Festivals: once the circus has left town

What legacy do festivals leave behind them, and how important are such concerns for contemporary festival directors?
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PIAF Lotterywest Festival Opening, Home, Saturday 13 February. Credit: Jason Eshraghian – Director & Photographer. 

Box office, bums on seats, artistry and aesthetics, sustainability and carbon footprints; festival directors have many considerations when presenting a program. But what about their cultural footprint – are Artistic Directors conscious of leaving a legacy, and can the impact of a major international arts festival ever be truly measured?

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Richard Watts is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM, and serves as the Chair of La Mama Theatre's volunteer Committee of Management. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, and was awarded the status of Melbourne Fringe Living Legend in 2017. In 2020 he was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize. Most recently, Richard was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Green Room Awards Association in June 2021. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts