Community Involvement in Festivals: Exploring Ways of Increasing Local Participation

Abstract

Despite the existence of measurement indicators for the social impacts of festivals, there has been limited research on how communities feel part of and contribute to the festival experience. This study examines how festivals involve local people and identifies ways of appraising and widening community participation. To this end, the organizers of four community-based festivals in edinburgh were interviewed and a focus group discussion featuring members of the public with a community interest was held. By combining relevant literature with the primary research findings, a framework to assess community involvement in festivals is proposed consisting of five indicators: involvement of schools; volunteering opportunities; participation in decision making; accessibility; and business cooperation. After further development and testing, the proposed framework could help organizers, councils, and tourism bodies improve their understanding and identify better ways of involving local people in the festivals that impact on their communities.