Course Resources Archive

The module aims to provide students with an insight into the role and function of festivals within society, and to aspects of their strategic management. Consideration will be given to the concept of the festival as social phenomenon; agent of economic, social and political development; expression of place and identity; and vehicle for creative work. A range of critical approaches from the disciplines of creative industries, cultural theory, arts and events management, and human geography will be adopted to explore the nature of the contemporary festival industry and to facilitate students in appreciating the complex range of management skills required.

The module charts the role of festivity and celebration in human society, placing festivals in the context of their social, economic and political environments. The work of key commentators on the sociology and anthropology of festivals are considered in developing theoretical understanding of the social phenomena of festive events, and the inter-disciplinary nature of the study of festivals, and the related concepts of festivity and festivalisation are addressed. The emergence of a modern festival industry is examined, and links to the wider creative and cultural industries are explored including the instrumental use of festivals in social engineering initiatives: here the role of government bodies in shaping policy and funding initiatives for festivals is given particular consideration. Finally, contemporary issues in the development of festivals are introduced to expose students to current debates. The module also introduces students to the set of strategic management skills required of work in the festivals industry (including programming, marketing, fundraising, legal and operational requirements) and to current practitioner debates. The issue of creative leadership in a festival context will be considered as will the extent to which factors such as genre, scale, location, ownership, and management structures affect the nature of the festival and its management.

On successful completion of the module the student should be able to:

i. Critically analyse the role and function of festivals in society
ii. Engage deeply with the range of theoretical perspectives on festival events and produce a critical synthesis of current thinking
iii. Understand the complex industry and management structures within which festivals operate and comment on models of best practice
iv. Appreciate the key skills and competencies of festivals management work, particularly the programming and delivery of a festival event
v. Develop and enhance key transferable skills such as creative thinking and ICT skills in producing a digital story, and report writing

Staff/student contact: approx 24 hours (lectures, tutorials, student-led workshops)
Independent Study: approx 126 hours

The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide.