[Commlist] CfP CS 3/2025 - Cultural Festivals as Tools of Sustainable Innovation and Social Change

Special issue of Comunicazioni Sociali: Journal of Media, Performing 
Arts and Cultural Studies

Cultural Festivals as Tools of Sustainable Innovation and Social Change

Edited by Giulia Alonzo, Luca Monti, Oliviero Ponte di Pino, Emma H. Wood

Over the last few decades, there has been a remarkable increase in the 
number and type of cultural festivals (e.g. theatre, music, dance, 
circus, cinema, video, book, literature, arts). Cultural festivals are 
essential in contemporary society, acting as platforms for artistic 
expression, cultural exchange, social wellbeing and social interaction. 
These events attract diverse audiences, fostering community cohesion, 
creating innovative spaces for participation and inclusion, and 
encouraging active citizenship.

Festivals are not only sites for environmental action but also drivers 
of broader societal change. By raising awareness and showcasing 
sustainable technologies, they can serve as microcosms of sustainable 
innovation and global consciousness. Embedding sustainability and 
accessibility principles into their core practices, festivals can bridge 
the gap between celebration and responsibility. The challenge, however, 
remains to translate awareness into tangible actions, making festivals 
true agents of positive change.

Environmental and social sustainability have become a critical concern 
in the festival sector. Large-scale events often require significant 
energy consumption, generate substantial waste, and emit greenhouse 
gases, raising questions about their ecological footprint. Furthermore, 
some parts of the population face barriers, such as economic, cultural, 
physical, to participating in cultural activities. Festivals can provide 
opportunities to make culture more accessible to these groups.

Festivals also contribute significantly to economic development, 
particularly through urban regeneration and cultural tourism. However, 
their growing popularity has led to challenges, including balancing 
economic benefits with cultural integrity and managing environmental 
impacts. With climate and social changes at the forefront of global 
issues, stakeholders face increasing pressure to adopt sustainable and 
social practices.

On this basis, this special issue of Comunicazioni Sociali invites 
international scholars, artists and practitioners to discuss, through 
interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspectives, 1) how festivals 
face growing scrutiny for their environmental impact in their different 
practices (e.g. audience development, economic development, urban 
regeneration, seasonal tourism patterns.); 2) the capacity of festivals 
to create collaborations and networks with other cultural events, 
artists, communities, and sponsors to foster environmental awareness, 
inclusive sustainability efforts and social wellbeing; 3) how festivals 
can promote equity by ensuring diverse, accessible spaces, empowering 
innovation at the intersection of social justice and sustainability 
(e.g. reducing carbon imprint, integrating climate adaptation measures), 
and accessibility (e.g. attention to people with disabilities, 
architectural barriers); 4) the economic and social impacts of festivals 
(e.g. goals, methods, case studies.); 5) how funding and policy 
constraints could help the development of innovative solutions and best 
practices; 6) the role of festivals in inspiring social and 
environmental awareness and action, showcasing sustainable solutions and 
fostering global consciousness and climate resilience.

Through these lenses, we aim to explore the multifaceted role of 
cultural festivals in driving not only environmental but also social 
sustainability, envisioning a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable 
future.

We invite abstracts on any of the following topics, but not exclusively*:

- Sustainability and accessibility practices in cultural festivals

- Engagement and active citizenship across audiences, artists, and 
stakeholders

- Barriers and opportunities in sustainability and accessibility in 
cultural festivals

- Cultural festivals as catalysts for change

- Cultural festivals as tools for wellness and social wellbeing

- Cultural festivals and community development


* Please note this is not an exhaustive list of topics, and we will 
review any abstracts related to Sustainability and Accessibility 
Practices in Cultural Festivals and associated topics. Especially 
welcome are submissions rooted in cultural and festival studies, visual, 
performance, media studies, cultural tourism, urban cultural studies and 
from scholars who bridge academia, arts, policy, media systems, public 
debate, and stakeholders’ networks.

Submission details

Proposals in English (between 300 and 400 words of length, excluding 
bibliography) are required to illustrate the objectives of the paper, 
the research question and the methodology adopted. They have to be sent, 
with a short biographical note, to (redazione.cs /at/ unicatt.it) and 
(giulia.alonzo /at/ unicatt.it) by February 10, 2025.

Authors will be notified of proposal acceptance by February 20, 2025.

If the proposal is accepted, the author(s) will be asked to submit the 
full article, in English, by May 20, 2025.

Submission of a paper will be taken to imply that it is unpublished and 
is not being considered for publication elsewhere.

The articles must not exceed 5,000/6,000 words in English (including 
references)

For editorial guidelines, please refer to the section “Guide for the 
authors” on the Comunicazioni Sociali website: 
http://comunicazionisociali.vitaepensiero.com

Contributions will be submitted through a double-blind peer review process.

Issue 3/2025 of Comunicazioni Sociali will be published in December 2025 
and available in open access on the journal's website.

Comunicazioni Sociali is an OPEN ACCESS journal, indexed in Scopus, and 
it is an A-class rated journal by ANVUR in Cinema, photography, 
television, and digital media (PEMM-01/B, formerly L-ART/06), Performing 
arts (PEMM-01/A, formerly L-ART/05), and Sociology of culture and 
communication (GSPS-06/A, formerly SPS/08).
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