Cultural closure and social mobility: a critical examination of festival governance structures as exclusive social spaces

Abstract

ABSTRACT Festival producers used their professional cultural expertise to navigate tensions between local and national policies in order to access resources from different funding sources. They did this according to tacit values which defined ‘excellence’ in their artistic fields rather than local communities’ cultural interests. In exploring festival production this paper contributes a critical understanding of how festivals’ governance institutions became exclusive social spaces that, through professional closure based on obscure ‘cultural value’ criteria, limited rather than facilitated social mobilities. In illuminating the role of art forms, funders and festival governance structures as exclusive in-groups, the study runs contrary to common academic and policy narratives which envision festivals as inherently open spaces. Consequently, the paper argues policy makers seeking to achieve socio-cultural outcomes through festivals carefully consider the festival’s cultural field and who is included or excluded from its governance.