Jen Snowball
Jen Snowball (1974-) is a researcher in cultural economics, with a specialization in festivals and theatrical events.
Biography
Born on 18 July 1974, she studied at Rhodes University, successively obtaining a BA Applied Economics (1996), BA Hons Classics (1997); BA Hons in Applied Economics (1997-8); MA Applied Economics (1998-2001) and a PhD in Applied Economics (2004-6)
On completion of her second BA Hons she joined the Department of Economics at Rhodes University[1] as a Junior Lecturer (1998-2001), rising through the ranks to become a Lecturer (2002-5), Senior Lecturer (2006-8), Associate Professor (2009-2013), and finally Professor (2014-).
Contribution to South African theatre, film, media and performance
Her research from early on has been strongly focused on the economics of art and culture, exploring the National Arts Festival and the ways in which it could contribute to social cohesion, meaning making and interpretation of life experiences, and education. She tends to work in what she refers to as "non-market valuation", i.e. seeking "ways of valuing things that are not sold in the market, so that informed decisions about public and private funding can be made".[2]
