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Community development brings resources together to build healthier, more vibrant, equitable neighbourhoods. Arts and cultural festivals and events can break down barriers, encourage participation, and spark innovation—all necessary characteristics for communities to expand and flourish. Research shows that communities with a vibrant cultural scene are more desirable to live in, have greater economic stability, and attract a more diverse and educated workforce.
Placemaking, is an approach to planning, design and management of public spaces centred around people and the community with the aim of contributing to people’s health, happiness and wellbeing. It is more than just physical characteristics, placemaking aims to create an environment that influences individuals and communities to cooperate, communicate, share experiences, culture, memories and heritage.
Placemaking approaches are utilised by the state government (through Renewal SA) and by numerous local councils across South Australia. The Local Government Association of South Australia (LGASA), in partnership with 19 councils, has currently commissioned the University of South Australia to deliver a project which aims to develop practical placemaking resources to support SA local governments in strategically managing public spaces to achieve better placemaking outcomes for community wellbeing The project is due for completion in November 2023.
Additionally, the safety of residents, visitors, families and communities is an important consideration for governments at all levels. The arts and cultural events can improve neighbourhood liveability, inspire community pride and mutual trust, provide alternative activities and help make places healthier and safer as they can encourage empathy and decrease distrust of others through exposure to stories of other cultural experiences.
Arts and cultural leadership are recognised as being central to the identity of South Australia going back to the 1970s which are credited as being the decade that transformed the landscape of South Australia, and established Adelaide as a preeminent city of arts and culture.
Adelaide’s festivals may have powerful impacts in placemaking, by shaping South Australia’s identity as a vibrant and creative state — as well as in destination marketing, by promoting the state as a more attractive destination for tourists to visit. Arts and cultural festivals, especially at a community level, have real potential to support placemaking agendas by contributing to a community’s sense of place and belonging and creating opportunities for shared experiences and cultural engagement.
Deloitte Access Economics determined that Adelaide’s festivals have a significant role in telling South Australian stories, and thereby support community pride, cohesiveness and vibrancy. Adelaide’s festivals play a powerful role in shaping South Australia’s identity, by providing a platform for South Australian narratives and culture to be portrayed on the stage, screen and canvas. For example, in Franklin’s study of Dark Mofo, he finds that the festival plays some role in facilitating the expression of local cultural identities, with scenes of public revelry allowing residents in Hobart to share in and celebrate their ‘newfound’ status as a city for the arts. Similarly, in Scotland’s festival city of Edinburgh, 89 per cent of local residents surveyed agreed that the Festivals increased their pride in Edinburgh as a city. Given that South Australian stories might be less commonly represented on Australia’s national stage, South Australian consumers obtain value from viewing content which is unique to their region. Adelaide’s festivals may therefore help to build South Australians’ pride in their state by celebrating their shared histories and cultural practices.
