Project Title: Making Art and Making a Living: The role of festivals in contemporary arts careers.
What was your research about?
In this thesis I argue that contemporary art festivals and biennials are significant for artistic careers, as they are concentrated moments that offer opportunities for approval and credibility, as well as access to resources and networks. Two Scottish contemporary art festivals – Glasgow International (GI) and Edinburgh Art Festival (EAF) – provide specific sites for this research, and in-depth interviews with artists who have participated in either one or both of these festivals form my key empirical data. In analysing these interview accounts, my methodological approach is shaped by interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) whereby I emphasise the experiences and reflections of my interviewees. Methodologically, I have also employed Bourdieu’s work on forms of capital as a framework for my analysis, drawing out the economic, social and reputational effects that involvement with festivals has upon these artists’ careers. The first chapters of the thesis outline the literature and methodological contexts for this research. Here, I situate this study in relation to scholarship on artistic labour within art theory, art practice and sociology, and consider histories and models of both curatorial practice and biennials as they relate to my focus on festivals. Here, I also establish the key background and arguments on capitals that inform my arguments. The final three chapters analyse the accounts of my interviewees. These chapters deal, in turn, with the ways in which festivals provide economic resources to artists, consecrate participating artists with credibility within the field, and provide access points to professional networks. I conclude by arguing that festivals can be key sites of career development, acceleration and consecration for participating artists, and suggesting ways in which these organisations could develop their support for artists, as well as opportunities for further research.
CONNECT WITH NIKKI
Email: Nikki Kane