The Happy Achterhoeker - Forming an authentic festival identity in an experience economy

Abstract

How do festivals form an identity, such as ‘Glastonbury-state-of-mind’? And what do they mean to society in the bigger picture? This thesis addresses the case of the Zwarte Cross, that was founded by the band Jovink en de Voederbietels as a fan event. The Zwarte Cross helped establish a modern rural identity that is celebrated at the festival and monetized in that cultural niche. Through the scope of a method that combines the theories of liveness, convergence culture, and experience economy, we see how a festival philosophy helps people authenticate and find a personal identity and, in that process, forming a festival identity. Instead of appealing to a number of individuals, the Zwarte Cross, has become the identity marker of a nationwide subculture.