Purpose Within New Zealand, cultural festivals play a vital role in the local representation of diasporic cultures. By analysing the production design of festivals, in Auckland, New Zealand representing Indian culture between 1995 and 2015, the purpose of this paper is to create a deeper understanding of collaborative networks and power relationships. Using Richard’s pulsar/iterative network theory and Booth’s notion of cultural production networks, a new theoretical model is proposed to visually track the collaborative networks that sustain and bridge cultures, empower communities and fulfil political agendas. Design/methodology/approach This ethnographic research draws upon event management studies, industry practice, ethnomusicology and sociology to take a multi-disciplinary approach to an applied research project. Using Richards’ pulsar and iterative event framework Castells’ network theory, combined with qualitative data, this research considers critical collaborative relationships clusters and how they might impact on the temporal nature of festivals. Findings The 1997 Festival of Asia and the subsequent Lantern Festival in 2000 and Diwali: Festival of Lights in 2002 were pulsar events that played a significant role in collaborative networks that expand across cultures, countries and traditions. The subsequent iterative events have played a vital role in the representation of Asian cultural identity in general and, more specifically, representing of the city’s growing – in both size and cultural diversity – Indian diaspora. Originality/value This research proposes a new conceptual model on festival management and diasporic communities in the Asia-Pacific region. Richards’ and Booth’s conceptual models are used, as a starting point, to offer a new way of considering the importance of looking at collaborative relationships through historical perspectives. The framework explored contributes a new approach to cultural festival network theory and a means to understand the complexity of networks required that engage actors from inside and outside both local and global communities.

This article interrogates how the government engagement in economic and political management decisions may affect the cultural representation and cultural identity of minority or diasporic cultures. Set in Auckland, New Zealand, the results demonstrate how festival producer relationships and diaspora community involvement transform under the influence of festivalization. Auckland's "Major Civic Event," Diwali: Festival of Lights is the largest festivity representing New Zealand's Indian diaspora. More recently, and especially in diasporic settings, Diwali has been referred to as a "festival" and a public celebration for Hindus and non-Hindus alike. The case study, central to this research, traces factors (1998 to 2013) that have transformed the production of Diwali, one of India's most important cultural festivals, from a community celebration to a cultural tourism destination. The findings in this research demonstrate how diaspora communities react when executive management decisions seek to align events with larger tourism and economic development strategies central to festivalization.

PurposeFamily participation in community events and festivals is framed by certain conditions related to their ability to enhance their quality of life (QOL) and family flourishing. For communities to flourish, families must feel safe, secure, accepted and included. The research has the following aims: (1) to consider whether location is a determinant in family QOL and event participation, and (2) to identify how cultural identity and family issues may affect families' QOL and the role events play in their ability to flourish as a family.Design/methodology/approachAn integrated mixed-methods design was used derived from quantitative and qualitative traditions, including surveys, interviews and secondary data. The survey component combined Jepson and Stadler's St Albans 2015 QOL study survey with research instruments used by the Rotorua Lakes Council (RLC). The Rotorua sample included 521 valid anonymous online surveys and 11 semi-structured interviews. The RLC's Arts and Culture team provided expert advice, strategic plans and reports; secondary data were gathered from media reports.FindingsWhen comparing key Rotorua and St Albans data, the participants' responses were very similar. What appear significant are socio-economic and cultural differences and family-flourishing factors specific to Rotorua's location and population. The findings show that the biggest obstacles for families attending events are money, work commitments and family obligations. The events reflect the region's unique cultural profile and provide a distinctive identifier of place and people that create a unique small-city event portfolio.Research limitations/implicationsThis study's findings have reinforced that for small-city events to succeed and attract high levels of patronage, council and community must work cooperatively towards common goals. Our findings indicate the importance, to our participants, of emotional attachment to Rotorua's natural landscape, built environment and unique cultural heritage. Additionally, arts and culture research focusing on new-migrant and multi-generational event participation is worth further consideration for preserving Rotorua's cultural history. Perceptions within the Rotorua community of their family experience at local events are central to our ongoing research and the further successful delivery of the RLC's event portfolio.Originality/valueThis research offers a case study that serves to build further areas of inquiry into the role events play in QOL, family flourishing and maintaining indigenous cultures. Study findings have reinforced that organisations, practitioners, festivals and events succeed in attracting high levels of patronage for a small city. This study provides insights for designing culturally inclusive event portfolios that include events and festivals that target family audiences.

Goal and objectives of the dissertation GoalThe aim of this research is to examine the ways producer identity affects production practice and, ultimately, cultural representation in a diasporic context. More specifically, the research interrogates the manner in which diasporic and non-diasporic producers construct and manipulate production networks in the pursuit of successful events. ObjectivesThe objectives of this research are framed around a central research question: What are the processes and relationships that support the production of cultural events, with specific reference to events that are of interest to and/or produced by Auckland's Indian communities? This research is inherently interdisciplinary. It studies music and other performing arts events in industrial and nonindustrial contexts. It examines cultural

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