FEST FORUM Festival Forum. Opening a dialogue on the future of festivals in Poland

11 March 2025

On April 7, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., the FEST FORUM Festival Forum will take place at Potocki Palace in Krakow — an event inaugurating a series of nationwide meetings of the festival sector, organized by the Krakow Festival Office in cooperation with partners from across Poland. The first meeting, which will take place in the spring, aims to open the discussion and outline perspectives for the necessary actions. The co-organizers of the forum are the National Centre for Culture and the Centre for the Development of Creative Industries. The event partner is the European Festivals Association (EFA), and the opening lecture will be delivered by EFA President Jan Briers.

FEST FORUM was created out of the need to establish a space for festival organizers that enables the exchange of experiences, reflection on challenges, and the joint development of tools that will allow festivals not only to survive, but also to develop in a sustainable way. The organizers believe that, thanks to the recommendations developed during the forum, Polish festivals will become an even stronger, more socially significant, and more conscious element of the cultural landscape.

The April meeting and future editions will focus on key issues concerning the future of festivals in Poland, such as: community-building, sustainable development, trends, legal frameworks and financing, and cultural policy. The theme of community and the ways in which festivals build it will play a particularly important role in this year’s discussion. The aim of the forum is not only to initiate conversations within the sector, but also to emphasize its readiness for dialogue with communities as well as local, regional, and national authorities. The organizers hope that the event will become a platform for real influence on the future of festivals in Poland.

The April edition of FEST FORUM is intended to open the conversation and prepare tools for the next edition of the event. Participants will have the opportunity to build a cooperation network, take part in workshops, and define key issues for in-depth analysis during future meetings. The program includes introductory lectures, an inspiration panel, a moderated long table discussion involving all participants of the meeting, and industry workshops devoted to selected legal and financial issues and the implementation of cultural policy. During the event, a research stand of the Observatory of Trends for Culture will be available.

After the formal part of the meeting, an afterparty will take place at HEVRE club, enhanced by 360-degree projections of festival promotional videos and photos. The organizers encourage participants to send promotional materials from their festivals, which will be included in the screenings. Those interested in participating or obtaining additional information are asked to contact the Krakow Festival Office by e-mail at: festforum@kbf.krakow.pl.

Co-organization: Institute of Anthropology and Ethnology at Adam Mickiewicz University, Museum of Polish Song in Opole, SLOT Art Festival, Krakow Festival Office, National Centre for Culture, Centre for the Development of Creative Industries, European Festivals Association
FEST FORUM Program Council: Katarzyna Jakubowiak, Waldemar Kuligowski, Carolina Pietyra, Jarosław Wasik, Aleksandra Zając
Host city: Krakow