UB researchers create the first portal that gathers all Spanish festivals

The portal collects the 1,200 festivals that take place in Spain.
The portal collects the 1,200 festivals that take place in Spain.
(10/07/2014)

ProFestival is the first portal that collects the 1,200 festivals that take place in Spain. It has been created by researchers involved in the Programme of Cultural Management of the University of Barcelona (UB), led by Lluís Bonet and Tino Carreño, and is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport and the Barcelona Culture Institute (ICUB). The main goals of the portal are to spread the wide range of art festivals at national and international level, to improve the working conditions of festival professionals and to promote the establishment of collaboration agreements among them. Festivals have greatly evolved and grown in recent years mainly because they attract tourists seeking for cultural attractions and they cost less than permanent cultural activities.

The portal collects the 1,200 festivals that take place in Spain.
The portal collects the 1,200 festivals that take place in Spain.
10/07/2014

ProFestival is the first portal that collects the 1,200 festivals that take place in Spain. It has been created by researchers involved in the Programme of Cultural Management of the University of Barcelona (UB), led by Lluís Bonet and Tino Carreño, and is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport and the Barcelona Culture Institute (ICUB). The main goals of the portal are to spread the wide range of art festivals at national and international level, to improve the working conditions of festival professionals and to promote the establishment of collaboration agreements among them. Festivals have greatly evolved and grown in recent years mainly because they attract tourists seeking for cultural attractions and they cost less than permanent cultural activities.

ProFestival, which provides information in Catalan, Spanish, English and French, includes a geolocation map of festivals all around Spain, a powerful search engine, relevant information about each festival, an agenda and other useful tools for the general public. You will find festivals devoted to modern and erudite music, theatre, dance, cinema and other art disciplines. Moreover, it has a professional area that provides different professionals involved in the management and production of festivals with directories, course offerings, news about festival management, studies and statistics, calls, etc. The website promotes the creation of a community of festival professionals, journalists and volunteers to strengthen synergies between them in order to turn the sector more competitive internationally. It is a website for direct collaboration between organizers, public and professional networks.

The project, managed by the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation, is part of the Programme of Cultural Management of UB, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The Programme offers the masterʼs in Cultural Management and the postgraduate diploma in Performing Arts and Cultural Events Management, among others. In fact, ProFestival emerges from several studies on festivals, for instance the final project of the masterʼs degree in Cultural Management developed by Edu Muños or Tino Carreñoʼs PhD thesis La gestió de festivals en temps de crisi: anàlisi de les estratègies financeres i laborals i impacte de la recessió econòmica. His work describes how the impact of economic recession on festivals was greater for the period 2011-2012 than in previous years. It also points out that the most damaged festivals are those devoted to performing arts and erudite music, which are heavily dependent on public funds. The work concludes that although festivals are vulnerable to periods of economic crisis, they are also able to adapt themselves to circumstances.