Post-Festival Festival

The Post-Festival Festival

A Community-Driven Artistic Evaluation

Evaluation and reflection are fundamental human processes—we assess past experiences to shape our future ideas. This applies to cultural festivals as well. Organizers are accustomed to engaging in post-event evaluations, but how do you truly assess a large collective experience? What defines a festival’s success? And more importantly—whose values determine that success?

Working Process and Methods

Throughout the project, we used collaborative and structured methodologies to guide our research, planning, and evaluation. Miro served as our primary workspace, enabling continuous communication and visual organization of ideas. Our process began with the pre:ject phase, where we established group dynamics and shared goals using the I Do Arrt-method to structure meetings effectively. To manage tasks and timelines, we initially used Kanban in Excel but later transitioned to Miro for better integration with our workflow.

Research was conducted using Scan Cards, documenting emerging trends and innovations relevant to festival development. The majority of the research was conducted by reviewing news articles, research studies, and in-depth analyses of specific organizations and initiatives working with inclusion issues. We also conducted interviews with cultural producers, applying semi-structured questioning techniques to gain deeper insights. Our sense-making process involved clustering research findings, identifying key themes, and refining ideas into actionable strategies.

OUR PROPOSED MODEL 

A LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE FESTIVAL STRUCTURE

Our model is based on social cohesion as a theoretical framework. By viewing a festival as a process rather than a one-off event, opportunities for long-term participation and local ownership are created. This means that instead of a festival being the result of long-term planning, the festival itself becomes the starting point for continuous work on cultural and social development.

We propose an artistic evaluation model, where value is measured by the participants’ experiences and the festival’s impact on community cohesion. Instead of a market-driven evaluation, power shifts to a participant-based model, where the festival’s value is co-produced by the community.

To implement this, we have developed a three-step strategy:

• Evaluation

• Create forums where the festival can be discussed, re-experienced, and reimagined.

• Encourage discussions about art and culture so that it becomes a part of everyday life.

• Emphasize the festival as a collective experience that requires social reflection.

• Co-creation

• The evaluation process should shape the next festival – participants see that their experiences are taken seriously.

• Through open and inclusive dialogue, participants can challenge and inspire each other.

• Interim Period (between festivals)

• This period is used for collective improvisation – what should fill the time between festivals?

• This period is left for collective improvisation that could might look like:

• Small-scale art installations.

• Language cafés and other meeting spaces.

• Car-pooling initiatives.

• Skill time-banking.

• Guest lectures.

PROTOTYPE

During Barents Spektakel 2025, we will be testing a prototype for gathering feedback in collaboration with festival visitors. Attendees are invited to share their thoughts, feelings, and ideas by writing them on sticky notes and leaving them at designated spot throughout the festival.

Conclusion

By embedding artistic reflection into the festival cycle, we ensure that the voices of the local community are not only heard but actively shape the festival’s development. This approach fosters meaningful engagement, strengthens long-term community impact, and creates a truly inclusive festival experience—not just for a single weekend, but throughout the entire year.

One essential need that must be addressed to implement this post-festival initiative is financing. To support a long-term strategy, we propose a funding model based on a combination of membership fees and external grants. Membership fees would go directly back into the community, fostering a sense of co-ownership and granting participants greater influence and autonomy over the festival. These fees would also enable activities during the interim period between festivals and could help finance new hires within the organization if needed.

In addition to membership fees, external grants would be sought to cover more costly initiatives. To secure such funding, it is important to retain some traditional key performance indicators (KPIs) to meet the requirements of grant applications while maintaining a focus on the festival’s artistic and social value.

To further strengthen community participation, we suggest implementing a decision-making structure that allows members to vote on certain aspects of the festival’s organization. This would reinforce the sense of collective ownership and ensure that the festival remains responsive to the needs and aspirations of the local community.

Team Robot Horses

MISSION

Our team is committed to collaborative, inclusive, and adaptive cultural research. We embrace creativity, learning, and trust-building as core principles, ensuring that our work is both meaningful and impactful. Through teamwork, skill-sharing, and open communication, we navigate complexity with curiosity and commitment.

VISION

We envision a research-driven, process-oriented approach that fosters innovation and deeper cultural understanding. By embracing uncertainty, valuing collaboration, and refining our goals along the way, we strive to create meaningful insights that contribute to a dynamic and inclusive cultural landscape.