UK festivals team up with Europe to imagine future possibilities

Independent festivals across the UK and Europe will work together to explore their future under a new partnership.

The ‘Imagining Futures’ project aims to "support artistic development and encourage porous, international dialogue at a time when barriers seem to be increasing".

The network, created by Goethe-Institut London, is funded by the European Union’s National Institutes for Culture. Representatives from nine EU countries have signed up thus far.

Gateshead International Festival of Theatre, Transform Festival in Leeds and Manchester’s Submerge Festival have been named as English partners in the network.

Creative Director of Transform Amy Letman commented: “It’s essential that festival leaders across Europe pull together and support each other to understand how the very nature of festival is shifting and changing.”