Evaluation of the social impact of small-scale dance festivals: the case of Samos

Cultural events, such as festivals, foster intercultural dialogue, promote social cohesion, and increase knowledge about the culture of the region where they take place This study aimed to examine how educational level, place of residence, and income influence the perceived social impact of the Samos dance festival on the local community. The sample consisted of 211 Samos dance festival participants, and the research was carried out in the framework of the Triple Bottom Line (T.B.L) approach, first introduced by Elkington (1997) which analyses sustainability through three pillars, one of which is social. Data collection was carried out using the Dallas questionnaire (2018), focusing on questions related to social impact and demographic characteristics of festival attendees. The results showed that the social impact of the festival is highly valued across the entire sample. Permanent residents rated all aspects of social impact more positively than visitors. This assessment can be explained by the deeper connection of permanent residents with the local community. Regarding the level of education, contradictory results were observed, with both postgraduate or doctoral degree holders and secondary school graduates rating the social impact higher than other participants. Additionally, income level appeared to partially alter their perception of the festival’s social effects, especially among participants from lower economic backgrounds. In conclusion, the Samos dance festival has a significant positive social impact on the local community.