Editor’s Note

Introducing FCRE’s new

Journal of Festival Culture Inquiry and Analysis.

On behalf of the advisory, editorial board, co-editor, associate, and editorial assistants I am delighted to introduce FCRE’s new Journal of Festival Culture Inquiry and Analysis, an open-access journal that publishes outputs from Festival Culture Research and Education (FCRE), our online network and community which organises academic events. The theme of our first issue is ‘power, empowerment, disempowerment’, which was also the theme of our 2nd Annual International Symposium on Festival Culture (ISFC June 2021).

JFCIA not only seeks to publish serious articles that inform and address festival culture but provides an exciting forum invite and embrace inter-, multi-, trans- and cross-disciplinary approaches to festival culture. Whilst modern perspectives are encouraged, we are also deeply interested in unearthing ancient and past rituals and cultures.

Our journal focuses on sharing festivals, stories, and experiences within the field, as well as communicating the known and little-known. So that we can further ideas and take note of the progress within our field. In addition, we want our journal to be visible and we know that visibility will attract contributors. We aim to create a scholarly journal that reaches far beyond the intended audience. We will therefore apply to index forums after the journal has been published for at least one year. We are confident that within that time we can demonstrate that we have fully completed the ISSN registration (International Standard Serial Number) at The British Library along with other criteria. In the meantime, we value other resourceful and immediate options for indexing such as: ISSU, Academia.edu, and WorldCat.

One of the biggest concerns for this volume as it is the first that has been designed was the question of how to design a journal that awakens the senses, engages the reader, and holds their attention till the next volume. A journal of festival culture must encourage communication, networking, and insightful conversation. It is imperative to remember why we enjoy festival culture, what it does for us, and why we put our time and effort into it. With regards to design, this journal aims to find creative and exciting ways to interrogate ideas about (but not limited to), academic journal design, personal narrative writing, how sensory experiences are communicated through print and digital media, and how the journal complements our online presence. The journal will continually strive to communicate just how amazing festivals, rituals and celebrations etc. really are.

The first three articles introduce us to the symposium. One article offers a brief overview, whilst the other two contain speeches presented at the symposium. We also have a report on an exciting symposium workshop. There are five paper submissions and an event review. In addition, there are two items in the personal narratives section of the journal. We expect to develop the personal narratives section as it is a much-needed aspect of writing in the field. We have included photography. Although to some this may create a magazine look and feel, it is necessary for us to showcase the liveliness and sensuous nature of rituals, festivals, gatherings, etc.

Photography as well as videography is an essential part of festival culture. Our featured photographers are based in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. They have each captured aspects of culture that will pique our readers’ interest in learning more about the twin islands. Both are experienced practitioners and are driven by capturing sensory experiences that tell a story. We have also added a touch of playfulness with photography and typography reinforcing the spirit of festivity. I will take this opportunity to invite photographers and videographers to contribute to future volumes.

We would like to thank the authors for their contribution, without your articles this journal would not be possible. Thanks to all our editors that worked so hard to peer review and proofread articles. This has been a long, laborious, and exciting journey. We have put systems in place to refine our process and we are looking forward to a magnificent future.

Thank you,

Dr. R. L. de Matas

Editor in Chief

JOURNAL OF FESTIVAL CULTURE INQUIRY AND ANALYSIS

JOURNAL OF FESTIVAL CULTURE INQUIRY
AND ANALYSIS