Yacout Info: What made you decide to create the AIM Festival?

Vanessa Branson: I was walking through Hyde Park in 2004 and I was very upset about the upsurge in anti islamic feeling. I had organised the Portabello Festival a number of years ago and this had a very positive effect on the local community and made a big difference. The thought occured to me to hold a similar festival in Marrakech. My idea was to use the arts as a medium for debate and discussion because it is possible to touch on quite contentious subjects without upsetting anybody, such as Isaac Julien's Three Screen Projection "Western Union Small Boats".

I have the right contacts with creative people and the experience to produce a successful international arts festival, so I called Abel Damoussi and we did it! It won the best edition prize in 2005 and 2007 and each year it is becoming more ambitious. It has the reputation of being an event of cultural excellence and very international. We did not want to islolate Morocco by concentrating solely on the national arts scene, so we have brought in artists from the world to complement the immense artistic talent here in Morocco.

Q: What is your main wish for this 2009 festival?
A: To be honest, we want to create a very high standard cultural heart to the festival and a creative pool of talent and we are mounting new exhibitions and our ultimate aim is to stimulate creativity and achieve as much interaction with artists and the public as possible.

Other countries like the Emirates have realised the importance of having festivals covering contemporary culture as well as the national heritage. A very good Biennale this year will be very good for Marrakech and the AIM cultural foundation will help to ensure that people and artists come back again and again. The festival will continue to grow in importance. We want to achieve a dialogue between artists themselves and the public and the art students in Marrakech. During the AIM Biennale the artists are the VIPs!

Q: What is the atmosphere that you expect to be generated by the AIM Biennale Festival?
A: We want to have a very open atmosphere where everyone is approachable and people learn about new art forms and enjoy themselves. There arev over 65 artists, film makers and writers who have flown in to Marrakech for this event and we have a programme packed with events .

Over 300 art experts and connisseurs have comer to absorb as much of the creative energy as possible , as well as having some serious fun. AIM is the only trilingual art festivals in North Africa which encourages dialogue in Arabic, French and English. Marrakech is a unique location for such an artistic event.

Q: What does the Ecole Superieur des Artes of >Marrakech contribute to the event?
A: The Ecole Superieur des Artes Visuels of Marrakech (ESAV) which specialises in cinema, television and audio visual art forms. Hamad Hajjad and the students will be able to meet and discuss artistic developments with the artists during the festival. Artists will also be able to further their understanding of each others work. The city of Marrakech has inspired artists for generations.

Q: How have you found the cooperation with the city of Marrakech's administration ?
A: We are very grateful for the official support we are receiving from the city of Marrakech and its administration and especially the use of the Bahia Palace for the artr exhibition "A Proposal for Articulating Works and Places " curated by Abdellah Karoum and the opening concert by Hassan Khan. Readings, events and discussions will be taking place in locations all over Marrakech.

Q: Is the fact that the AIM international Festival is a non commercial event important ?
A: The AIM International Biennale is a strictly non commercial event which has resulted in many challenges for us , however this non commercial basis enriches the integrity of the festival. There is an old Moroccan saying: " Anything is possible but nothing is certain" . One thing is certain, we are set to have a truly memorable few days.