Sustaining a Festival in a time of COVID-19
Let’s not beat around the bush, COVID 19 has been and remains a massive headache for those of us in the live performance industry and the arts in general. Our business models, artforms and existential reasons for being are by and large predicated not only the involvement of humans en masse but their physical presence. Artists communicating and communing with a live audience. Audiences and artists travelling from far and wide to experience art. COVID has put a stop to this for many festivals.
A comprehensive list of challenges encountered by festivals
Make a comprehensive list of all the challenges encountered by Festivals in a time of COVID-19 (e.g., lockdown restrictions, physical distancing, loss of funders, cancellation of flights, etc).
Presentation: Atelier for Solidarity
Festival dealing with restrictions
How may festivals deal with restrictions caused by the existential threats posed by COVID-19? (Provide case studies where festivals have responded).
Impact on sustainability
How has COVID-19 and its related restrictions impacted on the sustainability of Festivals?
Particular challenges and opportunities for sustaining physical festivals
What are the particular challenges and opportunities for sustaining a physical festival that has to conform to Lockdown restrictions?
Presentation: Atelier of Solidarity
Particular challenges and opportunities for sustaining on-line festivals
What are the particular challenges and opportunities for sustaining an on-line festival in a time of COVID-19?
Which learnings and sustainability strategies undertaken by Festivals during the COVID-19 era may be taken forward beyond these times, and be integrated into Festivals in the future?
Local engagement
Online administration/collaboration (internal)
Online presentation/augmentation/ancillary outcome (External)
How to provide feedback, amendments and additions:
The toolkits are open-sourced, continuously developed tools. Therefore, festival and cultural practitioners from all backgrounds and levels of experience are invited to expand these materials by adding their own contributions, building on the gathering of knowledge and insights shared with the whole festival-making community worldwide. Please email info@festivalacademy.eu for feedback, amendments, and additions.