A Festival

Blog-9

Aah the Festival

Pat Bc

10.18.11

The Festival demonstrates life at its best for that moment in  time.  It offers glimpses of  the self through the  windows of representation of  others’ cultures.  The festival itself frames many concepts that increase a visitors awareness through  communication with the others (Cantwell Ethnomimesis:  Folklore and the Representation of Culture, 1993).     A hat becomes a representation of authencity by its design that creates a style represented by a person.   It sends a message as it moves through the crowd at that moment.   As the visitor walks messages are framed by the monuments and buildings designed to dress the exhibit that breathes life into the actor sharing a  performance-a practice shaped by ethnomimesis. 

Everyone behind the scenes including assistants walking or driving vehicles are part of the festive stage that delight the visitor.  Each exhibit represents the empowerment and autonomy of the participant who is shaped by social and cultural environment, embodied  and communicated through music, food or crafts.   However, it is the visitor’s perception of self shaped by dimensions of stereotype that determine the acceptance of the participant. 

Yet – does the visit impart a new idea that alters the perception of others( Camp and Lloyd, Six Reasons Not to Produce Folklife Festivals, 1980).   Festivals are important not only to show community representation but to impart knowledge-both to improve democracy and the life of the visitor and participant.  Now I understand that it is not just about eating the food but learning more about the participant’s life.