The giving season didn’t disappoint for four Sunshine Coast festivals.
The Rogue Arts Festival in Sechelt, the Coast-wide Rainforest Circus and the PRISMA and the Townsite Jazz Festivals in Powell River are beneficiaries of provincial funding announced Dec. 13.
“We heard overwhelmingly from event organizers that grants, not loans, were key to keeping their doors open to the public and workers employed,” said Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, Melanie Mark, in a press release. “Our government answered their call to action, as we know the major impact these community gatherings have on our mental health and local businesses around them."
Of the nearly $30 million in one-time grants announced and distributed across 680 festivals, fairs and events, about $100,000 is coming to the Sunshine Coast:
- $15,000 for the Rogue Arts Festival
- $25,000 for The Rainforest Circus: Submerged
- $10,000 for the Townsite Jazz Festival
- $50,000 for the PRISMA Festival
“The Sunshine Coast is well-known for its vibrant arts and culture scene,” said Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons in a press release. “COVID-19 put a damper on some of our favourite events, but our government is here to support these events and their organizers to help them come back stronger than ever and keep our communities vibrant.”
