'Kiwiburn- a ‘Biophilic festival’: Considering mind-body-environment connections to nature in blended festivalscapes'

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11157/sites-id477

Keywords:

Biophilic festivals, Blended festivalscapes, Kiwiburn, Burning Man, Mind-body-environment relationships

Abstract

This article considers biophilic blended festivalscapes through an examination of relevant academic literature and secondary sources, whilst examining ‘Kiwiburn: New Zealand’s regional Burning Man event’ as a case study. A ‘biophilic festival’ can be understood as a festival that uses nature to construct or influence the embodied experiences of participants through their emotional responses, in a way that enhances positive mind-body-environment connections and promotion of biophilia. Examining Kiwiburn through the limitations of a literature review is an attempt to initiate a conversation about biophilia in connection to contemporary festivals. Kiwiburn provides a useful example of how biophilic festivals can be structured to foster sustainability, through mind-body-environment relationships. This article will be considering what principles and design features built into Kiwiburn are intended to drive positive ecological perceptions and practices within its participants; and, whether these biophilic elements have the potential for extension into the everyday lives of festival participants in broader society.

Author Biography

Jacqueline Yvonne Watt, Massey University

MA student of Social Anthropology at Massey university and junior marker for a couple of papers in the anthropology department at Massey.

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Published

12-03-2021

How to Cite

Watt, J. Y. (2021). ’Kiwiburn- a ‘Biophilic festival’: Considering mind-body-environment connections to nature in blended festivalscapes’. Sites: A Journal of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies, 17(2). https://doi.org/10.11157/sites-id477

Issue

Section

Senior Student Essay Competition