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NLIS 1 July 31, 2003 (Industry, Trade and Rural Development) 27th Annual Folk Festival supported by both levels of government Gerry Byrne, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Newfoundland and Labrador�s representative in the federal cabinet, and Judy Foote, Minister of Industry, Trade and Rural Development today announced $20,000 in funding for the St. John�s Folk Arts Council. The funds will assist the council with the 27th Annual Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival, to be held this weekend. "The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency has been proud to support this event for a number of years," said Minster Byrne. "The �Folk Festival,� as it is most commonly known, has become an integral part of summer in St. John�s. Some of the province�s best-known entertainers got an early start at this event, and many of us have come to appreciate our own musical heritage through the music offered at this event. Although the Folk Festival is popular with tourists, the real value of the event lies in its celebration and preservation of the musical traditions indigenous to this province." �The Government of
Newfoundland and Labrador continues its long commitments of assisting our cultural community in the important work of exploring,
interpreting and presenting both time honoured and 'new' traditions,� said
Minister Foote. �The
Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival provides an important venue for our
musicians, dancers and other artists to share their talent and creativity
with an enthusiastic and growing audience.� The St. John�s Folk Arts Council was formed in 1966 as a non-profit organization with a mandate to promote the folk arts within and outside of the province, foster creative expression of these arts, and further the cause of good inter-group relationships. The council has sponsored the Folk Festival since 1977. Following the methodology of ACOA�s "Determining Event Scale and Impact Model", the festival had direct and indirect GDP impact of $211,200 in 2000. Despite heavy competition from international acts performing in the area at the same time, last year�s festival attracted close to 10,000 people to the outdoor venue at Bannerman Park. While the festival attracts many who go to simply listen and enjoy, it also offers interactive workshops for instrumentalists, storytellers and dancers. The Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival runs from August 1-3. The Cultural and Heritage Industries program of the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Comprehensive Economic Development Agreement is a three-year, $3.4 million fund administered federally by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Canadian Heritage, and provincially by the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. The fund is overseen by advisory committees comprised of leaders in the cultural and heritage industries in this province. Media contact:
2003 07 31 9:45 a.m. |
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