Festivals Essay
[pic]
[pic]
Jacqueline Calvo, BBus, CQU.
ABSTRACT:
Cultural industries implies a 'massification' of culture and entertainment, as such, festivals are found to be a cultural industry, involving large numbers
of people working in organisation, administration, promotion, marketing, and the creative and performing arts. Festivals come in different forms
including agricultural, cultural, historical, horticultural, and arts festivals to specific audiences and sub–cultures (fringe festivals). Culture is about,
and has been used to shape and to govern, identity; therefore as Australia is a multicultural country rich with a complex migrant history. Australia's
identity, as such, is demonstrated as festivals are perceived to be a vehicle for...show more content...
This is demonstrated as festivals and the arts activities are perceived to be a vehicle for 're–imaging' cities, playing a major role in the contemporary
marketing of Australian cities as national and global destination, for example, Sydney's annual Mardi Gras festival is considered to have an
international following as people come from all different parts of the world to participate (Cryle n.d.). As Bennet and Carter (2001, p. 5) point out,
Australian culture is itself an international culture, just as Australia is, in many fields, a culture exporting nation. Gibson (2001); and Trotter (in eds.
Bennet and Carter 2001 p. 4) states that above all, culture is about, and has been used to shape and to govern, identity; also Community–based arts,
festivals and cultural programs could be seen as a valuable way of exploring our Australian identity and developing a way to bring about diversity and
harmony within and between cultures.
Across the nation, festivals thrive, from national events (i.e. Australia Day and Anzac Day), major capital city events (i.e. The Sydney Royal Easter
Show, The Adelaide Arts Festival) to street fairs in the smallest rural towns (i.e. Morpeth Jazz Festival, The Woodford Folk Festival). From festivals
celebrating 'gay' and 'lesbian' lifestyles to those that praise multiculturalism or rural life, barely a weekend passes in this drought–stricken land and
island