Everywhere we turn there is some sort of festival. Community festivals, music festivals, art festivals, and “fill in your own topic here” festivals dot our calendars. Sometimes a festival is a standalone event, and sometimes it happens in conjunction with another activity, like a camp. What makes these events so unique? As a nonprofit manager, what do I need to prepare for?
A search for a definition of “festival” yields two results.
- A day or period of celebration, typically for religious reasons
- An organized series of concerts, plays, or films, typically one held annually in the same place
For arts organizations these two results may be blended into a period of time to celebrate our work with a series of performances, workshops, or activities depending on the objective. The idea of celebrating the work we do is appealing to those experienced in the art form and those who are curious and looking to learn more. Sounds like a great reason to have a festival.
A festival is a giant event, and therefore needs an objective. It doesn’t take long to think up a few objectives. A music camp closes with a festival weekend to provide students with the opportunity to present what they have been working on for friends and family. A theater hosts a festival to showcase how they connect with the community through the work they do. An artist’s guild by host a festival to celebrate and educate attendees about their art form. Every organization has a different mission, and festivals have unique objectives that are usually related to that mission.
The events at a festival are not limited to performances. Sometimes this is an opportunity to include educational programming. Maybe there is a series of related children’s activities that relate to the objective that occur during the festival. There may be artists the work with the organization that are able to present lectures or workshops. Social activities for attendees are sometimes called for. There are also peripherals to the events that impact the experience. The types of food that will be available onsite or nearby should be considered. A festival store or kiosk that specializes in festival merchandise or items related to the art is a common feature
The intense schedule of a festival adds to the intensity of a festival. There are usually multiple events the occur in a short timeline, or even concurrently. This may be a day, and few days, a week, even a few weeks. No matter the length of time, people are encouraged to spend and extended period of time onsite and attend more than one event. Some may even travel an extended distance and require accommodations during their visit.
As we create, implement, and manage we have to spend time considering how to we accommodate the different stakeholders at festivals. Stakeholders may be devoted board members who have a deep understanding of the artform. They may also be the novice that was curious after seeing some marketing, or was simply looking for an activity for their family that day. No matter the stakeholder this is the opportunity for the organization to begin, or strengthen, relationships. The organizations work, and mission, is on display and hopefully be embraced by many.
References
Energize Arts 