Doctoral Research Partnership

In partnership with Birmingham City University, and funded by Midlands4Cities, BAFA is currently supporting Naomi Taylor to undertake a Collaborative Doctoral Award on ‘Re-imagining the arts festival in times of crisis’.

This research focuses on the essential work that festivals do in presenting their audiences with opportunities to connect with culture. It explores themes of community, belonging, language and imagination, and how important these are in the world of festivals and festival teams. Naomi brings her own experience as a festival producer and director to her research, getting under the skin of the arts festivals to understand the layers of community that go into making these events function.

Naomi’s research encompasses both audiences and festival teams, with interviews seeking to identify the common characteristics that can be found in those who work in the sector and how these traits drive the vision, imagination and ambition that is needed to deliver an event that audiences will connect with, as well as considering how a culture of belonging can be nurtured.

Read more about Naomi’s research here.

Naomi Taylor is Creative Director at Chiltern Arts and a second-year PhD student at Birmingham City University. She holds a Collaborative Doctoral Award from Midlands4Cities for the project with the working title ‘Re-imagining the Arts Festival in Times of Crisis’, working in partnership with BAFA. Her research focusses on festival team dynamics, and considers changes within the sector since the Covid-19 pandemic. Chiltern Arts runs an annual Festival in May in venues across the Chilterns and is currently planning its seventh season.