Special issue of Comunicazioni Sociali: Journal of Media, Performing Arts and Cultural Studies
Cultural Festivals as Tools of Sustainable Innovation and Social Change
Edited by Giulia Alonzo, Luca Monti, Oliviero Ponte di Pino, Emma H. Wood

Over the last few decades, there has been a remarkable increase in the number and type of cultural festivals (e.g. theatre, music, dance, circus, cinema, video, book, literature, arts). Cultural festivals are essential in contemporary society, acting as platforms for artistic expression, cultural exchange, social wellbeing and social interaction. These events attract diverse audiences, fostering community cohesion, creating innovative spaces for participation and inclusion, and encouraging active citizenship.

Festivals are not only sites for environmental action but also drivers of broader societal change. By raising awareness and showcasing sustainable technologies, they can serve as microcosms of sustainable innovation and global consciousness. Embedding sustainability and accessibility principles into their core practices, festivals can bridge the gap between celebration and responsibility. The challenge, however, remains to translate awareness into tangible actions, making festivals true agents of positive change.

Environmental and social sustainability have become a critical concern in the festival sector. Large-scale events often require significant energy consumption, generate substantial waste, and emit greenhouse gases, raising questions about their ecological footprint. Furthermore, some parts of the population face barriers, such as economic, cultural, physical, to participating in cultural activities. Festivals can provide opportunities to make culture more accessible to these groups.

Festivals also contribute significantly to economic development, particularly through urban regeneration and cultural tourism. However, their growing popularity has led to challenges, including balancing economic benefits with cultural integrity and managing environmental impacts. With climate and social changes at the forefront of global issues, stakeholders face increasing pressure to adopt sustainable and social practices.

On this basis, this special issue of Comunicazioni Sociali invites international scholars, artists and practitioners to discuss, through interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspectives, 1) how festivals face growing scrutiny for their environmental impact in their different practices (e.g. audience development, economic development, urban regeneration, seasonal tourism patterns.); 2) the capacity of festivals to create collaborations and networks with other cultural events, artists, communities, and sponsors to foster environmental awareness, inclusive sustainability efforts and social wellbeing; 3) how festivals can promote equity by ensuring diverse, accessible spaces, empowering innovation at the intersection of social justice and sustainability (e.g. reducing carbon imprint, integrating climate adaptation measures), and accessibility (e.g. attention to people with disabilities, architectural barriers); 4) the economic and social impacts of festivals (e.g. goals, methods, case studies.); 5) how funding and policy constraints could help the development of innovative solutions and best practices; 6) the role of festivals in inspiring social and environmental awareness and action, showcasing sustainable solutions and fostering global consciousness and climate resilience.

Through these lenses, we aim to explore the multifaceted role of cultural festivals in driving not only environmental but also social sustainability, envisioning a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future.

We invite abstracts on any of the following topics, but not exclusively*:

– Sustainability and accessibility practices in cultural festivals
– Engagement and active citizenship across audiences, artists, and stakeholders
– Barriers and opportunities in sustainability and accessibility in cultural festivals
– Cultural festivals as catalysts for change
– Cultural festivals as tools for wellness and social wellbeing
– Cultural festivals and community development

* Please note this is not an exhaustive list of topics, and we will review any abstracts related to Sustainability and Accessibility Practices in Cultural Festivals and associated topics. Especially welcome are submissions rooted in cultural and festival studies, visual, performance, media studies, cultural tourism, urban cultural studies and from scholars who bridge academia, arts, policy, media systems, public debate, and stakeholders’ networks.

Submission details

Proposals in English (between 300 and 400 words of length, excluding bibliography) are required to illustrate the objectives of the paper, the research question and the methodology adopted. They have to be sent, with a short biographical note, to redazione.cs@unicatt.it and giulia.alonzo@unicatt.it by February 1st, 2025.

Authors will be notified of proposal acceptance by February 20th, 2025.

If the proposal is accepted, the author(s) will be asked to submit the full article, in English, by May 20th, 2025.

Submission of a paper will be taken to imply that it is unpublished and is not being considered for publication elsewhere.

The articles must not exceed 5,000/6,000 words in English (including references)

For editorial guidelines, please refer to the section “Guide for the authors” on the Comunicazioni Sociali website: http://comunicazionisociali.vitaepensiero.com

Contributions will be submitted through a double-blind peer review process.

Issue 3/2025 of Comunicazioni Sociali will be published in December 2025 and available in open access on the journal’s website.

Comunicazioni Sociali is an OPEN ACCESS journal, indexed in Scopus, and it is an A-class rated journal by ANVUR in Cinema, photography, television, and digital media (PEMM-01/B, formerly L-ART/06), Performing arts (PEMM-01/A, formerly L-ART/05), and Sociology of culture and communication (GSPS-06/A, formerly SPS/08).

LINKS
The call on “Comunicazioni Sociali”

November 14, 2024, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, International congress “Cultural festival and intangible cultural heritage”

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Tag: Ateatro in English (8), festival (53)