A new publication entitled “Focus on Festivals” was launched on 27 February 2015 in Leicester, UK. The publication looks at understanding the causes and implications of the current growth in festivals internationally, and the implications for the wider industry and society. The book is the result of the work of the European Festival Research Project (EFRP), an initiative EFA has been supporting for many years.

Focus on Festivals includes festival examples, and a mix of practical and academic contributions providing a broad perspective across agendas from economic regeneration and tourism, to education and social inclusion. The book presents a contemporary overview of our most ubiquitous cultural phenomena - festivals. It is able to do so by taking a powerful and unique case-study focused, theoretically rigorous and pan-European approach. It comes from a hugely expert and experienced team of editors and authors drawn from across Europe and is based on the work of the European Festival Research Project (EFRP).

The key themes the book brings out are:

• The politics, programming, impacts, governance and management of festivals;
• The social, cultural, political, economic and physical contexts in which festivals operate;
• The potential of festivals to explore and stimulate a more risk-oriented approach to the arts;
• Key conclusions, trends, forecasts and recommendations for the sector in the future. 

The exciting range of authors and articles makes the publication an indispensable text for festival and events managers, public authorities, existing and potential sponsors, as well as students in arts and festival management courses.

Edited by Chris Newbold, Jennie Jordan, Franco Bianchini and Christopher Maughan, the publication includes articles by EFA representatives and partners, such as Kathrin Deventer (EFA Secretary General), Robyn Archer (Artistic Director The Light in Winter Melbourne, Deputy Chair Australia Council for the Arts, Strategic Advisor Gold Coast Arts and Culture Queensland), Steve Austen (Member Strategy Group “A Soul for Europe”), Bernard Faivre d’Arcier (former long-standing Director Avignon Festival, President Lyon Biennial), Nele Hertling (Vice President of the Academy of Arts Berlin, Member Strategy Group “A Soul for Europe”), and many more.

The launch event took place in the framework of the Cultural Exchanges festival, a week of interactive discussions, performances and talks at De Montfort University in Leicester.

The publications can be purchased at www.goodfellowpublishers.com/focusonfestivals. EFA members are entitled to a discount; please contact the EFA Secretariat at info@efa-aef.eu for more information.

EFA publications, such as the EFA BOOKS series, can be purchased on the EFA e-Shop.