If, by some strange mischance, the National Arts Festival vanished its absence would be devastating for Grahamstown.
Economists over the years have tried to measure the economic impact of festivals, both in terms of the actual money spent during the festival and the multiplier effect of that. In other words, how that money ripples through an area to boost the local economy.
If, by some strange mischance, the National Arts Festival vanished its absence would be devastating for Grahamstown.
Economists over the years have tried to measure the economic impact of festivals, both in terms of the actual money spent during the festival and the multiplier effect of that. In other words, how that money ripples through an area to boost the local economy.
Festival-goers spent a little over R39 million in Grahamstown in 2009, according to one study. Adjusting for inflation, that is around R47m. The study, by Melville Saayman and Riaan Rossouw of North-West University, also estimated the Festival, with multiplier effects, generates around R82.4m in economic output for the Eastern Cape economy.
On those grounds alone, it would seem the Festival is worth having. However, it has been pointed out that arts festivals need to be evaluated in broader terms, and their social benefits somehow assessed if such festivals are to be supported by governments.
Rhodes University’s own cultural economist Prof Jen Snowball estimated in 2000 that the non-market benefits were R2m to R3m.
Centre for Festival & Event Management at Napier University Business School in Edinburgh, Scotland, goes further to advocate looking not at economic impact but at the benefits and “disbenefits” of festivals.
Examples of the benefits are “building a sense of community identity” and enhancing “the quality of life”. Both are non-controversial.
An example of a disbenefit is the “opportunity cost of public funds”. What this means, I think, is you have to ask whether the public money that goes to arts festivals could not be spent rather on, say, education.
Another disbenefit mentioned is “elitism and exclusion”. The last is something that Rhodes University, which faces a similar problem in that it is almost by definition exclusive, tries to deal with through community engagement.
I have written about how the Village Green craft market shows a lesson in real-world economics.
The existence of another market, however, next to the cathedral and catering to a different group of customers, says something about enduring continuities of racial separation in South Africa, even though they are no longer legislated.
The Church Square market customers and stall holders seem to be mainly black and the goods offered utilitarian. Such parallel events raise the spectre of resentment and politicisation of the Arts Festival.
Snowball’s research seems to show that there is little hostility towards the Festival in the poorer areas of Grahamstown because of its elitist nature, and even an appreciation of its worth.
Again, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t question whether the event is inclusive enough and to what extent it draws the community in, rather than shuts them out. Perhaps it is something the artists who perform at the Festival should think about as well.
My own concern is how we, the citizens of Grahamstown, could contribute to maximising the benefits of the Festival, given that it unquestionably has such a large effect one way or another.
I have already hinted at giving more thought to greater community engagement. The Fingo Festival, which hosts workshops, dialogues and other activities for township people, is a good start.
We could also use the Festival much more forcefully as an argument to mobilise funds for urban renewal. This city, charming though it is, looks like it has seen better days.
On a practical level, what could be done to make the Festival itself an even greater contribution to the economy of the city?
The research also shows that few international visitors attend the Festival. An opportunity to earn foreign exchange for the country as well as boost the local economy is being missed.
More pertinent is that a high percentage of the Festival-goers are local, limiting the economic impact. We may be spending on tickets and even food, but not on transport and accommodation. Festival-goers from the rest of South Africa spend more.
“Even though it is important for locals to support festivals and events, from an economic point of view one would like to see more festinos from other areas.
“Again, this supports the notion that marketing campaigns should attract visitors from further afield,” state Saayman and Rossouw.
What lessons can Grahamstown learn from the success of the Festival?
One is that the Festival concept could be extended so that the city gets visitors throughout the year. A literary festival, for instance, that does not coincide with the main Festival should be researched.
Other events that draw in visitors from outside the city should be considered.
As a university town Grahamstown has a richness of intellect. We shouldn’t let it pass unnoticed, like the “mute inglorious Milton” buried in Gray’s Country Churchyard.
