The South Asia Festival Academy is returning in September and applications are open
South Asia is one of the most culturally diverse areas of our world. Each country within the region is home to multiple groups of people with distinct languages, religions, traditions, customs, and consequently, celebrations. Nevertheless, Festival and Event Management is not an established discipline within higher education, and therefore, people interested in the industry have limited resources to turn to.
Edinburgh Napier University partnered with the British Council to deliver a credit-bearing short course to people in South Asia who have ideas for festivals and events but are unsure about the practicalities of bringing them to life. The programme – which ran for ten weeks from September to January last year – is returning to welcome another cohort of students in September.
Dr Gary Kerr and Professor Jane Ali-Knight from ENU Business School ran the course online, and participants tuned in from various locations across India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. The aim was to provide students with the knowledge and practical tools necessary to manage festivals and events. The programme was highly successful, with students unanimously expressing their appreciation for the opportunity.
One attendee from the first cohort shared her thoughts on the course, stating: “A truly invaluable learning experience. Each session helped me to understand my strengths and the areas I need to improve when planning my next big event. I am grateful for this amazing opportunity.”
ENU Associate Professor in Festival and Event Management, Dr Gary Kerr is very excited about the Festival Academy returning this year and being able to continue training event professionals in the region, he said: “The South Asia Festival Academy (Beginners) is a great opportunity for artists, performers, those working in or interested in working the festival sector to come along and develop their business skills in an inclusive and encouraging environment, and to learn from guest speakers, international festival experts, and our amazing tutor Divya Bhatia.”
To learn more about the South Asia Festival Academy (Beginners) and apply for the course, please click here.