Introducing- What is EPF
In 1992 a group of young people from Belgium invited delegations from the European Community countries to their home city Libramount.
Building Europe by bringing her citizens to meet person to persons rather than rely only on her politicians was their main idea.
Some thousand people from all over Europe met in Libramont to spend a week together, competing in different sport events, offering demonstrations of their folklore and culture, showing their tourist treasures, giving examples of their culinary customs, building friendships through personal contacts, etc.
That week proved to be such a success that the representatives from Great Britain spontaneously invited the participants to meet again the following year in Dunoon, Scotland
One year later, on September 30, 1994 the following 12 countries signed a charta called the European Peoples Festival:
In the meantime 6 or more countries have joined the movement:
The European Peoples Festival’s principal aim is to further develop and intensify personal contacts and friendships among the citizens of the European Community, regardless of political or religious opinions.
Year after year since 1992, with the expectations of 1995, the European festival has been organized in a different country and its ever growing success shows that its goal can be reached
|
Country |
City |
Association |
|
Belgium |
Libramont |
Libramount- Europe ASBL |
|
Denmark |
Frederikssund |
European Festival Frederikssund |
|
Finland |
Raseborg |
Rasborg EPF |
|
France |
Thouarsais/St Sulpice |
Lets go France |
|
Germany |
Bad Segeberg |
EPF Bad Segeberg |
|
Hungary |
Szentendre |
Association of international relations for Szentendre |
|
Ireland |
Athlone |
The Festival of European Committee |
|
Italy |
San Vito Chietino |
The cultural association of Vito Olivieri |
|
Latvia |
Rezekne |
“World at our home” Language and Cultural Centre |
|
Lithuania |
Gargzdai |
Lithuanian Women farmers Association |
|
Luxembourg |
Schifflange |
Eurofestival Scheffleng ASBL |
|
Poland |
Zlocienice/Wierzchowo |
Cultural Festival of Zlocieniec/ Turistic-Centre Wierzchowo
|
|
Portugal |
Cantanhede |
Sociendade Columbofila Cantanhedense |
|
Spain |
Aranda De Duero |
Asociacion Cultural Grope 93 |
|
United Kingdom |
Dunoon |
Cowal Europe Association |
There are different ways how a city can become a member of the Europeans Peoples Festivals, but the most common one is that a city is already a friendship city with a current EPF city.
The new city is invited to join the festival as a guest-delegation, where they can experience the festival themselves. The new delegation will be informed about the EPF constitution and the economy behind EPF. If the new delegation wishes to join the EPF, then they have to have a dialog with their own city council and get an official document from the city council that guarantees that the new city will host a festival within a certain time frame.
| 2019 | Cantanhede | Portugal |
| 2018 | Radviliskis | Lithuania |
| 2017 | Pays de La Châtaigneraie | France |
| 2016 | Rezekne | Latvia |
| 2015 | Zlocieniec/Wierzchowo | Poland |
| 2014 | Bad Segeberg | Germany |
| 2013 | Schifflange | Luxembourg |
| 2012 | Frederikssund | Denmark |
| 2011 | Szentendre | Hungry |
| 2010 | Athlone | Ireland |
| 2009 | Cantanhede | Portugal |
| 2008 | Rezekne | Latvia |
| 2007 | Rasepoori (Rasebord) | Finland |
| 2006 | San Vito | Italy |
| 2005 | Arande de Duero | Spain |
| 2004 | Libramont | Belgium |
| 2003 | Schifflange | Luxembourg |
| 2002 | Loutraki | Greece |
| 2001 | Bad Segeberg | Germany |
| 2000 | Dunoon | Scotland |
| 1999 | Cantanhede | Portugal |
| 1998 | Thouarsais/St Sulpice | France |
| 1997 | San Vito | Italy |
| 1996 | Athlone | Ireland |
| 1995 | No festival | |
| 1994 | Frederikssund | Denmark |
| 1993 | Dunoon | Scotland |
| 1992 | Libramont | Belgium |
| 2020 | Karis/Raasepori | Finland |
| 2021 | Aranda de Duero | Spain |
| 2022 | Schifflange | Luxembourg |
| 2023 | Zlocieniec/Wierzchowo | Poland |
Before the Festival
Signing up for Hosting
If delegations wish to host a festival they announce at the yearly summer meeting and confirm it with an official letter from their local city council, which tells that the city will provide the host delegations with the necessary financial support.
A delegation normally signs up 3-5 years ahead of hosting the actual festival.
Pre-meeting
The pre-meeting is held at a weekend during the fall (Friday to Sunday) the year before hosting the festival. During the pre-meeting there is the annual meeting, this is run by the EPF chairman and secretary. Beside this, then the idea behind the weekend is to give the coming host delegation a chance to show the other delegations leaders the city and the facilities that is expected to be used at the coming festival.
The host delegation should provide accommodation and food for 2 members from each other delegation and if delegation wishes to participate with more than two members, then the delegation would have to pay for the expenses themselves.
The delegation should pay their own travel expenses, but the host delegation should offer transportation from the nearest airport to the host city.
Guidelines:
The host delegation should announce the dates for the pre-meeting at the the EPF-meeting during the current year’s festival.
The host delegation should announce the date for the pre-meeting at the EPF-meeting during the current year’s festival
The host delegation should have all the information needed for the coming festival all ready, so it is easier for the delegations, to “sell” the festival to their own member.
Information’s Flow
Hosting the festival is a big task, but having the information ready in time, and delivering clear communication during the pre-meeting or later by email, leaves all the other members with an obligation to reply within the set deadlines.
All the information during the time from the pre-meeting to the festival will be communicated by email. All delegations should make sure that they have given the correct email addresses and that the given email is checked on a regular basis.
Guidelines
EPF have lots of interested parties, it’s a good service to communicate with these groups also, this can be done on a webpage, facebook etc. This can involve the local community and also assign bigger delegations.
The host country of any festival shall provide the accommodation and food for all visiting participants to their maximum of 50 persons per country but which may be increased by the host country. The host country shall declare during the annual meeting one year before, how many participants they intend to invite “- The constitution Article 6,f
The host country bears all the local costs and provides the necessary finance for the successful running of their festival. Each member has to pay €40 for each participant to the host country for the respective festival before or on arriving” – The Constitution 6 b.
Accommodation
The host delegation will provide the accommodation; this can be at local schools or tent camps. If the accommodation is situated outside, please consider the temperature during the night and the risk of rain. The host delegation is expected to provide mattresses for all participants and the participants will bring their sheets and sleeping bags.
Guidelines:
If the geography in the host city allows it, then it is a good idea to keep the accommodation place close together. Keeping the participants close to each other insures a strong fellowship between the participants. Some of the participants can be interested in staying at hotels. It can therefore be a good idea, if the host delegation can provide a list of hotels in the nearby area or maybe also negotiate a special price for participants, who decides to stay at the hotels at their own expense (participants who choose to stay at hotel, shall still pay €40 to the host delegation to cover the participant fee).
Former festivals have had issues with lack of toilets and showers for the number of participants, so the host delegation should make sure to have enough toilets and shower facilities to cope with the number of users. To ensure the safety at the schools and to prevent theft, the host delegation should make sure to have security staff at the schools, making sure that only festival participant’s entre the school and to prevent any kind of trouble.
Food
The delegation is expected to serve the participants three meals a day, from the beginning to end of the festival.
On the day off (Wednesday) normally no lunch is served
On the day of arrival only dinner is served and on the day of departure only breakfast is served.
Guideline:
Many participants decide to eat at the same time frame, so think about how you can get the dinner served fast and easy.
At the festival in Luxemburg 2013 the food was rated at max score, this is due to the fast and high service level and well-made dishes of European standard, food like chicken, pasta, sandwiches and so on.
Festival Area
For the nightly activities, all delegations need a stand to present local specialities for sale or experience for the festival visitors. It’s a good service to offer all nations possibilities for renting refrigerators and TV/DVD sets. Some nations bring high value items for their stands so think about the security night.
For the culture shows a stage is needed. Some shows might require space and technical equipment; the host country should be able to provide the most basic equipment and some technical assistance during the shows and pre-test.
Guidelines
In Denmark (2012) and Luxembourg (2013) the festivals had a massive success with an integrated Euro-Village, which included the stands, stage and bars in one area. Adding tables and chairs makes a nice European atmosphere with many spectators for the visitors in stands.
During the Festival week.
The program for the festival should include:
*Parade and opening ceremony: the parade is too due on Sundays, it is a nice way to show the city, that the festival is in town. The parade normally ends with an opening ceremony with speeches from the local mayor, the EPF chairman and the leader of the host delegation.
Guidelines
Think about walking distance and the time of the opening ceremony.
At the annual-meeting in Germany 2013 it was decided that English was the sole festival- language, but to support the local community the local language can also be used.
* Information-meeting: it is held at the beginning of the festival and is to inform all delegations leader about issues/tasks for the festival.
*Church ceremony: an ecumenical service should be held to open the festival. The ceremony is normally held on Sunday morning, at the local church. It is customary that the delegations bring a bible in their local languages as a gift for the local priest.
*Day off: Wednesday is regarded as the day off and it gives the visitors an opportunity to experience the city and nation that they are visiting. It is customary to have offers ready for the visitors, who normally like to see the tourist attractions in the nearby area.
Some delegations might be interested in bringing a local guide for their day off.
Two members of each delegation are expected to turn up for this meeting; the agenda is the hands of the EPF secretary.
*Activities during the evening and night: The festival has participants for 18 to 80 years of age and therefore it is a good idea for the host country to arrange different activities for the different age groups during the evening and night. This could for example be concerts, discos etc..
Guidelines
(Suggestion from Belgium) we also want to suggest to the host organizing countries to keep the idea of having fun games in the evening. Like “flip the cup” in Denmark that will re-group peoples. It can also be with mixed teams.
*Closing ceremony: the closing ceremony is held on the Friday to tank each other for a good time together and celebrate the winner of the festival.
Normally the gift exchange between nations is held here. All visiting delegations is expected to bring a gift to exchange with the hosting delegation, as a respect for the big work the host delegation have done.
Guidelines
At the annual-meeting in Germany 2013 it was decided that English was the sole festival- language, but to support the local community the local language can also be used.
At the festival in Denmark the gift exchange was held at the summer-meeting, as it takes quite a long time to do the routine and it does not involve the spectators at the closing ceremony.
4. Competitions
The festival is build up as a tournament and some participants put a big prestige in representing nation.
4.1 Festival Winners
The festival winner in found from counting the points form all point given competitors during the week. The host delegation should inform at the pre-meeting how the winner is counted and which competitors they have decided to include in the tournament and which competitions is held but not as part of the festival tournament.
4.2 Culture
The idea behind the festival is that the different counties should be able to experience each Europe country’s different culture.
Therefore during the festival there is a variety of events, where each delegation can show off culture aspects from their country
This for example could be:
-culture show, street theatre, cooking demonstration and the presentation in the stand.
Beside this, there can also be a variety of different competitions like: Painting, photography, treasure hunt and funny games. If these completions are a part of the festival tournament, then the points should be given by scorecards from all delegations.
Guidelines
The funny games could be held on Friday, where there is no other competition taking place.
(Suggestions from Belgium) the proposal is to organise the funny games at the beginning of the week (Monday) and to do it with mixed teams. By doing that, people from different delegations will meet easily just as the festival starts and hopefully keep sharing the rest of the week
4.3 Sports
The sports competitions are held during the day and are the day and are the day activity for most participants, therefore is should go on for almost the whole day. As it is competition between nations, the host should set up quite high standards on referees and surrounding
Guidelines
Team sports involve the highest number of participants, and all previous festivals have shows that there is a big difference in nations in the level of difference sports, and it is easier to accept a big loose as a team than as a single person.
Sport is more fun when you are competing against teams of the same level, so include b finals for the losers in the qualifying rounds. Even that the team is not that good as the best, the participants have put the day of for sports and like to have a chance to compete against teams at a similar level.
4.4 Fair Play Winner
The winner of the fair play prize is decided by last year’s winner of the prize
The winner will be announced at the closing ceremony the fair play prize is given to the delegation that shows the most fair playing during the entire festival, this is regarding fair play during the sports competition, support for their own teams, creating a good atmosphere during the parade and the rest of the festival and being seen during the entire festival. To sum up, it is not given for only fair play sports field, but it is given to the delegation that delivers the best atmosphere during the whole festival both day and night.
Football, basketball, pétanque and 2 other sports chosen by the host country. Mixed teams mandatory !
Photography, cooking, painting, street theater, performance... Talents are highlighted !
Every days, discover the local specialities of each country and and their tourist attractions !