FESTVITIES AS URBAN TRANSFORMATIONS:
MULTI-DIMENSIONAL PERSPECTIVES.
by
.
Wayne K. D. Davies,
Geography, University of Calgary,
Canada.
(wdavies@ucalgary.ca)
CONTEXT OF PREVIOUS IGU PAPERS
General Themes of Most Papers.
Searching for Different Dimensions or
Sources of Variation in Various Aspects of
Urban Geography,
e.g. Urban Systems/ Factorial Ecology of
Cities/
Community
Variations/Post
Modernism Approaches/ Sustainability/
Crime Variations/……
…………now Festivals in Cities..as part of key
Transformations of Cities
Importance
• Festive Events are some of the most important
features that contribute to the vitality,
excitement and distinctiveness of urban
places. Part of major TRANSFORMATIONS of
recent urban changes. Urban Commission
theme?
• World Scale examples define the places.
• Few Towns /Cities are now without a festival.
• Festivals are often high spot/climax of year.
Question: How can we
Assess/Interpret Festivals ?
What the various Dimensions or Sources
of Variation that define their various
characters?
More Interesting than previous ‘dry’
topics as seen by following examples:
Oktoberfest/ Mardi Gras/ Rio Carnival/
Sapporo Snow Festival/
/Calgary Stampede
Mardi Gras Parade
Mardi Gras, New Orleans
Mardi Gras: Alternative Life-Style
Mardi
Rio: Carnival Parade
Snow Festival in Sapporo
Calgary Stampede
Relevance of Festivals
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Part of urban life since towns began.
Tremendous increase in last 30 years.
Also some cities have many festivals
Montreal has over a 100/year. Calgary claims 69.
New? Curcio-Nagy ( 2004) showed that colonial Mexico
City had 5 major and >100 smaller festivals/year.
• Changes described as: ‘ hyper-festive’ society(Murray
199); development of’ Festive Citie’s ( (Gravari-Barbas
2007); image saturated society as spectacle( Labord
Singular Views of Festivals
• Most are Case Studies… not General/ Theoretical.
• Conclusions often conflicted, e.g.
a) Community? Durkheim (1976) saw them as
consolidating communities. Bakthin (1984) saw
them as contestations of groups for power
b) Engines of Growth, part of cultural renovation
of cities …….or purveyors of false consciousness
that disguise inequalities and needs of poor?
Multi-Dimensional Approach
• Festivals are complex entities. Gotham (2005) in
study of New Orleans showed that the festivals in
N.O. often had conflicted and contradictory
effects and they were multi-faceted.
• So what are the different Dimensions?
• Do they have Alternative and Different
results?
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8 Dimensions of Festivals (others?)
Note Alternative Results
Ephemeral.. Temporary in Time and Space.
Functions: Six Types
Forms: Authentic v Inauthentic
Experiences: Transformative v Transgressive
Exchanges: Symbolic v Reciprocal or Market Exch.
Commun. Connectivies: Cohesive v Conflictual
Constructiveness: Constructive v Deconstructive
Impacts: Gains v Societal Losses
Note: Modifications to all through Time.
1. EphemeralTemporary in Time and Space
• Time. Events not part of regular, working
time. . ‘out of time’ character.
• Space. Temporary Occupance. Different
festivals in different spaces in city or region.
• Spill over into diff. areas.
• One site for many festivals
2. Functions--Typology
• Temporal-Cyclical. Pre-urban. e.g Solstices/Planting
• Religious Beliefs …additional to above
• Political…Hegemonic …or Alternative/Protest.
• Traditions or Heritage (Ethnic and Local Place).
• New Cultural Events.
• Life-Styles.
Festivals may Overlap/have more than one
function…and …Morph from 1 to another through time
3. Forms
• One or more of Parades/Costumes/
Music/Dancing etc
• Authentic to original culture OR
• Inauthentic…distorted version
(Hobsbawn+Ringer 1983 .Invention of Tradition)
e.g La Cavalcata Sarda.( Sardinia) .1899, 1951
Magliocco…distortions
Azara. .Cohesion...Interest in past….Anti-homog
4. Experiences
• Transformative..Sensory. Pleasure,
Excitement..
Insight into past……..Horror?
Transgressive..
Challenge to Norms…. Break Mores..
Riots/Debauchery.
Allowed for a few days..escape from strictures
5. Exchanges
• As Symbolic…Sacrifice as scapegoat…
Please Gods
• Reciprocal relationships .e.g.. gift exchange
• Market Exchange…Often an associated part of
other functions of older festivals.
Now dominant in search for profits?
6. Connectivities
• How do festivals affect connections between
people…...especially locals?
• Either: Cohesive. .in binding people into
community
v Conflictual. Alternative views of what to
do..
Opposition to noises/excesses of festival
Both may apply to various groups… .Reconcile?
7. Construction
• Construction..
• Takes time, specialised artists, organisers etc
• Coping. Needs of sanitation, food and drink,
shelter, policing
8. Societal Impacts?
• Gains… In addition to ones dealt wit..
Economic. .Direct/Multiplier/Future
Investment/Prestige
• Losses… a) Needs of Disadvantaged..
..stadia for tourists not houses, jobs, education.
b) Increased corporate control
…grants for sole sponsorship…...locals lose
??? How to reconcile
Conclusions.
• Festivals/festive events are important
transformative elements. They define the
character of urban places and provide so many
functions, including excitement and pleasure, to
cities. (Few geogs, except M.G-B, study them)
• Objective has been to look generally at the
kaleidoscope of features in festivals. Provides
conceptual framework of the various dimensions
of festivals, via examples …globally/historically.
Viewed festivals from the lenses of
these 8 dimensions. (Are there more?)
Enables us to assess the varied
character of festivals.
It also helps us understand the way
different dimensions can produce quite
contradictory results, results which
often need to be reconciled.
……end
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