Farhad Fakhrian & Gelareh Abooali
Abstract:
This study investigated the role of a cultural festival in creating a sense of attachment among local visitors towards the George Town World Heritage site through the artistic representation of neglected outstanding values. This study particularly focused on two issues: the absence of investigations on the success of the George Town Festival (GTF) in creating a sense of attachment toward the George Town World Heritage Site, and the lack of empirical studies on the ability of a representational medium, such as photography, to draw more attention towards a cultural heritage or reality itself. The study employed a qualitative approach whereby a total 43 local visitors were interviewed. Results show that the roles of GTF and photography as a cultural festival and a representational medium, respectively, are vital in creating a sense of attachment toward the George Town World Heritage site.
Keywords: Representation, sense of attachment, cultural festivals, photography