The Network of Silk Road Arts Festivals (the “Network”) was launched in October 2017 during the 19th China Shanghai International Arts Festival.

The Silk Road served as an ancient network of trade routes that was for centuries vital to cultural and economic interaction between the East and West. The newly established Network aims at reinvigorating these links, facilitating communication and cooperation between different arts festivals, creating more connections, opportunities, and enhancing mutual understanding.

The Network’s predecessor was the Belt and Road Arts Festivals Cooperation Network, founded in 2015 by the China Shanghai International Arts Festival, Budapest Spring Festival, Prague Spring International Music Festival, Israel Festival and Delhi International Arts Festival. Twenty-two festivals and institutions from 18 countries and regions participated in this first network iteration, and many new cooperative agreements were initiated. The Network as a whole now numbers 166 member organizations from 44 countries and regions (as of March 2021).

The Network is not a non-governmental organization. It is not strictly limited to institutions that are geographically along the Silk Road, but is an open network that welcomes any arts festivals and institutions who wish to join.