Festivals and Active Citizenship

Cultural festivals have a social, cultural and economic impact in the region they take place and on the citizens involved. Although much has been published on the impacts of events there is little that explores how they might contribute to the creation of active citizenship. The Italian festival “Arona Città Teatro” was researched over twelve months using a mixed method approach, specifically field observation, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. This case study seeks to better understand how a festival can contribute to democratic construction processes. The analysis of the Festival and its audience demonstrates the importance of the continuity of cultural festivals in small towns. This leads to the conclusion that festivals can significantly contribute to the construction of an active citizenship process. Based on the findings a festival Ecosystem is proposed that begins to explain the process of active citizenship development via events. Recommendations for further research are put forward.