Chapter 1 Festivals, Why, What, When, A case study of Berlin

Abstract

The focus for this chapter is a reflection on the relevance and role of festivals in contemporary life. It is prompted by reading nearly one hundred applications from young festival managers who were applying to participate in a professional Atelier organised by the European Festivals Association. What became very clear from this exercise was the importance of reflection on why we invest so much energy into festivals. The applicants’ submissions also prompted me to consider ‘Who are we doing this for?’ and more fundamentally to think about how to create, develop or sustain a festival in 2013. This reflection is not aimed at, nor does it discuss or question the existence of traditional big events, such as Salzburg, Bayreuth, Edinburgh or Avignon. Their continued existence (for the foreseeable future) may be more or less taken for granted. Due to their cultural weight and longevity they have developed as important touristic events and, in this respect therefore, they are atypical and not central to the focus of this debate on festivals today.