Twin Festivals: A Cultural Exchange launched

The Association of Independent Festivals has launched a new initiative which partners the UK independent festivals with their counterparts abroad called the AIF Twin Festivals: A Cultural Exchange.

The campaign will involve festivals helping market their twin's event in their own territories, encourage artist exchanges and other collaborative efforts that hopefully will be carried on as the years go on.

Bestival organiser Rob Da Bank whose event is twinned with Melt's twin event, Ferropolis, in Germany, told eFestivals, "It was Rob Challis who came up with this rather great idea of the twinning or festivals. We went out and looked for something we love. We could have gone for Sonar, or Exit, or one of the more obvious ones, but it so happens that Melt's second festival, Ferropolis, runs on the same weekend as Bestival.

"This year they have acts like My Bloody Valentine, Hot Chip, and Fever Ray, so it's a perfect fit really. I think different festivals are factoring different things out of the twinnings. Some organisers just think it's a nice thing to do, some people are sharing information on talent and things like that, booking similar people. Hopefully in the next few years people who go to one festival will start going to the other one.

"Part of the idea is if the festivals happen on the same weekend, then if one of them sells out then you'd tell people 'why not have a change this year and check out this really cool German festival'. It can work on lots of different levels. Initially it was just a nice idea, like the signs outside of towns saying 'Twinned with so, and so...' it's a lovely visual image. I think it has the potential to go down a lot of different routes."

Based on the twin towns concept, festivals are paired with like-minded and similarly structured festivals from countries from around the world. Participating festivals will then promote their twin's festival locally, be encouraged to take part in artist exchanges and talent discussions to help co-ordinate bookings of international artists and stimulate conversations with local music authorities for investment.

As part of the initiative all festivals involved will be obliged to include links on their website to their twin's site, include a 'twinned with' statement on flyers, marketing materials, and once their own event has sold out help market their international twin through their media channels.

In addition to this each festival will 'exchange' a minimum of 10 pairs of tickets with their twin to be given away via competitions and promotions.

Festivals that have already been partnered under the scheme include:

Bestival, Isle Of Wight + Melt, Ferropolis, Germany
Big Session Festival, Leicester + Tonder Festival, Denmark
Eden Sessions, Cornwall + Airwaves, Reykjavík, Iceland
Field Day, London + Øya Festival, Norway
Glade Festival, Winchester + Symbiosis Gathering, California, USA
Nozstock Festival, Herefordshire + Italia Wave Love Festival, Livorno, Italy
Summer Sundae Weekender, Leicester + Bergenfest, Norway
Standon Calling, Hertfordshire + Calvi On The Rocks, Corsica, France

Rob Challice, AIF co-founder and director of Summer Sundae Weekender, whose idea it was said, "Independent festival organisers have often taken inspiration from other events with a similar ethos, creative vision and maverick style. Through this AIF initiative we can formally acknowledge this by "twinning" our events and hope that it leads to many creative partnerships."

This is the second year that The Association of Independent Festivals has looked to build links with non-UK festival goers and follows 2009's successful partnership with VisitBritain.

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