This article may contain graphic and/or adult content unsuitable for minors and sensitive readers.
The first extensive survey on the socio-economic impact of the National Arts Festival has revealed it to be a significant driver of the local and provincial economy.
The survey, conducted by professor Geoff Antrobus and Jen Snowball of Rhodes University's Economics Department, found that the Festival contributed a staggering R349.9m to the economy of Grahamstown and the Eastern Cape as a whole.
The study also found that visitors from outside the province spend an additional R27.3m before and after attending the 11-day event, while the Festival contributed an estimated R90m to the GDP of the city of Grahamstown through direct and indirect spend, job creation and tourism activity.
Festival director, Tony Lankester, says for the first time the study tracked the impact of the festival not only on Grahamstown but the province as a whole.
He says the study also looked at the social impact of the Festival on the city of Grahamstown, looking at how locals feel about it and what impact it has on overall civic pride.
Lankester says the study compared the National Arts Festival to the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland which asked similar questions.
"The study was consistent with similar pieces of research conducted elsewhere in the world in demonstrating that the major beneficiaries of Festivals are the tourism and hospitality industries. "In Grahamstown one can conclude that there is additional benefit to the education industry - the private schools and Rhodes University - who benefit from positive perceptions of the City and its uniqueness perpetuated by the Festival," Lankester said.
"For us these figures illustrate the extent to which the Festival has become a vital part of the local economy," Lankester continued. "But it is more than that. Apart from the economic value, the study shows how the Festival helps shift and shape the socio-cultural landscape on a national level."
According to researcher, Jen Snowball, it it was also the first time in a South African study of the Festival that questions relating to the social impact of the event were asked.
"We wanted to see how the Festival affects how people interact with each other, how it affects the way they perceive their city and whether or not they view it as an enhancement to their lives.
The response was positive: Nearly 80% of respondents believe that the Festival plays an important role in creating the identity of Grahamstown, saying that it is an important part of what makes the City a "special place," she said.
She added that the role that the Festival plays in building social cohesion was also emphasized by the study.
"This is an encouraging indication that the Festival offers important opportunities for interaction and conversation across race, class and cultural backgrounds," Snowball said.
