Study of Outdoor Arts Festivals in the United States

Festival Administrator Interview Guide

Interviewers will already have collected basic information about the festival’s history and founding, governance, mission, programs and artistic and community purposes, and ticket and fee structures.

Interviews will be digitally recorded, with the consent of the respondent.

I. Introduction

Short description of the research

Explanation of confidentiality

II. Questions

1. Why was your festival established? To address what purpose or need? How does the festival you produce serve your organization/agency’s mission? Have the reasons for producing the festival changed over time? How would you explain those changes?

2. Who do you think attends this festival? Do your audiences seem similar to or different from audiences for other arts activities? Which arts activities? How your audiences at this festival similar? How are they different? If there are important differences, why do you think that is the case?

3. Do you regularly collect data about attendance at your festival? How is that data collected? How often? Can you provide data from past years?

4. Now I want to ask some questions about the places where people experience the arts.

   1. Do you think that there are important differences between experiencing the arts in a festival setting as opposed to at home or with family and friends? What are those differences?

   2. Do you think that there are important differences between experiencing the arts in a festival setting as opposed to a school or a church, synagogue, mosque or other religious institution? What are those differences?

   3. Do you think that there are important differences between experiencing the arts in a festival setting as opposed to a setting like a concert hall or a museum? What are those differences? Do you believe that the aesthetic experiences provided in a festival setting are different from those provided in settings like a concert hall or a museum? In what way? How would you account for those differences?

5. Why does your organization/agency charge the fees it does for entry to the festival or to particular events that take place during the festival?

6. Do you regularly collect data about the financial impact of your festival on your organization/agency? How is that data collected? How often? Do you consider the festival to be a financial drain or a financial asset for the organization/agency? Has this changed in the recent financial climate? How?

7. Now I want to ask you a couple of questions about the public and community service aspects of festivals.

   1. Do you believe that this festival serves the community in significant ways? In what ways? Is community service one of the most important reasons why you produce this festival?

   2. Do you believe that festivals serve the public in a distinct way? If so, is this different from the public service provided by other kinds of arts activities? In what ways?

8. a. What government or tribal agencies do you work with in order to produce your festival? In what ways do you work with these agencies (prompts: funding, licensing, public safety, sanitation, marketing, artist registries, etc.)? What type of resources and other benefits do you gain through this partnership that you would not be able to access alone? How would you characterize your ability to work with these agencies? Are there significant challenges to working with them? What are those challenges?

b. What nonprofit organizations do you work with in order to produce your festival? In what ways do you work with these organizations? What type of resources and other benefits do you gain through this partnership that you would not be able to access alone? How would you characterize your ability to work with these nonprofits? Are there significant challenges to working with them? What are those challenges?

c. What businesses or corporations do you work with in order to produce your festival? In what ways do you work with these businesses? What type of resources and other benefits do you gain through this partnership that you would not be able to access alone? How would you characterize your ability to work with these businesses? Are there significant challenges to working with them? What are those challenges?

9. Is there anything you would like to add?

V. Closing