Animated Times: Critical Transitions and the Maintenance of Field-Configuring Events

Recent research has pointed to the challenge facing recurrent field-configuring events (FCEs) in trying to remain dominant in their fields over sustained periods. Based on a revelatory historical case study of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, the leading FCE in its field, this paper explores how a field-configuring role can be maintained over time. We focus specifically on the FCE organization, and highlight the importance of critical transitions, relatively short periods of time when fundamental changes were made to its formal and informal governance rules, which redefined the event's identity and scope, and thus ensured it remained the dominant event for field participants. In terms of the organizational dynamics facilitating critical transitions, we emphasize the importance of conflict as a driver of change, as well as the particular role of local stakeholders in renewing FCEs that are organized recurrently in the same location.