KotorArt Academy: Master classes for musicians, producers, and cultural managers. Among the lecturers is the Director of the European Festivals Association (EFA), violinist Gilles Apap, and other prominent European artists and cultural managers
Programs for youth, informal education, and the acquisition and exchange of knowledge and experiences are once again a significant focus of the International KotorArt Festival this year. In addition to traditional master classes for young musicians, this year's festival offers the first workshops for music and theater professionals. All workshops will take place from July 15 to August 14, and the deadline for applications is May 26.
The KotorArt Academy continues the tradition of holding music master classes started more than two decades ago, from the very beginning of the Festival. Talented young artists from the country, the region, and all over the world will gather in Kotor to further refine their musical and artistic skills under the mentorship of internationally renowned professors and award-winning artists. This year's lecturers are Jokut Mihailović for piano, whose master classes will take place from July 15 to 20, Gilles Apap for violin, who will work in Kotor from July 28 to August 1, and Kemal Gekić for piano, whose master classes will be held from August 10 to 14.
A novelty of this year's Festival edition is the KotorArt Academy program for music and theater professionals aimed at producers and cultural managers. Its aim is to provide participants with a comprehensive overview of various activities in the performing arts domain, with a focus on music and theater, through a six-day program consisting of expert lectures, mentorship sessions, and workshops. The purpose of the program is to offer tailored support to young professionals active in the fields of music and theater, as well as to contribute to the enhancement of their capacities, exchange of knowledge and experiences, and networking.
The KotorArt Academy for music and theater professionals will take place from July 24 to 29, 2024 in Kotor. This year's experts and lecturers of the Academy are: Gabrielle Bernoville, consultant for Creative Europe program policies at the European Commission, Jan Briers, President of the European Festivals Association (EFA), Katherine Haataja, founder and director of Operosa Montenegro Opera Festival, Sophie Vanden Broeck, Deputy Director for International Cooperation at NT Gent Theater and tour producer for productions by Jan Fabre and Milo Rau, Dubravka Vrgoč, dramaturge and intendant of the Croatian National Theater in Rijeka, Jelena Janković-Beguš and Milica Kadić, program managers of the Belgrade Festivals Center (CEBEF) and producers of BEMUS, Anica Tomić, theater director and actress, and Sara Mandić, development and production manager of the International KotorArt Festival.
The Academy program will offer participants an overview of various forms of activity in the music and performing arts through aspects of international collaboration. The focus will be on artistic, as well as production, administrative, financial, and legal issues in both regional and European contexts. Participants will attend expert lectures on different production and co-production models, financing and support mechanisms, sustainability in the music and performing arts, as well as touring strategies and accessing foreign markets. Workshops with selected mentors will enable participants to more precisely conceptualize and develop their own projects and focus on practical work. Part of the program will involve introducing participants to various modalities of regional and international cooperation, as well as opportunities for networking with other professionals in the field.
Additional information about the biographies of lecturers, the open call for participation, and the terms and criteria for workshop participants, both musical and production, can be found on the Festival's website www.kotor.art.
