FESTIVALS AS CULTURAL ACTIVITIES – COMBINATIONS OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BENEFITS

Abstract

In the latest years, academics have talked more and more about the creative economy, as a cause of a different classification and division of the economic activities, including in its area all those activities which are based on the human resource, its talent and intellectual capital. The creativity seems to be a too special feature, having its own ways to flourish and to be exploited, so it has to be treated separately from the sectors of manufacture, industry or services. The Romanian culture is transmitted and exploited in various ways, starting with the commercialisation of handicrafts and ending with the organisation of events with artistic or symbolic expression. We will focus on the performing arts, organized as events for different communities. These events appear as leisure activities and have an important social feature because they have the attribute to develop the sense of identity, belonging to the group and social cohesion. These aspects are crucial for the development of a creative habitat or cultural center. The festivals attract people for different reasons; some of them are looking for an environment where to socialise, others come being interested exactly in enjoying the event or the specific goods and services which are offered there. Another type of the festival consumers is represented by the ones who only look for something new to experiment, exploring the unknown, this segment not representing loyal customers, but whatever the reason are, each participant comes for the emotional stimulation offered by the enjoyment of the festival.

Keywords

• creative economy
• cultural economy
• cultural activities
• festivals