The Festival Academy

What The Festival Academy does

The Festival Academy is a Brussels-based non-profit initiative of the European Festivals Association (EFA) that delivers training and capacity-building programs for festival managers worldwide. Founded on the model of its first Atelier in 2006 and formalized as a standalone initiative by 2013, it runs a portfolio of intensive multi-day ateliers (the flagship Atelier for Young Festival Managers, the Atelier for Arts and Production Managers, the Digital (R)Evolution Atelier, the Atelier for Solidarity, and regional editions such as Elefsina-Beirut, Montreal, Johannesburg, Donostia, Chemnitz, and New York) alongside online training modules, the open-source Toolkit Series covering six thematic areas, Hotspot regional sessions, the Pass It On Fellowship, and a Placements & Exchange program. Programming is co-designed with a rotating roster of senior festival and cross-sector experts and is delivered in partnership with local cultural institutions and host festivals.

The organization's underlying platform is fundamentally relational rather than technological: it is a curated in-person and online training infrastructure supported by website content, video documentation, newsletters, and social media. To date it has trained 1,310 festival managers from 144 countries through 73 training activities led by 450 experts, with an alumni network of 700+ festival managers from over 90 countries acting as an ongoing peer community.

The Festival Academy is funded primarily through institutional grants — notably Open Society Foundations for the 2023-2025 period and Creative Europe for the ACT project (2019-2021) — supplemented by smaller contributions from donors including Erasmus+, Drosos Foundation, AECID, Goethe-Institut, and Arts Council Kora, plus individual donations through its website. With a six-person core team in Brussels, the organization operates as a low-headcount, grant-funded capacity-building body rather than a commercial enterprise, and does not sell a software product or charge tuition at scale.

Name

The Festival Academy

Legal name

The Festival Academy

Website

https://thefestivalacademy.eu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Festival Academy is a Brussels-based non-profit initiative of the European Festivals Association that runs intensive training ateliers, online courses, and open-source toolkits to build the capacity of emerging and mid-career festival managers across more than 140 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Arts and Culture Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Training, Workshops & Certification Events (MPAGAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Train-the-Trainer & Instructor Enablement Services (BPAEANAL), Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)

Keywords

• Festival management training
• Professional development programs
• Arts and culture education
• Capacity building workshops
• Cultural sector training

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Institutional Grants: The Festival Academy receives grant funding from institutional donors including Open Society Foundations (grant for 2023-2025) and Creative Europe (Cooperation Projects 2019-21). These grants support the organization's core training programs, toolkit development, and operational activities.
2. Donations: The organization accepts donations through its website, allowing individual supporters to contribute to its mission of training festival managers globally.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Festival Academy delivers intensive 7-day training programs (Ateliers), online workshops, open-source toolkits, and fellowship opportunities for emerging and mid-career festival managers worldwide. As an initiative of the European Festivals Association, it operates a global peer-to-peer learning network spanning 144 countries, with programs focused on festival programming, production management, digital transformation, sustainability, and contemporary cultural challenges.

Product overview

The Festival Academy is an initiative of the European Festivals Association (EFA) that provides training and professional development for festival managers worldwide. Its portfolio consists primarily of educational programs including the flagship Atelier for Young Festival Managers (7-day intensive training), the Atelier for Arts and Production Managers Elefsina-Beirut, the Digital (R)Evolution Atelier on technology in festivals, and the Atelier for Solidarity. Supporting offerings include the Toolkit Series (open-source resource collections on digital technology, programming, audience development, sustainability, and climate change), Hotspot Sessions (regional knowledge-sharing sessions), Online Training Modules, and the Pass It On Fellowship. The ACT project (2019-2021) coordinated these activities across European and international partners. The organization does not offer a software product but rather facilitates peer-to-peer learning, mentorship, and knowledge exchange among festival professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Atelier for Young Festival Managers: 7-day training programme addressed at young artistic festival managers, the flagship program of The Festival Academy.
• Atelier for Arts and Production Managers
• Digital (R)Evolution
• Toolkit Series
• Pass It On Fellowship
• ACT (Act for Global Change)

Products and services

• Atelier for Young Festival Managers A flagship 7-day intensive training programme addressed at young artistic festival managers or those ambitious to become involved in programming or managing festivals. It fosters global inclusive conversation and critical reflection between festival managers from different artistic disciplines, origins, generations, and social backgrounds.
• Toolkit Series A series of open-source toolkits developed since September 2019 within the ACT project framework, providing festival experts and sector practitioners with information on current trends and inspiring examples. Six topics covered: Digital Technology, Programming and Curating a Festival, Caring for Artists and Technical Crew, Sustainable Business Practices, Audience Development and Retention, and Festivals, Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability.
• Pass It On Fellowship A fellowship program enabling knowledge transfer and capacity building in the festival management field.
• Online Training Programs Virtual training sessions developed in response to COVID-19 to strengthen the alumni community and offer new ideas and discussions. Includes modules on Contemporary Festival Business Models, Festivals and Climate Change, Curating Festivals, and Festivals and Social Cohesion.
• ACT - Act for Global Change A project supported by Creative Europe (Cooperation Projects 2019-21) that developed events, conferences, workshops, media content, and networking initiatives. Engaged 208 emerging festival leaders from 64 countries and reached more than 500,000 people through combined social media and PR strategies.
• Hotspot Sessions Online sessions bringing together expert artists, leaders, and festival directors from specific regions to raise awareness and knowledge about the state of arts and culture sectors. Examples include Hotspot Nigeria focused on the role of arts and culture in ongoing youth protests.
• Placements & Exchange Program facilitating international placements and exchange opportunities for festival professionals.
• Digital (R)Evolution Atelier Training program focused on digitalisation and the use of new technologies in the festivals field. First edition took place in January 2020 in Antwerp, Belgium, second edition online in April 2021.
• Atelier for Arts and Production Managers Elefsina-Beirut Training program for arts and production managers focusing on regional collaboration between MENA, Balkan, and Mediterranean regions, with sessions on decolonisation, climate change, analogue, digital, and hybrid festivals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1310 festival managers trained from 144 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• dFERIA-Performing Arts FairmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partner in organizing Atelier Donostia / San Sebastián 2025, contributing to the local delivery and programming of the 7-day training program.
• Victoria Eugenia TheatermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Host partner for Atelier Donostia / San Sebastián 2025, providing venue and logistical support for the training program.
• Donostia KulturamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Cultural authority of Donostia/San Sebastián, partner in organizing Atelier 2025.
• Goethe-Institut MadridminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Supporting partner for Atelier Donostia / San Sebastián 2025, providing cultural programming support.
• Arts Council KoraminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Supporting partner for Atelier Donostia / San Sebastián 2025.
• Network of Spanish Cultural Centers Abroad (Red CCE)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Supporting partner through Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) for Atelier Donostia 2025.
• Festival TransAmériquesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partner for Atelier Montreal 2022, providing local hosting and programming collaboration.
• Zoukak Theatre CompanymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partner in Elefsina-Beirut Atelier program, contributing Lebanese cultural perspective and expertise.
• ArtlinkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partner organization in the Elefsina-Beirut Atelier, connecting art and community in the MENA region.
• deSingel International Arts CampusmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Host and co-organizer of Digital (R)Evolution Ateliers in Antwerp, Belgium, partnering on digital transformation training programs.
• ITI GermanymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partner in the ACT project and co-organizer of Atelier Düsseldorf/Theater der Welt 2021.
• ICORNmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partner organization in the ACT project focused on international artist residency and protection programs.
• 2023 ELEVSISmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019European Capital of Culture initiative partnering on Elefsina-Beirut Atelier program.
• NEXT FestivalmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partner in the ACT project and host of Atelier NEXT 2019 in the Eurometropolis Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai.
• Market Theatre FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partner in organizing Atelier Johannesburg 2018, hosting the first African edition of the Atelier for Young Festival Managers.
• Wits School of Arts, University of the WitwatersrandmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Academic partner for Atelier Johannesburg 2018, contributing expertise and research perspective to the training program.
• Kultur i VästmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Cultural administration of region Västra Götaland, host and co-organizer of Atelier Gothenburg 2018.
• Sweden FestivalsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partner organization for Atelier Gothenburg 2018, representing the Swedish festival sector.
• European Festivals Association (EFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Festival Academy is an initiative of the European Festivals Association, which serves as the organization's founding parent and primary institutional supporter.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC36xNk0GKHwG0eSEZljwUUA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-festival-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Festival Academy