Genesis Avignon Dubrovnik:
Genesis Avignon Dubrovnik accidental
1947 Jean Vilar TNP
medieval Papal city, Court d’honeur and other locations
only own productions till mid 1960s
classical rep, high culture
international promo of the French culture
Paris tutelage imitative (Avignon)
1950 Dr Marko Fotez
medieval city state
various directors, festival ensemble and guest productions + classical music/international artists
Greeks, Držić, Krleza, Shakespeare, Vojnović
internat’l promo of the YU culture
Zagreb dominance
Evolution Avignon Dubrovnik :
Evolution Avignon Dubrovnik other French directors
slowly an internat’l component
Provence, a tourist mecca: highways, TGV
1968 upheaval
OFF program
Other South of France festivals
Decentralization, multiple
public financing Croat, YU & foreign directors
40 urban sites deployed
Adriatic tourism growth, airport, charters, yachts
no political controversies
occasional off program
Split festival competition
YU federalism & ZGB/DBK tensions
Crisis & continuity Avignon Dubrovnik:
Crisis & continuity Avignon Dubrovnik Intensive internationalization
extra-European programs
2003 strike and cancellation
new leadership & formula: central artist
programmatic coherence
OFF explosion & discursive escalation
2005 polemics re J Fabre
internat’l media attention Ltd. internationalization
1991 bombing and prolonged DBK isolation
after 2000, tourism grows, core audience lost
2 festival ensemble productions and classic music
business as usual/context radically altered
tourism marginalizes the festival
internation’ly insignificant
Indicators compared Avignon Dubrovnik:
Indicators compared Avignon Dubrovnik 120.000 inhabitants
university, continuous theater productions
3 weeks in July
30 productions
130.000 ticket sold
800+ shows in OFF
comb. subsidy € 4mln
econ impact € 35 mln+(?)
festival IS the primary tourist magnet 40.000 inhabitants
nascent university, contin. theater production
45 days July-Aug
2 new productions, 2 old
24.000 tickets sold
no off program
1 million € subsidy & € 1 million sponsors + own income
econ impact very limited
Fstl NOT a tourist magnet
Critical sustainability factors:
Critical sustainability factors Historic sites, site specific challenge
Attractive tourist zone
Connected to national cultural infrastructure & its development
Prominence gained through internationalization
Major public resources invested
Programming renewal, conceptual change
Strong autonomous leadership
Reflection, discourse, polemic, media exposure
Partnerships, communication, sponsorship
Tourist industry not allowed to usurp the festival, festival determines the tourist appeal
Audience diversification
Possible further comparisons needed in order to check the key sustainability factors:
Possible further comparisons needed in order to check the key sustainability factors Quality festivals in historic places, high tourist exposure:
Salzburg
Aix en Provence
Spoletto
Rimini
Maggio Fiorentino
Granada
Athens
Epidaurus
(c) D. Klaic 2006