Social capital and participation: the role of community arts festivals for generating wellbeing

Community arts festivals have a potential role for fostering social capital and population wellbeing. This small, exploratory study collected and analysed qualitative data from eight semi-structured interviews with festival organizers. Thematic analysis was applied to the interview transcripts.

The findings suggest that festivals create bridging social capital. Festivals also stimulate self-efficacy, which facilitates participation, an emotional response, and may lead to a sense of personal wellbeing, with a living legacy for the community.

The article posits a model to articulate the suggested interrelationship between these concepts. Very little research exists about the contribution of arts festivals for community health and wellbeing. This nascent research therefore adds to the body of knowledge, and suggests the importance of developing participatory activity at local arts and cultural festivals for community health and wellbeing.