Title: Cultural festivals and economic development in nonmetropolitan Australia. Journal of Planning Education and Research XX(X): 1-14.

Author(s): Chris Gibson, Gordon Waitt, Jim Walmsley, John Connell

Organisation(s): University of Wollongong, Australia, University of New England, Armidale, Australia, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

Categories: Arts, culture and the economy

Objectives: To consider how non-metropolitan cultural festivals provide constrains as well as opportunities for economic planners.

Key Findings: Even with modest employment and profits at the scale of individual events, cultural festivals have a significant cumulative impact on nonmetropolitan places and a definite link to economic development. Cultural festivals are strongly interconnected to nonmetropolitan communities through employment, volunteerism, networks, and participation. Some cultural festivals (in particular large music festivals) can be economically lucrative, but most are small-scale, modest affairs, geared around community goals.

Methods: Compilation of a database of festivals in the Australian states of Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales, comprising a total of 2,856 festivals; survey of 480 festival organisers; series of in-depth case studies.