BUILDING A DIVERSE ATTENDANCE AT CULTURAL FESTIVALS: EMBRACING ORAL HISTORY/FOLKLORE IN STRATEGIC WAYS

Author: WALLE A.H.¹

Source: Event Management, Volume 8, Number 2, 2003 , pp. 73-82(10)

Publisher: Cognizant Communication Corporation

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Abstract:

Cultural festivals that celebrate ``serious'' art are often shunned by a large percentage of the population. This tendency can reduce attendance by important segments of the public and, in the process, discourage the participation of both private and public sponsors. By incorporating elements of vernacular artistic expression into a festival that has historically concentrated on ``serious'' art and music, these difficulties can be overcome in useful, equitable, and mutually beneficial ways. The example of how the Erie Summer Festival of the Arts used an oral history/folklore program to attract underserved segments of the public, encouraged broad-based participation, and built a higher profile within the larger community provides a case study of how mainstream cultural festivals can be strategically broadened through the inclusion of vernacular artistic expression.

Keywords: Strategy; Vernacular art; Folklore; Oral history; Nature; Fishing; Attendance; Diversity

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: University of Alaska Fairbanks, School of Management, Fairbanks, AK 99775-6080

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