Stuart Richards and Jessica Pacella
In-person film festival experiences have faced uncertain futures since the spread of COVID-19. Snap-lockdowns, unclear and rapidly changing rules to public density allowances in…
Abstract
Purpose
In-person film festival experiences have faced uncertain futures since the spread of COVID-19. Snap-lockdowns, unclear and rapidly changing rules to public density allowances in theatres, distribution and challenges of “working-from-home” have become prominent issues to creative and cultural workers employed within the film festival ecosystem. The purpose of this paper, drawing from a series of interviews with film festival directors, organisers and workers within Australia, offers insight into the working lives of those employed within the film festival sector during 2020.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the research team's existing professional networks and a targeted approach of participant recruitment, this paper draws upon interview data from 5 semi-structured interviews with participants located in various Australian capital cities, who were working in the film festival sector during 2020. Participants were all mid-career, having at least 5 years of employment experience within the film festival ecosystem (directors, programmers and content creators) as well as having experience in other adjacent cultural and creative work.
Findings
The results in this study highlight common concerns of the legacy precarity has on professional and creative practice for those engaged in creative and cultural work, but also of unusual and unexpected opportunities for creativity and new film festival delivery beyond the dominant mode of in-theatre only experience pre-COVID-19.
Originality/value
The originality of this study lies in its qualitative exploration of the various employment experiences of Australian film festival workers during COVID-19.
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Within Australia, cultural festivals focusing on music, food and art represent important social and economic opportunities for rural communities. However, tensions may also arise…
Abstract
Purpose
Within Australia, cultural festivals focusing on music, food and art represent important social and economic opportunities for rural communities. However, tensions may also arise within communities where stakeholder ideologies are at odds regarding the place identity being presented for consumption by tourism practices. Thus, using Mitchell’s model of creative destruction/creative enhancement as a theoretical framework and through qualitative analysis, the purpose of this paper is to critically examine three South Australian festivals from multiple perspectives, to identify what relevant stakeholders consider festivals contribute to the community and how this may impact on the success of the festival itself.
Design/methodology/approach
Using Mitchell’s model of creative destruction/creative enhancement as a theoretical framework and through qualitative analysis, this research critically examines three South Australian festivals from multiple perspectives, to identify what relevant stakeholders consider festivals contribute to the community and how this may impact on the success of the festival itself.
Findings
Findings suggest that those communities who present a more complex understanding of the “rural idyll” through the integration of multiple local products will experience greater success, both for internal and external audiences.
Originality/value
This research represents a unique contribution to the literature on festivals by combining the theoretical construct of cultural value with Mitchell’s model of creative destruction and creative enhancement, particularly within South Australia where little such work has been one, despite the fact that it presents itself as the “Festival State”.
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Cassandra Perryman, Genevieve Dingle and David Clark
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the changes in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology during treatment in a drug and alcohol therapeutic community.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the changes in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology during treatment in a drug and alcohol therapeutic community.
Design/methodology/approach
A repeated measures design was employed that looked at PTSD, depression, anxiety, and stress at a pre- and post-timepoint. A second sample was then evaluated at time of program completion to seven months post-treatment.
Findings
PTSD symptomatology significantly decreased in individuals who had undertaken treatment, and continued to decline post-treatment. This finding was irrespective of any PTSD-specific treatment.
Research limitations/implications
PTSD specific treatment is not necessary to lower the symptomatology. Furthermore, this provides evidence that PTSD and substance use disorders are so highly intertwined that the comorbidity can almost be considered a single, diagnosis.
Originality/value
This is a partial replication of previous research which had not previously been replicated. This research also adds to the limited research which looks at PTSD from the perspective of drug and alcohol rehabilitation.