Kathrin Deventer is the secretary general of the European Festivals Association (EFA). She is co-founder of EFFE - Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe, a co-founder and board member of the European House for Culture, an initiative of EFA, of The Festival Academy and a member of the strategy group of A Soul for Europe. She has a special interest in culture and its role in civil society engagement and issues connected to the recognition of the importance of culture in society. She believes in a cultural Europe which emerges from responsibilities and interactions between people and organizations from all sectors in society.