Betwixt and between creativity and heritage: remaking a traditional festival and creating festivals to remake traditions in a historic neighbourhood in Taiwan

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article endeavours to advance scholarship on the relationship among festivals, cultural heritage, sustainable development, and the connection between cultural heritage and creativity. The article positions festivals as sites to negotiate creativity and traditions and recognises that festivals are constantly evolving and transforming. Through studying three smaller-scale community-initiated festivals in the Taiwanese historic neighbourhood of Twatutia (Dadaocheng), the article demonstrates: (1) how ‘traditions’ can be remade and revitalised to adapt to a changing society through creative intervention and active collaboration with the cultural and creative industries; and (2) how local communities can create festivals as creative means to showcase, revitalise, and remake local traditions. Provided that (1) there is mutual trust and long-term collaboration between cultural and creative practitioners and preservers of cultural heritage and traditional traders and practitioners; and (2) the autonomy of creative practitioners is respected, the article argues that creative interventions, such as festivals, can contribute to revitalising, rejuvenating, and remaking local traditions and support organic and sustainable development of local cultures without rejecting external influences.