Festivals Essay
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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
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