Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe kicks off EFFE 2019-2020

Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe is moving forward towards 2019-2020. Initiated by the European Festivals Association (EFA) together with the European Commission and the European Parliament, EFFE will be calling for applications for the EFFE Label and Awards, Europe’s recognition of remarkable arts festivals committed to the arts, their communities and Europe.

The EFFE International Jury gathered at BOZAR Centre of Fine Arts in Brussels on 7-8 September, together with the EFFE Hubs to define the final criteria and the competitive process of this European scheme for festivals preparing for Creative Europe 2021-2027. Launch of EFFE 2019-2020 will be in November 2018.

1129 festivals received the European recognition for arts festivals in the pilot phase of EFFE. A new online search tool for audiences worldwide is added to the programme: The Festival Finder will go online in the beginning of November 2018. All arts festivals from 43 countries are invited to add their festival to this one and only European arts festivals search engine reaching out to international audiences, artists, travellers, academics, journalists, bloggers, policy makers,...

EFA President Jan Briers is excited about the finalisation of the Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe scheme and is looking forward to further develop EFFE as a useful instrument for festivals and audiences.

About the European Festivals Association (EFA):
The European Festivals Association (EFA) is the umbrella organisation for arts festivals across Europe and beyond representing about 80 member festivals, 15 national festival associations and cultural networks reaching 2000 festivals from 40 countries.
The European Festivals Association’s mission is to unite and represent its member festivals across Europe and the world by contributing to the artistic life of Europe. It acts as the most important platform for arts festivals. EFA members take the joint responsibility that the arts are prioritised offering their platforms to bring the arts to the audiences. Access and participation in culture and the arts is a Human Right. By supporting and enabling artistic creation, production and participation, EFA and its members ensure that this right is made a reality for all citizens. Interaction between festivals, with public authorities and the other stakeholders in the arts are central to EFA's work.