More than 70 events in Greater Victoria — including Rifflandia, TC10KVictoria and the Victoria Film Festival — received upwards of $2.5 million in recovery funding as the province more than doubled its Fairs, Festivals and Events Recovery Fund on Monday.
The fund, which covers up to 20 per cent of the budget for B.C. live-event producers, was upped to nearly $30 million from an initial $12.9 million announced in August. The one-time grants are capped at $250,000, which covers everything from venue rentals to employee wages. The grants will go to nearly 700 event producers in 134 communities.
“It certainly allows us to get started with more confidence, knowing we have that support,” said Victoria’s Nick Blasko, whose Rifflandia festival received $250,000 for its upcoming 12th edition on Sept. 15-18, 2022.
“There are no guarantee as to how the sector does next year — we’re still in recovery mode. But the support across the province is unbelievable.”
Other Island recipients include Capital City Comic Con ($61,778), TC10K Victoria ($104,519), Victoria Film Festival Victoria ($120,411), and the All Ways Home Festival ($97,212) .
“The pandemic wasn’t easy on the organizers of our local fairs and festivals, but we know how important it is for our community to be able to come together and celebrate their common interests,” Rob Fleming, MLA for Victoria-Swan Lake, said in a statement.
“I am glad that we were able to work with organizers to find ways to support their pandemic recovery so that people can continue to enjoy all that Victoria has to offer.”
