Socio-economic impact of creative organisations and lifestyle enhancement: an insight from the Napoli Teatro Festival

Objectives. This article explores the issue of economic and social impact analysis applied to the field of theatre festivals. By taking as case the Napoli Teatro Festival, our purpose is to outline an integrated model of evaluation which comprises four dimensions: economic, social, environmental and ethics. Methodology. We used a set of different methodological tools in order to grasp the different dimensions of economic and social impact produced by the event under scrutiny. Findings. We tested our model with the aim to assess the impact produced by the Napoli Teatro Festival. We were able to underline many interesting findings. In fact, the real impact produced by a complex and variegated cultural event cannot be simplified considering the only economic side. Research limits. We are going to reply the study and apply the model to a set of different cases and events, including other theatrical festival and also several cultural institutions localised in different areas of the country. Practical implications. The paper should give several indications to practitioners since it describes a clear methodology that could be applied also in other circumstances. Originality of the study. The paper describes the implementation and the setting up of a new theoretical model that could represent a step ahead in the field, since it integrates the different dimensions of social, economic dimensions into a integrated framework.