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Sudbury festivals get financial boost to help recover from pandemic

Cinéfest, Up Here 7, YES Theatre among the recipients of thousands of dollars
290721_up-here-dome
Up Here 7 is almost here and so is the iconic geodesic dome.

At least five local festivals got some much-needed financial support from the province to help reconnect residents with their community as Ontario starts to reopen.

The province is providing $43 million to support 439 festivals and events through the Reconnect Festival and Event program. It is a one-time funding boost that is more than double the annual funding provided to the festival and event sector in the past.

In Greater Sudbury, the YES Theatre Summer Festival received $30,000; Bloom: Revival received $64,100, Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival received $76,000; Greater Sudbury Digital Earth Festival received $9,213; and Up Here 7 received $69,000.

The Reconnect program (known as Celebrate Ontario prior to the COVID-19 pandemic) was developed to help festival and event organizers adapt to new public health measures with virtual, drive-through and other safe offerings. 

This ensures support is directed to community-based events with safe, innovative experiences, while creating opportunities that encourage Ontarians to reconnect with the beauty and diversity of their community in new ways.

“For more than a year, the pandemic has disproportionately impacted tourism and culture — two major industries that bring people together and our communities to life,” said Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. 

“Increasing our annual support for festival and events will give the sector a much-needed boost as we continue to deal with the effects of COVID-19. Our government is supporting organizations that are finding new ways to safely engage and reconnect Ontarians with their local communities while creating local jobs.”


 

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