EJN Staff Exchange Programme

Sending EJN member: Punkt (Norway)
Hosting EJN member: Monheim Triennale (Germany)
Dates of the exchange: 29 June – 7 July 2025

During my staff exchange, I assisted the technical team at Monheim Triennale. The exchange provided me with valuable experience and learning in the areas of technical, practical, and general festival production.

Before the festival started, I helped with loading and unloading equipment to and from the festival boat, as well as installing stage platforms, carpets, molton, and pipe-and-drape systems. I assisted with setting up sound systems across various stages and venues, as well as with some stage lighting installations. During this phase, I learned about cable management, light filters, safety measures when handling heavy loads on ramps, and how to work safely under hot conditions.

During the festival, I assisted with stage changeovers on the festival boat, quickly clearing the stage and preparing it for the next concert, sometimes helping artists move their instruments on and off the boat. I learned about microphone placement for unconventional instruments, temporary on-site equipment fixes, and practical positioning of equipment on and around the stage. I also experienced working closely and effectively alongside other parts of the festival team. I became familiar with different types of equipment and their uses, as well as methods for organising, installing, and dismantling them. In addition, I learned how marking, colour-coding, and labelling the stage floor can improve the overview of upcoming stage setups.

I also had the opportunity to discuss festival work and production in general with several staff members and to observe how team structures and hierarchies function in practice. I learned about different roles and their responsibilities, and how productions larger than those I had previously worked on can be planned and executed. I discovered that Monheim Triennale and Punkt share several similarities, and I met many artists, festival workers, and organisers with whom future connections could be developed.

The staff at Monheim Triennale were incredibly welcoming, accommodating, and generous, truly making this experience an inspiring one.