Gender Representation in Cultural Festivals: una analisi

Mercoledì 14 maggio 2025 presso l'Università Iulm di Milano si è svolta una giornata di studi per approfondire il tema della violenza di genere, con un focus sulla cultura del dato come leva interpretativa per comprendere le dinamiche emergenti e immaginare scenari di intervento futuri. Durante la giornata è stato presentato il volume "Data Science e violenza di genere: analisi di dinamiche e protagonisti”, curato da Emma Zavarrone, Alessia Forciniti e Marzia Coppola, in cui è stato pubblicato il capitolo "Gender Representation in Cultural Festivals: an Analysis of Women’s Leadership and Gender-Related Themes" elaborato da Giulia Alonzo e Martha Friel, analizzando la leadership in un campione di 80 festival osservati nel 2023.

Maggiori informazioni sul volume, in open access, al link.

Abstract. This chapter examines gender representation in cultural festivals, with a particular focus on the involvement of women in artistic leadership and the presence of gender-related themes in festival programming. The analysis is based on a selection of 80 festivals across Italy drawn from the DBFest database by TrovaFestival, offering a broad overview of how gender dynamics emerge within diverse cultural events.

By tracing patterns of participation, visibility, and theme selection, the chapter identifies both persistent disparities and encouraging trends. Findings reveal that women are often underrepresented in decision-making roles, yet some festivals are consciously working to include more balanced perspectives and address gender issues through their content. In some cases, explicit thematic sections are dedicated to gender equality, while in others, subtle shifts in lineup curation and discourse point to evolving sensitivities.

Throughout the discussion, these findings are situated within existing research on gender and cultural production, highlighting the importance of ongoing, data-informed reflection to advance inclusivity.