Music festivals and regional development policy
towards a festival ecology
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/prbt.v14i2.140Keywords:
Australia, community, music festivals, policy, regional developmentAbstract
This article examines the policy significance of festivals in regional development. It draws on experience conducting research on, and working with, festivals in rural and regional Australia for over a decade. Gibson summarizes the role of festivals in a broad spectrum of regional development concerns, from direct economic impacts to benefits for community, musical work and well-being. A perspective is offered that seeks to integrate questions of cultural identity, belonging, economy and place—and the music itself. He argues that from a regional development policy perspective the qualities of music festivals matter enormously: their format, management structure, values, ethics and decision-making, and degree of integration into local and regional community and economic life. Seemingly lucrative commercial festivals might well draw in large direct profits, but they do not necessarily contribute most effectively to regional development. Likewise, although small community and non-profit music festivals seem to offer limited job creation and visitor expenditure, when seen as part of a cumulative community festival ecology, they are an underestimated and yet important catalyst for cultural and regional economic development.
References
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Edwards, Rob. 2011. ‘Birthday Parties and Flower Shows, Musters and Multiculturalism: Festivals in Post-war Gympie’. In Festival Places: Revitalising Rural Australia, ed. Chris Gibson and John Connell, 136–54. Bristol: Channel View.
Gelan, A. 2003. ‘Local Economic Impacts: The British Open’. Annals of Tourism Research 30: 406–25.
Getz, Don. 2010. ‘The Nature and Scope of Festival Studies’. International Journal of Event Management Research 5: 1–47.
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Moscardo, G., B. McCarthy, L. Murphy and P. Pearce. 2009. ‘The Importance of Networks in Special Interest Tourism: Case Studies of Music Tourism in Australia’. International Journal of Tourism Policy 2: 5–23.
Northern Territory Treasury. 2007. Economic Evaluation of the Darwin Festival. Darwin: NT Treasury, Darwin Festival and Charles Darwin University.
O’Connor, Justin. 2009. ‘Creative Industries: A New Direction?’ International Journal of Cultural Policy 15: 387–402.
Packer, J., and J. Ballantyne. 2010. ‘The Impact of Music Festival Attendance on Young People’s Psychological and Social Well-being’. Psychology of Music 39: 164–81.
Phipps, Peter. 2011. ‘Performing Culture as Political Strategy: The Garma Festival, Northeast Arnhem Land’. In Festival Places: Revitalising Rural Australia, ed. Chris Gibson and John Connell, 109–22. Bristol: Channel View.
Pike, A., A. Rodríguez-Pose and J. Tomaney. 2006. Local and Regional Development. London: Routledge.
Premier of New South Wales. 2007a. Iemma Announces Establishment of $85 Million Major Events Corporation, John O’Neill Appointed Interim Chair. Press release, 25 June 2010. Online at: http://www.eventsnsw.com.au/Media-Centre/Media-Archive.aspx (accessed 4 October 2010).
—2007b. Events New South Wales—Leading From the Front. Press release, 8 November 2007. Online at: http://www.eventsnsw.com.au/Media-Centre/Media-Archive.aspx (accessed 4 October 2010).
Quinn, Bernadette. 2010. ‘Arts Festivals, Urban Tourism and Cultural Policy’. Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure & Events 2: 264–79.
Rawlins, A. 1986. Festivals in Australia: An Intimate History. Spring Hill, Vic: DTE Publishers.
Tindall, Patricia. 2011. ‘Economic Benefits of Rural Festivals and Questions of Geographical Scale: The Rusty Gromfest Surf Carnival’. In Festival Places: Revitalising Rural Australia, ed. Chris Gibson and John Connell, 74–91. Bristol: Channel View.
Tonkin, Sharon. 2011. ‘Rewind Festival Cancelled’. Sydney Morning Herald, 17 October. Online at: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/rewind-festival-cancelled-20111017-1lsm2.html (accessed 21 March 2013).
Waterman, Stanley. 1998. ‘Carnivals for Elites? The Cultural Politics of Arts Festivals’. Progress in Human Geography 22: 54–74.
Whitford, Michelle. 2004. ‘Event Public Policy Development in the Northern Sub-Regional Organisation of Councils, Queensland, Australia’. Journal of Convention & Event Tourism 6: 81–99.
Whyte, S., and B. Connellan. 2010. ‘Record Crowd at Splendour’. Sun-Herald, 1 August: 28.
Wilson, A. 2008. ‘Blue Note’. The Weekend Australian, 11-12 October: 16–17.
Yu, Y. and Turco, D. 2000. ‘Issues in Tourism Event Economic Impact Studies: The Case of the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta’. Current Issues in Tourism 3: 138–49.
Ballico, Christina. 2012. ‘It’s a Three to Five Year Plan (But Stopped after Two): An Exploration into the Development, Staging and Outcomes of the One Movement for Music Festival Perth’. Paper presented at the Policy Notes conference, Melbourne, June 2012.
Beer, Andrew, Alaric Maude and Bill Pritchard. 2003. Developing Australia’s Regions: Theory and Practice. Sydney: UNSW Press.
Begg, Robbie. 2011. ‘Culturing Commitment: Serious Leisure and the Folk Festival Experience’. In Festival Places: Revitalising Rural Australia, ed. Chris Gibson and John Connell, 248–64. Bristol: Channel View.
Brennan-Horley, Chris, John Connell and Chris Gibson. 2007. ‘The Parkes Elvis Revival Festival: Economic Development and Contested Place Identities in Rural Australia’. Geographical Research 45: 71–84.
Connell, J., and C. Gibson. 2003. Sound Tracks: Popular Music, Identity and Place. London and New York: Routledge.
Crompton, J., S. K. Lee and T. Shuster. 2001. ‘A Guide for Undertaking Economic Impact Studies: The Springfest Example’. Journal of Travel Research 40: 79–87.
Curtis, Rebecca. 2010. ‘Australia’s Capital of Jazz? The (Re)Creation of Place, Music and Community at Wangaratta Jazz Festival’. Australian Geographer 41: 101–16.
Derrett, Ros. 2009. ‘How Festivals Nurture Resilience in Regional Communities’. In International Perspectives of Festivals and Events: Paradigms of Analysis, ed. J. Ali-Knight, M. Robertson, A. Fyall and A. Ladkin, 107–24. Oxford: Elsevier.
Duffy, Michelle, and Gordon Waitt. 2011. ‘Rural Festivals and Processes of Belonging’. In Festival Places: Revitalising Rural Australia, ed. Chris Gibson and John Connell, 44–57. Bristol: Channel View.
Edwards, Rob. 2011. ‘Birthday Parties and Flower Shows, Musters and Multiculturalism: Festivals in Post-war Gympie’. In Festival Places: Revitalising Rural Australia, ed. Chris Gibson and John Connell, 136–54. Bristol: Channel View.
Gelan, A. 2003. ‘Local Economic Impacts: The British Open’. Annals of Tourism Research 30: 406–25.
Getz, Don. 2010. ‘The Nature and Scope of Festival Studies’. International Journal of Event Management Research 5: 1–47.
Getz, D., T. Andersson and J. Carlsen. 2010. ‘Festival Management Studies: Developing a Framework for Comparative and Cross-cultural Research’. International Journal of Event and Festival Management 1: 29–59.
Gibson, C. 2002. ‘Regional Transformation and Cultural Industries: Popular Music on the New South Wales Far North Coast’. Australian Geographical Studies 40: 336–56
—2007. ‘Music Festivals: Transformations in Non-Metropolitan Places, and in Creative Work’. Media International Australia incorporating Culture and Policy 123: 65–81.
Gibson, C., and J. Connell. 2012. Music Festivals and Regional Development in Australia. Farnham: Ashgate.
Gibson, C., and D. Davidson. 2004. ‘Tamworth, Australia's “Country Music Capital”: Place Marketing, Rurality, and Resident Reactions’. Journal of Rural Studies 20: 387–404.
Gibson, C., and N. Kocker. 2005. ‘The “Cultural Turn” in Australian Regional Economic Development Discourse: Neoliberalising Creativity?’ Geographical Research 43: 93–102.
Gibson, C., G. Waitt, J. Walmsley and J. Connell. 2010. ‘Cultural Festivals and Economic Development in Nonmetropolitan Australia’. Journal of Planning Education and Research 29: 280–93.
Gordon, A. 2012. ‘Community Music, Place and Belonging in the Bega Valley, NSW, Australia’. MSc thesis, University of Wollongong.
Irwin, R., P. Wang and W. Sutton. 1996. ‘Comparative Analysis of Diaries and Projected Spending to Assess Patron Expenditure Behaviour at Short-term Sporting Events’. Festival Management & Event Tourism 4: 29–37.
Lee, S. 2001. ‘A Review of Economic Impact Study on Sport Events’. The Sport Journal 4. http://thesportjournal.org.
Li, Jen, and John Connell. 2012. ‘At Home with Elvis: Home Hosting at the Parkes Elvis Festival’. Hospitality & Society 1: 189–201.
Mackellar, Jo. 2009. ‘Dabblers, Fans and Fanatics: Exploring Behavioural Segmentation at a Special-Interest Event’. Journal of Vacation Marketing 15: 5–24.
Montano, Ed. 2011. ‘Festival Fever and International DJs: The Changing Shape of DJ Culture in Sydney’s Commercial Electronic Dance Music Scene’. Dancecult: Journal of Electronic Dance Music Culture 2: 63–89.
Moscardo, G., B. McCarthy, L. Murphy and P. Pearce. 2009. ‘The Importance of Networks in Special Interest Tourism: Case Studies of Music Tourism in Australia’. International Journal of Tourism Policy 2: 5–23.
Northern Territory Treasury. 2007. Economic Evaluation of the Darwin Festival. Darwin: NT Treasury, Darwin Festival and Charles Darwin University.
O’Connor, Justin. 2009. ‘Creative Industries: A New Direction?’ International Journal of Cultural Policy 15: 387–402.
Packer, J., and J. Ballantyne. 2010. ‘The Impact of Music Festival Attendance on Young People’s Psychological and Social Well-being’. Psychology of Music 39: 164–81.
Phipps, Peter. 2011. ‘Performing Culture as Political Strategy: The Garma Festival, Northeast Arnhem Land’. In Festival Places: Revitalising Rural Australia, ed. Chris Gibson and John Connell, 109–22. Bristol: Channel View.
Pike, A., A. Rodríguez-Pose and J. Tomaney. 2006. Local and Regional Development. London: Routledge.
Premier of New South Wales. 2007a. Iemma Announces Establishment of $85 Million Major Events Corporation, John O’Neill Appointed Interim Chair. Press release, 25 June 2010. Online at: http://www.eventsnsw.com.au/Media-Centre/Media-Archive.aspx (accessed 4 October 2010).
—2007b. Events New South Wales—Leading From the Front. Press release, 8 November 2007. Online at: http://www.eventsnsw.com.au/Media-Centre/Media-Archive.aspx (accessed 4 October 2010).
Quinn, Bernadette. 2010. ‘Arts Festivals, Urban Tourism and Cultural Policy’. Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure & Events 2: 264–79.
Rawlins, A. 1986. Festivals in Australia: An Intimate History. Spring Hill, Vic: DTE Publishers.
Tindall, Patricia. 2011. ‘Economic Benefits of Rural Festivals and Questions of Geographical Scale: The Rusty Gromfest Surf Carnival’. In Festival Places: Revitalising Rural Australia, ed. Chris Gibson and John Connell, 74–91. Bristol: Channel View.
Tonkin, Sharon. 2011. ‘Rewind Festival Cancelled’. Sydney Morning Herald, 17 October. Online at: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/rewind-festival-cancelled-20111017-1lsm2.html (accessed 21 March 2013).
Waterman, Stanley. 1998. ‘Carnivals for Elites? The Cultural Politics of Arts Festivals’. Progress in Human Geography 22: 54–74.
Whitford, Michelle. 2004. ‘Event Public Policy Development in the Northern Sub-Regional Organisation of Councils, Queensland, Australia’. Journal of Convention & Event Tourism 6: 81–99.
Whyte, S., and B. Connellan. 2010. ‘Record Crowd at Splendour’. Sun-Herald, 1 August: 28.
Wilson, A. 2008. ‘Blue Note’. The Weekend Australian, 11-12 October: 16–17.
Yu, Y. and Turco, D. 2000. ‘Issues in Tourism Event Economic Impact Studies: The Case of the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta’. Current Issues in Tourism 3: 138–49.
Published
2014-01-30
Issue
Section
Articles
How to Cite
Gibson, C. (2014). Music festivals and regional development policy: towards a festival ecology. Perfect Beat, 14(2), 140-157. https://doi.org/10.1558/prbt.v14i2.140
