Festivals: Assistance to Arts and Culture Festivals
Description
D'Art Report: Assistance to Arts and Culture Festivals
D'Art Topics in Arts Policy no.21, October 2005
IFACCA and Budapest Observatory
This inquiry was undertaken by Peter Inkei of the Budapest Observatory in response to some disquiet within Hungary at the level of subsidies given to festivals by the National Cultural Fund of Hungary (NCF) and the NCF’s subsequent desire to get a picture of levels of support for festivals internationally. The report begins with an overall analysis of the responses to the D’Art questionnaire. The author notes that, based on the responses, Hungary appears to be the only place where cultural and artistic goals and granting criteria are combined with those of tourism. According to the report, most respondents said there was no separate structure for the support given to festivals in their countries, with the exception of Canada, where the Arts Presentation Canada Program (APC) of the Department of Canadian Heritage funds non-profit organisations that present arts festivals, and Australia, where there are two festival-specific funding programmes, Festivals Australia and the Major Festivals Initiative.
The report discusses responses to the question of whether agencies had a working definition of ‘festival’ and notes that most respondents said there was no precise definition. It examines whether respondents had a special programme for, or special assessment criteria to, festival funding applications, and whether funding agencies provided targeted application materials or information sheets. The report also examines trends in demand from festivals for funding over the past ten years, noting that five respondents said there had been an increase in demand, and other respondents estimating the likely percentage of its grants budget going to festivals. It states that most respondents said they did not provide any non-financial assistance to festivals and that control, accountability and evaluation are critical issues for funders everywhere. The report concludes with appendices providing information about the respondents to the survey and a list of reference and resources compiled by Christopher Madden of IFACCA from the D’Art responses and a search of on-line databases.
Publications
After the event: Culture and sport - access and legacies
A podcast of a meeting on how to organise cultural and community events to ensure access, benefits and impacts. more >
Festivals and events - summary policy paper
A page that outlines the Arts Council of Ireland's support to festivals. more >
Festival Jungle - Policy Desert? Festival Policies of Public Authorities in Europe
A research report on publicly-funded international artistic festivals in Europe. more >
Towards more accurate measurement of the value of the arts to society : economic impact and willingness to pay studies at the Standard Bank National Arts Festival
The accurate measurement of the value of the arts to society is becoming increasingly important in developing countries, like South Africa, where the arts must compete with housing, health, education and the like for public funds. more >
European Festival Research Project
An informal international consortium of researchers brought together to analyze the dynamics of artistic festivals and to study the explosion of festivals. more >
Estimating the Marginal Utility of Different Sections of an Arts Festival
research paper on measures of utility that visitors derive from various sections of the National Arts Festival held once a year in Grahamstown, South Africa. more >
D'Art Report: Assistance to Arts and Culture Festivals
This inquiry was undertaken by Peter Inkei of the Budapest Observatory in response to some disquiet within Hungary at the level of subsidies given to festivals by the National Cultural Fund of Hungary (NCF) and the NCF’s subsequent desire to get a picture of levels of support for festivals internationally. more >
Festival-world: State of affairs and suggestions on how to improve subsidization
A summary of research undertaken by the Budapest Cultural Observatory on festivals and festivals support policies. more >
Irish Festivals Irish Life: Celebrating the Wealth of Ireland’s Festivals
An independent report that provides an overview and analysis of the Irish festivals movement and makes recommendations for future support and development of the sector. more >
City Support for Festivals and Celebrations - Policy Review & Recommendations
Vancouver city's review of festivals, which and sets out a framework, number of policy objectives, definitions etc. more >
News
I do think we take festivals for granted
Last week, the minister announced the latest block of funding from the new Expo Fund, which has been designed to help promote Scottish artists in all the festivals, and also contribute towards the national and international touring of some of these acts in the future. more >
Not quite full circle
Guyana seems determined to take advantage of Carifesta 10 to develop projects designed to ensure something sustainable remains after the fireworks and pageantry of the closing ceremony fades. more >
Culture and money
No one should doubt that festivals have an economic impact - but are the claims made for them overstated? more >
Reflecting On Festivals- A Critique Of NAFAC
At a four-day training workshop, participants discussed challenges and issues of government policies and national arts festivals. more >
Turkey at the heart of European music
In April Turkey will sign the Arts Festivals' Declaration on Intercultural Dialogue initiated by the European Festivals Association. more >
Call for papers for two workshops on arts festivals
The European Festival Research Project has put out a call for submissions for two research workshops in 2008: Urban Impact Of Artistic Festivals, Helsinki, and Festivals Of Theater For Children And Youth, Moscow.
more >
Secretary General
Organising and leading the daily activities of the European Festivals Association. more >
Community festivals to be boosted by Assembly
Next week the Culture, Arts and Leisure Minister is expected to unveil a new 'matching funds' scheme for community-based festivals which will operate in part through local councils. more >
Southern Africa: Poor Funding Chokes Cultural Festivals
Lack of sponsorship, commitment and infrastructure in some Southern African countries contributed to the demise of the arts festival meant to create a mutual understanding among the people of the region. more >
Book Launch - Making Visible the Invisible: Three Decades of the Singapore Arts Festival
Commissioned by the National Arts Council to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the Singapore Arts Festival, this is the first attempt to document the genesis and the growth of the Arts Festival over the last three decades. more >
£100m cost of keeping city festival in lead role
THE cost of keeping Edinburgh's festivals ahead of the growing competition in the UK and abroad has been officially estimated at more than £100 million. more >
Festival funding talks 'positive'
A meeting between Northern Ireland's Arts Minister and Queen's University over the future of the Belfast Festival has been hailed as "positive" . more >
Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage
A new program that aims to increase opportunities, through festivals or other events and activities, for local artists and artisans to be involved in their community and for local groups to commemorate local history and heritage. more >
CIRCLE Meeting
The annual Round Table of CIRCLE (Cultural Information and Research Centres Liaison in Europe), which looked at the impact of, and government approaches to, festivals. more >
Funding festivals preserves culture
All three levels of Canadian government think festivals are worth supporting. more >
Board reviews Festival and regional cultural issues
Simona Lauti, the Executive Director of the Festival, says preparations are well under way for the region’s largest cultural gathering. more >
Cash for cultural festivals at centre of funding flap
Federal Tories are denying a "boondoggle" over a summer sponsorship program for local arts and culture festivals announced in the March budget. more >
Ireland’s Small Festivals Scheme
Organisers of small arts festivals and events will be able to apply for a maximum of €20,000 in funding support next year, Arts Council Ireland has announced. more >
Call for contributions - What makes festivals sustainable?
Research contributions are being sought for a one-day workshop being organised by the European Festivals Research Project. more >
Nigerian Government investigates cultural festivals.
In line with the Federal Government's policy of improving the tourism sector for economic growth, Kogi State Government has directed the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to take inventory of cultural festivals in the state for full integration into the mainstream of its culture and tourism policy more >
Arts Council of Ireland introduces new funding scheme for festival and events
In line with a range of improvements in its grant application processes this year, the Arts Council of Ireland has introduced a new funding scheme to support small festivals and events. more >
Events
Call for proposals: International theatre festivals and audience development
This symposium will investigate how theater nurtures new audiences and achieves more cultural
diversity of its own public.
more >
Nurturing Creativity: Contrast - Challenge - Change
The 2008 conference of International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA) Europe is entitled 'Nurturing Creativity: Contrast - Challenge - Change'. more >
The international who's who in cultural policy, planning and research >