Reimagining Community Festivals and Events

Allan Stewart Jepson, PhD, is a multi/ interdisciplinary researcher following a track on well-being in contemporary leisure experiences; this has included research into power and hegemonic relationships, community festivals and events, social inclusion, festival and event memories, gerontology, and neurodiversity. Allan continues to build teams to investigate the complexity of physiological, psychological and sociological paradigms which influence long-term well-being. He is an advocate for change, equity and inclusion of neurodivergent populations. Raphaela Stadler is Associate Professor for Tourism and Event Management at Management Centre Innsbruck (MCI), Austria. She is currently working on several multidisciplinary research projects to better understand the sociological and psychological impacts contemporary leisure experiences (festivals, events and tourism) have upon individuals, families and communities. Her specific research interests and areas of expertise include community events and festivals, community cultural development, power and empowerment, well-being and quality of life. Trudie Walters is a critical event studies researcher from Aotearoa, New Zealand. Her research platform is centred on events and leisure as interdisciplinary lenses through which to understand the inner workings and values of society. She serves on the editorial board of a number of top academic leisure and events journals and is a board member and past president of the Australia and New Zealand Association for Leisure Studies.