Festival Research Program - Fesztiválkutatás

13 years ago, the last comprehensive study of Hungarian festivals took place. Research at the time became a point of reference for a long time and helped decision-makers enforce quality considerations. Therefore, our Institution conducted research and a comprehensive survey at the request and funding of the Secretariat of the Hungarian Academy of Arts (Magyar Művészeti Akadémia Titkársága) and with the professional support of the Hungarian Festival Association (Magyar Fesztivál Szövetség). The study reflected on the 2016 Hungarian festival offerings, its most important data, indicators and trends, and analyzed support and funding practices.

The Hungarian Academy of Arts (Magyar Művészeti Akadémia) is interested in the mapping of festivals in Hungary not only through the tasks of public bodies, but also through its institutions, such as Hall of Arts and Pesti Vigadó. The main activities of the Heritage Cultural Political Institution (Örökség Kultúrpolitikai Intézet) are to carry out research in the field of culture and cultural politics, to prepare analyzes and to release publications.

In the course of the research carried out in the 2017 professional program, our Institution examined the grants awarded to festivals in 2016. By reasearching the public funds, it attempted to map the state grants awarded to festivals - from government funds, through the grants of the National Cultural Fund (Nemzeti Kulturális Alap) and the Hungarian Academy of Arts (Magyar Művészeti Akadémia) , to subsidies from background institutions and companies.

Methodologically, on the one hand, the festival research examined state funding by collecting data from governmental and ministerial background institutions, analyzed the habits of municipal festival subsidies by providing questionnaires. On the other hand, festival organizers were consulted during focus group interviews, and analytical conclusions were drawn based on data provided in the Hungarian Festival Registration and Qualification Program (Magyar Fesztivál Regisztrációs és Minősítési Program). In addition to the financing and support data and characteristics of state and local government actors, the research also analyzed the festivals themselves. Moreover, the peer-reviewed study also presents the results of festival research abroad with a comparative perspective, and with a particular focus on V4 countries.

The data of the Festival Research 2016  (Fesztiválkutatás) and the conclusions drawn from the data will certainly be utilized well by the domestic actors of the ever-strengthening cultural tourism, which has an increasing role in national strategy and national economy.

The press material of the research summary is available HERE in Hungarian, while the book describing the complete study in Hungarian can be ordered from our Institution.

The implementation of the Festival Research (Fesztiválkutatás) professional program between 2016-2020 was supported by the Hungarian Academy of Arts. (Magyar Művészeti Akadémia)