Partnerships, Social Capital and the Successful Management of Small Scale Cultural Festivals: A Case Study of Hobart's Antarctic Midwinter Festival

This paper uses a case study of the Antarctic Midwinter Festival held annually in Hobart, Australia, to analyse the ways in which cooperation, partnerships and social capital contribute to the successful management of small scale cultural festivals. It argues that the strategic use of partnerships evident in much event management practice is especially important in small communities, where issues with cost, infrastructure and market scale make it even more challenging to create the critical mass of thematically linked activities that characterise a successful festival. An emphasis on marketing, branding and relationships management in the context of a partnerships approach can help festival coordinators establish a bedrock of social capital to support a small scale cultural festival like the Antarctic Midwinter Festival. This approach can, however, have implications for succession planning as stewardship of the festival, and the social capital that supports the festival, is transferred to different coordinators down the years.