Our new report about the impact of British music festivals, launched at CHIME project partner Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2016, is now available online. We hope festival researchers and organisers will find it of use and interest. This is what some people are saying about it already:
- “Congratulations, a very useful and interesting read which I am sure will be of value to many people. There is no doubt at all that there is a shortage of good research in the festival industry … I will make your work known to my members and suggest that they acquire copies.” Steve Heap, General Secretary, Association of Festival Organisers
- “This report is an irrefutable qualification of the value and impact of our sector and an amazing resource for anyone involved in the organisation of a music festival.” Steve Mead, Artistic Director, Manchester Jazz Festival
- “Within festivals we need and value the criticality of academic research. A report like this helps us shape, make sense, rethink what we are doing.” John Cumming OBE, Director, EFG London Jazz Festival
- “This report is excellent—a pleasure to read, and I will be recommending it to my students and colleagues.” Professor Stephanie Pitts, Head of the Department of Music, University of Sheffield
- “This is an articulated, analytical assessment of the multiple ways in which festivals impact on society and on the music scene itself. The review helps promoters organise their thoughts around the focal points, and local authorities better realise what festivals do—or can do—for their communities. I hope the research develops internationally.” Francesco Martinelli, Siena Jazz Archive Director
Not just about the weather….interesting academic study of festivals @uniofeastanglia @george_mckay @FolkEast https://t.co/MjiqVlMqBF
— Eastfolk Chronicle (@EastfolkChron) June 17, 2016
The report was produced as part of The Impact of Festivals, a 12-month project funded under the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Connected Communities Programme, working with research partner organisation the EFG London Jazz Festival. Professor George McKay is the Principal Investigator for the project, as well as AHRC Leadership Fellow for Connected Communities at the University of East Anglia. Dr Emma Webster is the Research Associate for the project, and co-founder and director of Live Music Exchange.
The findings are drawn from an extensive literature review of existing work in the field, from academic research to ‘grey’ policy literature, economic impact assessments to festival and industry publications. Not only that, but there is a 170-entry annotated bibliography of these outputs accessible here. We think that, taken together, the report and the annotated bibliography will be an important reference point for industry and academia alike in the future.
The report is is freely accessible here. If you would like a paper copy please contact Rachel Daniel, r.daniel@uea.ac.uk. Do let us know what you think of it!