This case study presents a critical reflection on the way COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020-2022 brought the festival industry in South Africa closer to higher education (HE) via a new and innovative collaboration. The research design allowed an international team to facilitate knowledge sharing and research support during a very challenging time for the industry. The project saw the development of a collaboration with seven festivals across South Africa. During the 15 months project, the collaboration allowed participants to build a new knowledge base - and a collaborative network - to survive the challenging times. Rather than a more extractive, top-down approach that saw festivals as "research subjects", they were involved as research partners. Cultural organisations and members of the South African team acted as intermediaries, who used their existing networks and reputations to build a collaborative, trust-based relationship between industry partners and researchers where mutually beneficial outcomes were possible. The project thus became part of the South Africa festival ecosystem, creating opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange between festivals, cultural producers and academic researchers. The outcomes of the research helped to build a stronger creative economy and support its future development.