Examining the cultural value of festivals : Considerations of creative destruction and creative enhancement within the rural environment

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”.