The festival as a convivial cultural practice

The scientific research reveals the characteristics of the festival as a cultural form, defines its structure, functions and social purpose. General and special features of the festival as a festive practice are described (its purpose, ontological foundations, cultural potential). The research methodology focused on the systematic approach allowed to apply the comparative, historical and cultural, typological and analytical methods. The ability of the festival to improve social relations, smooth over difficulties and misunderstandings caused by intercultural diversity, create a single cultural space indicates that in the modern world the leading function of the festival is integration and differentiation. The study justifies that in order to initiate systematic festival practices in territorial communities one should take into consideration the following factors: the significance of the cultural potential of the festival; the ability of cultural practices to influence the economic situation of the settlement; the impossibility to realize the festival potential without the support of the government and understanding the importance of culture as social capital by its representatives; the co-ordination of common interests between the cultural and artistic environment and the local community; having a common understanding of social and cultural problems and ways to solve them. The author proves that the festival, forming an open symbolic and cultural space for dialogue, acts as a «cultural mediator» between different social groups of society. The implementation of communicative, educational, entertainment functions and the function of a direct participation contributes to achieving the goal. In modern society, the festival is not only a powerful factor in strengthening social capital as such, which stimulates the economic, cultural, and educational development of the local community; the festival represents and, at the same time, produces patterns of cultural development for the near future. It creates its own cultural product, actualizing modern culture, as it combines different cultural practices in a single project.