The District of Sechelt has committed to partially funding the Sechelt Arts Festival for the next three years, but eventually they want to see the annual event become self-sufficient.
The Sechelt Arts Festival has been a yearly event since 2003, celebrating and showcasing the diverse artistic mediums and styles on the Coast with concerts, workshops and exhibits that are open to the public. This year's event runs from Oct. 17 to the 27.
Arts festival producer Nancy Cottingham Powell was before council on May 8 asking for their support.
Her report to council showed that during the past 10 years the District has supported the festival financially, giving 20 per cent to 40 per cent of the festival's budget yearly. The remainder of the annual budget is funded through grants and sponsorships.
"As the festival grows, creating a broader vision for programming, partnerships, sponsor/donor support, and marketing, it becomes necessary to have a long-term plan for festival dates and a financial commitment from the District of Sechelt in order to secure multi-year objectives," Cottingham Powell wrote in her report.
She asked for a commitment from council to fund 30 per cent of the total festival budget up to a maximum of $30,000 for 2013 to 2015.
"Do you ever see that this festival will not need our support?" Coun. Darnelda Siegers asked.
After reminding council that it is a municipal festival Cottingham Powell said changing the funding structure would be difficult.
"That would mean a complete rework of what it is, so it would really take a lot of effort to start up and switch it over to a non-profit for instance. We would have to look at that and it would have to be over a multi-year vision," she said.
Siegers then asked if the amount requested from the District could ever decrease.
"I think that's mostly about our donor base and whether or not that exists so this is partly what the challenge of having the three-year commitment's about, Cottingham Powell said. "I'm going out looking for some deeper commitment and without that commitment from the District I'm having a hard time justifying, particularly to particular individuals that this is a good bet."
Coun. Chris Moore understood the need for a three-year commitment but noted, "I'll be looking for how this festival will start to self-fund at some point."
Council then unanimously passed Cottingham Powell's request to fund the festival at 30 per cent for three years.
