Click here to read the full releaseThe impact the Edinburgh Festivals have on the city of Edinburgh and on Scotland as a whole will be measured in 2010 as part of a groundbreaking research project which commences this week with the start of the Edinburgh International Science Festival on April 3.
The project, which will measure the impact of all twelve Edinburgh Festivals, will encompass economic gains as well as media profile, social and cultural benefits and environmental outcomes to produce a valuable report on one of the biggest festival programmes in the world.
The work has been commissioned by six Scottish partners: EventScotland, the national events agency,, City of Edinburgh Council, Scottish Arts Council, Festivals Edinburgh, Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Government.
Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer at EventScotland, the national events agency and one of the partners involved in the research, said: “Measurement in the events industry is tremendously challenging and yet it is absolutely vital to the ongoing success of events in Scotland. The Edinburgh Festivals are, collectively, one of our biggest assets, attracting massive audiences year on year. In 2010, we will start to gain a clearer understanding of just how great an asset the Festivals are to Scotland which will, in turn, help us determine the best ways to ensure they flourish for many years to come.
“Potentially one of the most groundbreaking areas of work will be the measurement of the social impacts of the Festival events, both individually and together. This will be an incredibly complex area to explore and one which will potentially shape Scotland’s future relationship with the Edinburgh Festivals. This research will, essentially, give us the most comprehensive analysis of the Festivals we have ever had; it’s a hugely exciting piece of work.”
