1. Duration and development of the event: the call for proposals highlights the intention to transform the Festival from a temporary event into a ‘permanent cultural infrastructure’ operating all year round, whilst also allowing applicants the opportunity to propose a different frequency or a ‘new format’.
We would like to ask whether, when drawing up the Business Plan/sustainability plan, we should refer to the duration of the current format (from late April to early June) or whether estimates on an annual/permanent basis are required.

The business plan must follow the proposed format. Activities requiring an additional budget may be included in the format; however, these will then be conditional upon securing the necessary funds to carry them out.

2. Remuneration and nature of the €40,000 per annum: Article 6 specifies a remuneration of €40,000 per annum, inclusive of VAT and professional fees, to be divided amongst the members in the event of a joint application. We request confirmation that this amount constitutes solely the gross remuneration allocated to the Artistic Direction for the activities set out in Article 1, and whether any out-of-pocket expenses for travel and accommodation incurred by the curatorial team are to be deducted from it, or whether such expenses form part of the organisation’s general organisational costs.

The remuneration is considered to be all-inclusive of hospitality expenses for the exhibition/activity planning phase. Hospitality expenses for the festival opening ceremony for all members of the artistic directorate are to be considered outside the budget; return travel and accommodation costs for the opening days and the press preview are deemed to be covered. Any other requirements that arise during the course of the work will be discussed with the festival’s organisation and management.

3. Overall production budget for the drafting of the Business Plan: The introduction states that the average production budget for exhibitions is approximately €350,000 (with specific items included and excluded). We would like confirmation as to whether this is the reference budget to be taken into account for the financial viability of the proposal, or whether there are other dedicated resources or budgets provided by the Foundation for the remaining activities and the annual programme.

Activities taking place outside the festival may be included as additional costs, but in such cases they are subject to securing the necessary funding, which must be discussed with the Foundation’s partners or with sponsors secured specifically for this purpose.

4. Hospitality and accommodation (Artists and Artistic Direction): We would like to clarify whether the costs of food, accommodation and travel for the invited artists (and, where applicable, for the Artistic Direction team during the set-up period and the festival) are to be covered by the production budget or managed directly and separately by the Foundation’s organisational structure.

Hospitality expenses for artists and the artistic direction team in connection with any installations and during the opening days are to be considered outside the production budget.

5. Support staff and exhibition set-up: we request confirmation as to whether, for the management of exhibition spaces, the supervision of venues, the physical set-up of exhibitions and on-site technical/operational support (volunteers, staff and exhibition fitters), staff provided and coordinated by the Foundation/Municipality will be utilised, without these costs being borne by the remuneration or direct resources of the Artistic Direction.

We confirm

6. Would it be possible to receive details about the audience (number of visitors, origin, variations over the month of the festival), the nature of existing partnerships and press coverage?

Most of the requested information can be found in the annual reports available here: https://www.palazzomagnani.it/report/

Audience figures for the last four editions of Fotografia Europea:
In 2023, the festival welcomed a total of 73,200 visitors, with 14,326 tickets issued. In 2024, attendance increased to 75,700 visitors with 16,361 tickets issued. In 2025, the festival recorded 63,000 visitors and 14,034 tickets issued, while the 2026 edition welcomed a total of 61,000 visitors, with 11,152 tickets issued.
Attendance figures include visitors to both ticketed and free exhibitions, as well as all festival events.
The opening weekend accounts for approximately one quarter of the festival’s total attendance. The second weekend also typically attracts very high visitor numbers, while the remaining weeks maintain lower but consistent attendance levels.

Media Partnerships (2023-2026): British Journal of Photography, Il Fotografo, Yogurt magazine, Radio Montecarlo, Sky Arte, Lampoon
Press Coverage
Media relations were coordinated by the festival’s in-house press office in collaboration with a national press office, appointed on an annual basis.
The 2026 edition generated 575 media mentions across print, television and online outlets.
Specialised Media: Il Giornale dell’Arte, Artribune, Exibart, Il Fotografo, Arte, Fotoit, NPhotography, Art e Dossier, Arte e Critica, Segno, Touring, Inside Art, Finestre sull’Arte.
National Media: La Repubblica, Corriere della Sera, La Stampa, Il Manifesto, Il Messaggero, QN – Il Giorno / Il Resto del Carlino / La Nazione, Avvenire, Domenica (Il Sole 24 Ore), Robinson (La Repubblica), Sette (Corriere della Sera), D La Repubblica delle Donne, Io Donna (Corriere della Sera), L’Espresso, Grazia, Marie Claire, Oggi, Famiglia Cristiana, Evatremila, BBC History Italia, Internazionale, Internazionale Kids, Style, Elle, Elle Decor, Domus, Arte Sky, Italo – I Sensi del Viaggio.
Local Media: Gazzetta di Reggio, Il Resto del Carlino (Reggio Emilia edition), Torino Sette (La Stampa), Corriere della Sera (Milan edition), La Repubblica (Turin edition), Corriere di Bologna (Corriere della Sera), La Repubblica (Bologna edition), Il Resto del Carlino – Bologna Chronicle, Zero, Gazzetta di Modena, Gazzetta di Parma, La Nuova Ferrara, Corriere Romagna, Ravenna&Dintorni, La Voce di Mantova, La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno, La Regione Ticino.
Television: Rai News24, Tutti Frutti (Rai News), TGR Emilia-Romagna, Studio Aperto (Mediaset), TV2000, TG5 (Mediaset), Rai Italia Paparazzi, TG LA7 – Viaggio nell’Arte, TG3 Fuorilinea, Sky TG24, Teletricolore, Telereggio.
International Press: British Journal of Photography, The Guardian, El País, Musée Magazine, 10 Magazine, Something Curated.

7. The call for applications requires a “contribution to the definition of the annual theme in agreement with the promoters” as well as the submission of an artistic proposal. Should the theme for the 2027 edition also be proposed by applicants, or is it already being defined by the Promoters? Should the proposal already include suggested themes and possible artists to be involved?

Contributing to the definition of the annual theme is one of the responsibilities assigned to the successful candidate and is therefore not required at this stage.
However, since applicants are asked to submit a proposal covering a three-year period, they may indicate broad thematic directions to be developed over the course of the three editions, as well as potential artists to be involved. In any case, even if the proposal is selected, the final theme and the overall artistic framework will be agreed with the commissioning body after the appointment has been made.

8. In the section on the ‘Artistic Proposal’, is it necessary to explicitly name the curators, artists and projects you intend to involve in each edition, as well as the venues?

It is not necessary at this stage to specify curators, artists and projects. You may outline broad themes to be developed and any artists to be involved, as well as venues that could be added to those already managed by the Foundation, whilst ensuring the proposal remains financially viable. In any case – even if the project is successful – the theme and its structure must be agreed with the commissioning body following the award of the contract.

9. If the artistic directors also curate exhibitions or projects within the festival, are they entitled to a separate curatorial fee in addition to that allocated for the artistic direction?

No, no additional fee is provided for, as the curation of the selected exhibitions is to be considered part of the artistic director’s remit.

10. Will the artistic directors be involved in the festival’s communication and branding strategy, or will these be managed by the organisers?

The festival has a communications agency which will be responsible for designing a new visual identity for the festival. The artistic directors will be involved in the final decision; furthermore, they may suggest ideas for communication activities or propose partnerships, which will need to be discussed with the organisers.

11. The media partnerships from the previous three-year period, 2023–2026: British Journal of Photography, Il Fotografo, Yogurt magazine, Radio Montecarlo, Sky Arte, Lampoon. Are these confirmed for the next three-year period, or is it necessary to renew the partnership agreements with the aforementioned organisations whilst simultaneously seeking new media partners?

In recent years, media partnership agreements have been decided on a year-by-year basis; in the case of a three-year period, it may be possible to enter into agreements covering the entire duration. Should there be other interested providers, we can assess together what the best solution would be.

12. Do you think you will be required to relocate to Reggio Emilia to carry out the role of artistic director? If this is not required, how long do you expect to stay on site during the months leading up to the festival and during the two months the festival is running? Apart, of course, from your presence during the set-up and the opening week?

Relocation to Reggio Emilia is not required. An initial site visit will be necessary in order to become familiar with the venues, after which the remaining activities can be carried out remotely, including during the installation period. The Artistic Director is expected to be present for the preview (usually held the day before the opening) and during the opening weekend. Should any additional needs arise, these will be discussed and agreed upon on a case-by-case basis.

13. With regard to the objective described in the section “Objectives of the Call for Applications”, namely to strengthen the Festival’s international positioning within the contemporary photography landscape: will there be support from a marketing department (already in place?) that can develop and assist in implementing a strategy to strengthen its international positioning?

The proposal is expected to include an indication of a strategy. Its implementation and the related costs will be covered by the Organisation and by specifically selected suppliers.

14. With regard to audience attendance (e.g. 2026: 61,000 total attendances and 11,152 tickets issued / 2025: 63,000 attendances and 14,034 tickets issued), why is there such a significant discrepancy between the total number of attendances and the number of tickets issued? How many exhibitions are paid-entry and how many are free? Besides ticket sales, what other sources of income does the Festival have?

Attendance figures include both visitor entries at each exhibition venue and people who took part in events, whether free or ticketed, organised during the Festival period (performances, conferences, etc.). Free exhibitions are usually organised by the Foundation’s institutional partners. All exhibitions organised by the Foundation are included in the Festival ticket, and the number varies from year to year. Festival costs are covered by grants and sponsorships, as well as by ticketing and bookshop revenues.

15. Experience requirement for collectives: as we are an informal, newly established collective, can you confirm that the five-year experience requirement will be assessed by combining the individual careers of the three members?

If your collective is informal and newly established, the applicant must have acquired five years of experience in comparable activities, as specified in Section 2, point b) of the Call for Applications. Therefore, at least one member of the collective must have the required experience.

16. Direct curatorship of exhibitions: with a view to optimising the budget and reducing costs, is it permissible for members of the collective to directly curate the exhibitions included in the programme, without necessarily involving external curators?

Yes, this is permitted. The involvement of external curators is optional.

17. With regard to the production budget (€350,000), how does the Artistic Director’s fee (€40,000) fit into the budget? Is it included in this amount?

The two budgets are independent. Therefore, the Artistic Director’s fee is additional to the production budget.

18. With reference to the structure of the organisational proposal, is it permissible to apply with an Artistic Director supported by an informal curatorial collective (without separate legal personality), while the scientific responsibility and the signing of the application remain exclusively with the main applicant?

The Call for Applications concerns the appointment of the Artistic Director, whether the role is held by a single person or by several people. If a supporting curatorial team is envisaged, this may be specified in the project proposal, but the application must be submitted solely for the position of Artistic Director. Please note that the applicant must meet the requirements specified in Section 2, point b), namely having acquired, during at least the five years preceding the application, experience in artistic direction, significant curatorial work, or functions analogous to those indicated in the scope of the appointment.

19. In order to demonstrate the feasibility, international network and viability of the exhibitions and partnerships proposed for the 2027–2029 three-year period, would it be possible and appropriate to attach to the project dossier formal Letters of Intent signed by the artists, institutions and other key figures whom we intend to involve? If so, please specify whether such documents should be incorporated into the project itself or may be uploaded as separate attachments, and whether they count towards the maximum page limit established for the proposal.

It is not necessary to attach any Letters of Intent. The inclusion of potential partnerships with artists and institutions in the submitted project is appreciated; however, these will in any case be subject to further discussion should the applicant be selected.

20. Could you please clarify what is meant by the “commercial component related to the photography sector”? What exactly does this refer to?

This refers to brands that manufacture photographic equipment and provide photography-related services.

21. In the case of a collective, is it possible to submit, in addition to the individual CVs of its members, the CV of the collective itself (which is formally constituted as an association)?

If the collective is formally constituted, please submit the Collective’s profile and references.

As for the CVs of the individual members, is it sufficient to submit the CVs of the people identified by the collective as its points of reference, or is it mandatory to submit the CVs of all members?

The CV of the Collective’s designated representative is sufficient.

22. Is the role intended to be a full-time position, or would it be possible to have other professional commitments at the same time?

We believe it is possible to have other professional commitments concurrently, provided that they are compatible with the role in terms of working hours, particularly taking into account the more intensive periods of work in the run-up to the Festival, when the commitment may be almost full-time.