Arts Festivals Summit Plenary - The Arts through the eyes of the others: Festivals and their place in society at The Hub  

Introduction to the day  
Keynote by Elena Polivtseva, independent researcher and a co-founder of Culture Policy Room: Things exist by grace of their relations: What are the arts through the eyes of the others? Which role? What purpose? Listen to Elena Polivtseva’s take on the state of culture 2025 (referring to the State of Culture Report by Elena Polivtseva, commissioned by Culture Action Europe).
Introduction to the 8 parallel workshops

10.30-12.30 | The Summit Workshops - in parallel (check the practical guide for the workshop locations' detailed address)

1. Festivals Care! Arts and Health: This workshop will reflect on the contribution of the arts to health and the impact the arts have on societal well-being. Facilitated by Rarița Zbranca, Cultural Centre Cluj and expert in the field of arts and health, with the contribution of Katey Warran, Researcher at the University of Edinburgh, in the framework of the Creative Europe supported project CARE – Culture for Mental Health. 
Location: Quaker Meeting House

2. Workshop on Festivals and environmental sustainability: The workshop will focus on Green Travel & Transport to share practical ideas and inspiring experiences of how to (and how not to!) travel lightly on your festival journey. Mega, maxi or mini, greenfield, townscape or city, share these best practices, and inspire us with your own ideas along the way. The second part will take you out for a walkshop. We'll talk, we'll walk, we'll feel better together. Facilitated by Peter Florence and Tamar Brüggemann, chief elves of the European Festivals Forest.
Location: The Hub [Café space] and outside

3. Workshop on Festivals and artistic freedom: This workshop will look at the important topic of artistic freedom of speech, polarisation, and (self-)censorship. Facilitated by Kirsten Xanthippe, Researcher on Grievance Politics and Democratic Governance at the University of Southampton. This workshop is co-hosted together with Pearle*. 
Location: Festival Theatre

4. Workshop on Festivals and their money: Budgeting in times of cuts and crisis. Why festivals are business. Facilitated by Natália Oszkó-Jakab, Director of Valley of Arts, and Michelle McLeod, Marketing, sponsorship and events Consultant.
Location: Festival Theatre

12.30-14.15 | Lunch at The Hub

13.30-14.15 | Meet and Greet – Pitching Time at The Hub

During lunch, we invite you to meet and listen to presentations of a number of projects and ideas from festival organisers on a variety of subjects, and to discuss possible collaboration and co-production opportunities with them.

14.30-16.15 | The Summit Workshops - in parallel (check the practical guide for the workshop locations' detailed address)

5. The Music Focus: Music festivals' future: What challenges, what innovative models, questions and proposals in the field of programming, audience involvement, partnership development, structures and business models in music festivals today. Exchange of experience and ideas. Facilitated by Christian Kuhnt, Intendant of Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, and Mirna Gott, International communication and projects at Music Biennale Zagreb.
Location: The Scotch Whisky Experience

6. Workshop on Festivals and AI: Explore the challenges and opportunities that AI (Artificial Intelligence) platforms are bringing to festival programming, planning, and experience. Facilitated by Matjaz Vidmar, Researcher, lecturer and strategist at the University of Edinburgh, and Emma Dorfman, Dramaturg and researcher.
Location: Edinburgh Futures Institute

7. Workshop Festivals and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Belonging (DEIAB): We will present and discuss how festivals are dealing with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Belonging (DEIAB) and see which possible actions festivals can put in place in this field. Facilitated by Ceyda Berk-Söderblom, Arts manager, curator and festival programmer specialising in social inclusion, diversity and inclusion management.
Location: Quaker Meeting House

9. Workshop on resilience and solidarity in times of crisis: How do festivals respond to the realities of crises worldwide? This hybrid conversation will look at actionable ideas for how festivals can support each other and will include voices from Jordan and Mexico with Ireri Mugica and Hadi Abunahleh. This workshop is co-hosted together with The Festival Academy and facilitated by Inge Ceustermans, General Director, and Thobile Maphanga, Board Member. Maximum 15 participants. 
Location: The Hub [Glass Room]

13.00-16.15

8. Workshop EFFE Seal for Festival Cities and Regions at the City Chambers (including lunch): The workshop will explore how festivals contribute to local cultural policies, the values policymakers assign to them, and how these expectations are implemented in practice. Facilitated by strategy group members of A Soul for Europe: Nicolas Bertrand, Manager and independent consultant, and Nele Hertling, Director of the Performing Arts section of the Academy of Arts Berlin, as well as Elena Polivtseva independent researcher and a co-founder of Culture Policy Room and Leonie Facius, Research Master student. The lunch will be offered to participants by the City of Edinburgh Council.

16.30-17.00 | Arts Festivals Summit Plenary - The EFFEA Stage: emerging artists at the core of festival making at The Hub 

The European Festivals Fund for Emerging Artists - EFFEA will unfold opportunities for transnational co-operation around emerging artists. Speakers include EFFEA Artists and Festivals who will present themselves and their work among which Sarah Richardson, Tom Bailey, Jorge Losana, and Chris O’Reilly. The session will be wrapped up by Haris Pašović, Chair of the EFFEA Jury.

17.00-18.00 | Arts Festivals Summit Plenary - Becoming Good Ancestors: Culture and the Art of Long-Term Thinking

The Summit will conclude by turning the eyes to the future. His book "The Good Ancestor" is the reference for the keynote reflections of Roman Krznaric, social philosopher and writer, introduced by and in conversation with Peter Florence.

18.15 | Group picture on the way to the reception

18.30 | Drinks reception in the International Galleries at the Scottish National Gallery

19.30 | Dinner in the Scottish Café at the Scottish National Gallery

Taking place at The Hub, the third day will put EFA’s work offer as a network of festivals and festivals makers central throwing light on the various invitations EFA is formulating towards the festivals’ community. 

8.30-9.15 | Breakfast Talks - How can we keep our organisations small and sustainable? at The Hub

How can we keep our organisations small and sustainable? A conversation between festival makers, with Thobile Maphanga (JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience).
The early morning Breakfast Talks will allow you to dig into very practical and concrete questions around festival making and points you would like to discuss discretely with a small group of colleagues around a cup of coffee.

9.30-10.30 | EFA Members General Assembly (for EFA Members only) at The Hub 

The EFA Members General Assembly is to discuss all legal and financial affairs of the association and includes the Spring Catch Up inviting new members. 

10.30-13.00 | EFA talks and listens (open to all delegates) at The Hub

EFA Members invite all delegates for a series of conversations around a work beyond the Summit that offers a variety of cross-border collaboration platforms and conversation frameworks strengthening the role of the single festival collectively.

With the contribution of David Baile, Chief Executive Officer of the International Society for the Performing Arts, and others TBC.

End of the Arts Festivals Summit and departures 

Wednesday 30 April 

• 15.00 | Walking tour with James McVeigh, Festivals Edinburgh – given that most of the EFA Summit will have been spent in Edinburgh’s Old Town, this walking tour will introduce you to the highlights of the New Town (you can leave the group earlier if you need to catch your flight or train).
   
• From late evening as sun goes down | Beltane Fire Festival – an immersive celebratory ritual/performance, set outdoors and with no physical curtains or barriers which revels in the birth of the Summer and the fertility of the land, linked to the ancient Celtic traditions of the lunar calendar. BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE
   
• 19.30 | Moulin Rouge: The Musical - Enter a world of splendour and romance, of eye-popping excess, of glitz, grandeur, and glory! Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film comes to life onstage in the Edinburgh Playhouse, remixed in a new musical mash-up extravaganza. BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE
   
• Late nights | The Jazz Bar - Established in 2005, The Jazz Bar showcases world-class multi-genre live music in a cool and atmospheric setting. Harnessing Edinburgh’s kaleidoscopic creative talents into a massive offering of year-round live gigs, there is something for everyone in this multiple award-winning basement venue. BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE

Thursday 1 May  

• 19.30 | Scottish Chamber Orchestra – Leader Lorenza Borrani and Principal Viola Max Mandel take to the spotlight in what many consider Mozart’s finest creation: the Sinfonia Concertante, K364, at the Queen’s Hall. BOOK YOUR TCKETS ONLINE. tickets are likely to sell out, so book your tickets fast to claim your spot. You find the reduction code (half price) in your registration for the Arts Festivals Summit.
   
• 19.30 | Scottish Ballet: The Crucible - Scottish Ballet is set to bewitch us once again with the return of their award-winning production of The Crucible, after thrilling audiences in London and the USA. BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE
   
• 19.30 | Loud Poets - For over ten years, Loud Poets has been showcasing the best spoken word poetry from Scotland and beyond. Expect fist-thumping, heart-wrenching, side-tickling poetry performances with live musical accompaniment. BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE
   
• 19.30 | Moulin Rouge: The Musical - Enter a world of splendour and romance, of eye-popping excess, of glitz, grandeur, and glory! Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film comes to life onstage in the Edinburgh Playhouse, remixed in a new musical mash-up extravaganza. BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE
   
• Late nights | The Jazz Bar - Established in 2005, The Jazz Bar showcases world-class multi-genre live music in a cool and atmospheric setting. Harnessing Edinburgh’s kaleidoscopic creative talents into a massive offering of year-round live gigs, there is something for everyone in this multiple award-winning basement venue. BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE

Friday 2 May

• 19.30 | Scottish Ballet: The Crucible - Scottish Ballet is set to bewitch us once again with the return of their award-winning production of The Crucible, after thrilling audiences in London and the USA. Enhance your experience of The Crucible with a pre-show talk at 6.30pm. BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE
   
• 19.30 | Royal Scottish National Orchestra: John Williams  - Hollywood maestro Richard Kaufman takes the RSNO to the movies with a blockbuster tribute to the supreme film composer of our time. BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE
   
• 19.30 | Moulin Rouge: The Musical - Enter a world of splendour and romance, of eye-popping excess, of glitz, grandeur, and glory! Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film comes to life onstage in the Edinburgh Playhouse, remixed in a new musical mash-up extravaganza. BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE
   
• Late nights | The Jazz Bar  - Established in 2005, The Jazz Bar showcases world-class multi-genre live music in a cool and atmospheric setting. Harnessing Edinburgh’s kaleidoscopic creative talents into a massive offering of year-round live gigs, there is something for everyone in this multiple award-winning basement venue. BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE

You also have the option to travel to MANCHESTER for the following events with Factory International

be aware that the train - BOOK TRAIN ONLINE - will take 3,5 to 4 hours

• 30 April - 18.00 | Guided tour of the Aviva Studios - free access
• 30 April - 19.30 | Hamlet Hail to the Thief. Tickets (30€) can be booked during your registration for the Summit
   
• 1 May - 18.00 | Guided tour of the Aviva Studios - free access
• 1 May - 19.30 | Hamlet Hail to the Thief. Tickets (30€) can be booked during your registration for the Summit

• Edinburgh Castle - Edinburgh Castle is one of the most exciting historic sites in Western Europe. Set in the heart of Scotland's dynamic capital city, it is sure to capture your imagination.
   
• National Museum - With thousands of amazing objects across multiple galleries, the Museum offers you a world of discovery all under one roof.
   
• National Gallery - Immerse yourself in this breath-taking art collection. Experience paintings by internationally renowned artists such as Vermeer, Titian, Rembrandt, Velázquez and the Impressionists. Explore the newly opened Scottish galleries where you can encounter the very best of Scottish art from 1800 to 1945.
   
• National Portrait Gallery - A neo-Gothic palace dedicated to exploring various aspects of the Scottish story, this gallery is a hidden gem right at the heart of Edinburgh. The art tells you stories of the land and its people, through the medium of imagery.

• Arthurs Seat - experience a proper hill walk in the heart of the city. Arthur's Seat's rocky summit – formed from the remains of a volcano - towers over Edinburgh, with fabulous views in all directions, and the extensive parkland surrounding it is an oasis of calm as a retreat from the busy city.
   
• The Real Mary Kings Close - Shrouded in myths and mysteries, The Close and its underground warren of streets, homes and passageways offer a truly unique 5-star visitor experience
   
• Palace of Holyroodhouse - the official residence of King Charles when he is in Scotland. It's steeped in history and a must for anyone who wants to discover more about Scotland's past.
   
• Scotch Whisky Experience - award-winning, five star visitor attraction at the top of Edinburgh's Royal Mile, where they've been inspiring visitors to Edinburgh about the joys of Scotch whisky for over 35 years.