Future Festivals Field Guide: Assessing Cultural Infrastructure—Together
What do you think the role of festivals is, or should be, in your community? In which areas do they deliver and where do they fall short?
Help us assess the state of our cultural infrastructure and share your vision for better festival futures by taking our survey.
The agenda mapped out by the seven festivals currently part of the Future Festivals group was only ever intended to be a starting point, a first pass at identifying the top-level issues that ail the cultural sector. There’s broad consensus on expanding access, equity, and sustainability, for example, but noble goals rarely square with existential needs. The truth is that the on-the-ground realities of festivals are often complicated, and individual circumstances differ greatly even within the same region (or city). Many more festival makers have since joined the discussion, but we’ve only begun tap into the myriad perspectives this project could and should surface. Besides, it’s not only festival makers who make a festival. Artists and audiences are the lifeblood of the festival circuit and, more often than not, swing the balance towards success or failure. Shouldn’t they, too, have a seat at the table when the future of festivals is being discussed?
With the Future Festivals Survey, we invite all stakeholders—curators, cultural workers, artists, and festival goers—to chime in about the state of our cultural infrastructure. What do you think the role of festivals is, or should be, in your community? In which areas do festivals deliver for people and where do they fall short? And does it matter how and by whom they’re funded? Over the coming months, we plan to map the cultural needs and wants across regions and communities to guide us and other festival workers into the future. And the more participants we hear from, the more complete the picture. Whether you attend them for work or pleasure, whether they champion music, theatre, art, or film—if festivals are a part of your cultural diet, please take a moment to support our research by adding your voice to the conversation. Thanks!
The survey is available in English, French, and Spanish. It collects demographic details, personal opinions, and offers opportunities to get involved. The results will be published at the conclusion of the Future Festivals project.
Future Festivals Field Guide
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Alexander Scholz
Alex is a Berlin-based writer, artistic director, and cultural worker. As the founder and creative director of HOLO, he helps produce and disseminate knowledge on disciplinary interstices, artistic research, and cultural transformations in the digital age. Over the years, he curated exhibitions, conferences, and educational programmes for organizations and festivals including A.C.C. (KR), Mapping (CH), MUTEK (CA), and NODE Forum for Digital Arts (DE).
