Re-imagining the arts festival in times of crisis

Working in partnership with the British Arts Festivals Association, this project is exploring the inner workings of arts festivals in the UK through the lenses of Teams and Leadership, Belonging and Community and Shared Vision and Imagination. Through interviews with individuals from more than 20 UK arts festivals, this project asks how arts festivals operate in volatile, unpredictable landscapes, looking specifically at the characteristics and key skillsets of the individuals in festival teams. Using this data alongside archives from the British Arts Festivals Association and the Annual Reports from the Arts Council, the thesis will offer a new historical perspective on the history of arts festivals in the UK, considering how the position of these organisations has changed and what that means for those working in festivals today.