Oxford Dictionary defines it as the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level. When we talk about sustainability of festivals, we are talking about how a festival can ensure they survive or stay relevant in the changing climate. Sustainability is a complicated concept that needs to look at every angle of the festival. It is a look at the health, wealth (of money, people, structures, community etc), impact, importance and longevity of the festival1. It is a process that festival managers must carry out throughout the life of a festival, looking at the entire product and evaluating if there is growth. It is important to note that growth is growth, whether it is small, only in one department, only in a few aspects or only something that is clear to you and your crew.

1. Apud Oxford College of Procurement & Supply, accessed 10 November 2021, https://shorturl.at/bwY45

The most accepted definition comes from the Brundtland Commission formerly known as the UN Commission on Environment and Development, they define Sustainable Development as ‘’development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’’ 2. 

The concept originally was developed after the 1987 UN report of the World Commission on Environment and Development titled “Our Common Future”, the document named three pillars of sustainable development: economic, environmental, and social—also known informally as profits, planet, and people 3. That was however, a very long time ago and people started to realise a building stands better with four pillars. At the beginning of this century, ‘’voices of different parts of society, from international institutions to academia, began to question the validity of the current definition of sustainable development’’ 4. 

2. “Sustainable Development,” UNESCO, August 20, 2015, https://en.unesco.org/themes/education-sustainable-development/what-is-esd

3. United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development, “Towards Sustainable Development,” in Our Common Future, ed. United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987

4. “Culture, the Fourth Pillar of Sustainability,” Culture, the fourth pillar of sustainability | Culture 21, accessed November 4, 2021, https://www.agenda21culture.net/documents/culture-the-fourth-pillar-of-sustainability

When looking at the sustainable development of festivals all four pillars need to be strong in order for a festival to continue its lifespan. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself when trying to see how sustainable developed your festival is: 

●  Are you meeting the needs of the people and the planet (environment)? 

●Are you giving as much as you are taking? (from natural resources, audience, venue, sponsors/partners, stakeholders, community, etc) 

● What will your festival do for future generations? 

● Has culture been represented appropriately? 

● What are you doing to remove unwanted/unneeded norms in society? 

Evaluating your festival on a yearly bias helps to ensure you are constantly improving or staying relevant hence ensuring your festival is sustainable.

5. “Culture, the Fourth Pillar of Sustainability,” Culture, the fourth pillar of sustainability | Culture 21, accessed November 4, 2021, www.agenda21culture.net/documents/culture-the-fourth-pillar-of-sustainability

Culture can be defined as ‘’the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts’’6 or ‘’the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively’’7. 

In the fight to name culture as a fourth pillar, The Executive Bureau of United Cities and Local Government (UCLG) approved the Policy Statement “Culture is the Fourth Pillar of Sustainable Development” on 17 November 2010, in the framework of the World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders - 3rd World Congress of UCLG, held in Mexico City 8. UNESCO have highly endorsed it as a pillar as well. A statement from UNESCO’s website states: 

In today’s interconnected world, culture's power to transform societies is clear. Its diverse manifestations – from our cherished historic monuments and museums to traditional practices and contemporary art forms – enrich our everyday lives in countless ways. Heritage constitutes a source of identity and cohesion for communities disrupted by bewildering change and economic instability. Creativity contributes to building open, inclusive and pluralistic societies. Both heritage and creativity lay the foundations for vibrant, innovative and prosperous knowledge societies.

UNESCO is convinced that no development can be sustainable without a strong culture component. Indeed only a human-centered approach to development based on mutual respect and open dialogue among cultures can lead to lasting, inclusive and equitable results. Yet until recently, culture has been missing from the development equation 9. 

Festivals are one of the biggest promoters, enablers and gatekeepers of culture therefore have a strong part to play in international sustainable development. Festivals need to act as vector of change, promoting solutions to society’s problems and not adding onto them. 

UNESCO released a 2012 thematic piece called “Culture: a driver and enabler of sustainable development” that stated that data collected throughout a decade had shown that culture can be a strong driver for development with community-wide social, economic and environmental impacts. In a great victory for culture as fourth pillar UN finally accepted the truth and by January 2012, culture was included in 70% of the United Nations Development Assistance Frameworks 10. A number of institutes that are formed around sustainable development all agree that work around culture needs to be added to any plan, programme, project to be able to be successful long time. 

The Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD) best summaries the correlations between culture and society, economy and environment: 

Concerning relation between culture and society, culture is a critical means to determine how values, behaviors, and assumptions influence the inclusiveness, openness and cohesion of societies, as well as the improvement of people’s rights, health, and quality of life. Culture creates the thread that keeps society together and gives people the tools to find their way into that society. Culture is important as a field of creation and for the maintenance of values of mutual trust, solidarity, respect of law, and democracy. These sets of values provide motivation for people to work, communicate, create, and respect others. This is the foundation for the development of society and individuals. 

Besides different non-monetized benefits, there is also a strong connection between culture and economy as the pillars of sustainable development. As stated in the above mentioned UNESCOs thematic paper, ‘…of particular relevance is the cultural sector’s contribution to the economy and poverty alleviation. Cultural heritage, cultural and creative industries, sustainable cultural tourism, and cultural infrastructure can serve as strategic tools for revenue generation, particularly in developing countries given their often-rich cultural heritage and substantial labour force.’ 

Finally, regarding the connection between culture and environment. cultural factors also influence lifestyles, individual behaviour, consumption patterns, values related to environmental stewardship, and our interaction with the natural environment. Local and indigenous knowledge systems and environmental management practices provide valuable insight and tools for tackling ecological challenges, preventing biodiversity loss, reducing land degradation, and mitigating the effects of climate change 11.

6. Kim Ann Zimmermann, “What Is Culture?,” LiveScience (Purch, July 13, 2017), https://www.livescience.com/21478-what-is-culture-definition-of-culture.html

7. “Culture: Meaning & Definition for UK English,” Lexico Dictionaries | English (Lexico Dictionaries), accessed November 4, 2021, https://www.lexico.com/definition/culture.

8. Kim Ann Zimmermann, “What Is Culture?,” LiveScience (Purch, July 13, 2017), https://www.livescience.com/21478-what-is-culture-definition-of-culture.html

9. UNESCO, “Protecting Our Heritage and Fostering Creativity,” UNESCO, October 5, 2021, https://en.unesco.org/themes/protecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity

10. UNESCO, “Culture: a driver and an enabler of sustainable development,” UN System Task Team on the post-2015 UN development agenda, Thematic Think Piece, May 2012, https://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/Think%20Pieces/2_culture.pdf

11. Slobodan Cvejić, “Culture – the Fourth Pillar of Sustainable Development,” CIRSD, accessed November 4, 2021, https://www.cirsd.org/en/see-views/culture-%E2%80%93-the-fourth-pillar-of-sustainable-development