Yourope wraps 3F project, plans follow-up scheme

Yourope has secured EU funding for a follow-up initiative after wrapping up its Future-Fit Festivals (3F) project after three years.

Via the 3F scheme, the European festival association has advocated for the sector while releasing free guides and toolkits such as the European Green Festival Roadmap 2030, the Diversity & Inclusion Toolset, the Festivals for Ukraine Toolkit and the 3F Safety Report. It has also delivered training events and other activities.

Its most important work is highlighted in its summary publication, which has been translated into Spanish, French, Chinese and Arabic to make 3F’s learnings accessible to festival promoters far and wide.

“3F marked a turning point for Yourope,” says the organisation’s general secretary Holger Jan Schmidt. “After more than 20 years of existence and groundbreaking achievements, we applied for European funding in the middle of the pandemic for the first time.

“The Network Support of the Creative Europe Program offered the opportunity to expand on what had been achieved so far, to put it on a more solid foundation and, in addition, to supplement it with new, complementary activities in order to consolidate and strengthen the scope of the association.

“Let’s not kid ourselves: no two festivals are the same, and in many areas, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. We cannot credibly set a standard for future-fitness. What we can do, however, is provide the thousands upon thousands of brave, creative and enthusiastic festival makers with tools and knowledge that will help them to confidently master the process of moving into the future. After three years, I feel that Yourope has come closer to this goal.”

“The confirmation of the EU funding for 3F’s successor project is a significant recognition of the quality and relevance of the achievements made”

Having secured EU funding for its follow-up project 3F 2.0 for another four years, Yourope plans to continue its regular events such as the European Festival Conference, workshops and seminars, the European Festival Awards, the promoters’ survey, and the European Festival Report.

New publications and activities are also in the offing including the Extreme Weather Toolbox, the Fair Ticketing Guide in collaboration with the Face-value European Alliance for Ticketing (FEAT), the Green Festival Navigator Tool (2027) and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Roadmap.

“We speak for and especially with festivals of all kinds – from boutique to major – in all of Europe,” adds Schmidt. “We help outsiders understand our sometimes crazy industry and we help to ensure that the magical moments that we all love so much can continue to be created!

“The confirmation of the EU funding for 3F’s successor project is a significant recognition of the quality and relevance of the achievements made. Therefore, while wrapping up 3F, we have already started 3F 2.0, continuing the great work and developing new tools and guidance on additional focus topics, such as fair ticketing, extreme weather, and resistance to new threats, be they political, economic, or societal.”

Yourope’s next events are the 11th GO Group workshop in Roskilde, Denmark, from 7-8 April, and the sixth European Festival Conference in Évora, Portugal, from 18-21 November.

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