Enjoying excellence in a

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Enjoying excellence in a fun city looking at
festivals from the point of view of audiences

• Maaria Linko, University of Helsinki
• (maaria.linko_at_helsinki.fi)?
• EFRP Helsinki Workshop
• April 11-12th, 2008

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Research questions and data

• Presentation based on article in progress M.
  Linko S. Silvanto.
• Background festival boom in the Helsinki area.
  Cities turning into experience machines.
• Internet survey (N1055) among residents in
  Helsinki Metropolitan Area in October 2006. Also
  open-ended questions
• How popular are festivals among the residents of
  Helsinki Metropolitan Area?
• Emphasis in this presentation
• What are the reasons for visiting a festival?
• Do residents consider festivals meaningful for
  themselves or important to the city? Why?

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TABLE 1 Participation in festivals
participated sometimes
participated during the past 12 months

• 37 of all respondents have participated in a
  festival during the past 12 months
• 74 have sometimes participated in a festival

Age
4
TABLE 4 Reasons for visiting festivals
interesting program
particular performer
access to tickets
ticket prices
festival atmosphere
interesting venue
very important
quite important
not important/ dont know
important
5
TABLE 5 TOP 10 list of Festivals Visits to the
most popular festivals during the past 12 months
()?
of festival-goers
of all respondents
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The importance of festivals for the residents and
for the city

• 25 see festivals meaningful for them personally
• 91 of those who dont feel festivals are
  important for them still think they are important
  for the city
• Only 6 think festivals are not important for
  them nor for the city

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Why are festivals important for participants?

• Five discourses emerged experience,
  entertainment, enlightenment, empowerment, and
  excellence.
• Experiences considered important as such they
  bring experiences of joy. Enjoying atmosphere in
  general.
• Entertainment Relaxation and getting a good
  feeling, aspects of appreciating fun city
  visible
• Enlightenment Important for ones personal
  development - food for thought
• Empowerment Getting energy and inspiration from
  festivals. Sharing an experience community
  spirit
• Excellence artistic quality, festivals
  arrangements, special guests
• General view experience and entertainment
  discourses dominant enlightenment and
  entertainment also important. Different
  discourses in one answer, esp. excellence
  intertwined with other ds.

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Conclusions

• most of the residents of the Helsinki
  Metropolitan area participate in art festivals at
  least occasionally. Participants come from
  different groups.
• Residents see festivals as integral part of urban
  life high tolerance
• An interesting program is the main reason for
  participation.
• Qualitative data (2006) shows
• Experience orientation is strong. A meaningful
  experience is an enlightening or empowering one.
  These aspects do not prevent from having fun.
  Therefore

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In the long run, excellence is what counts in a
fun city

• The policy of Helsinki aiming at success in
  experience economy
• Residents and visitors enjoy different aspects of
  fun city but also interesting programs and the
  high quality of festival performances and
  arrangements. Appreciation of experiences and
  excellence was intertwined with ideas of
  empowerment.
• An excellence logic should be enhanced.