Atlantic Fringe Festival hopes for last-minute funding boost
The Atlantic Fringe Festival is holding out hope it may get the funding it wants to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
Thom Fitzgerald, the theatre festival's director, learned last week that Halifax council would cut the event funding by 40 per cent. He said the decision came down from the special events advisory committee.
Last year, the festival received $14,500. For its 25th anniversary, it asked for $20,000, but was told it would only get $8,750.
Coun. Steve Craig spoke to CBC's Mainstreet and promised to investigate. He found the fact that it was the 25th anniversary was prominent in the application, but got left out in the summary presented to council.
He said that may mean the festival will get the same funding it did last year, or perhaps more. Craig will bring forward a motion to regional council on Tuesday.
Fitzgerald is pleased, but frustrated with the ordeal.
"I was a little demoralized by the HRM grant process and the results that the fringe had had and I have been thoroughly educated and surprised," he said.
He thanked councillors Waye Mason and Jennifer Watts for also helping.
Money would help with PR push
Fitzgerald is pleased the event will likely get more funding but he's not counting his chickens before they're hatched.
"We don't have any change or results happening just yet. So we're still on the edge of our seat about the whole thing."
The festival starts on Thursday. But Fitzgerald said they can still use the funding if it comes after then.
"We'll still have a lot of days ahead of us at the festival and we'll be able to bring on some much needed extra personnel and really connect audiences with shows better. The PR budget, the marketing, the advertising. There is still time to do all that more effectively."
The Atlantic Fringe Festival runs until Sept. 13.
