An outpouring of financial support from the community helped invigorate the cash-strapped Up Here urban art and music festival, which kicked off a weekend of activities on Friday afternoon.
Under a geodesic dome erected in the middle of Durham Street, general manager Jaymie Lathem, who prefers the title “top banana,” said public donations made an “immeasurable difference.”
“How quickly this community responded to Up Here really shows how much Up Here reflects the community, and how much the community loves this amazing festival,” she said. “I was so inspired by how everyone came together.”
People donated between $5 and $1,000, with each donation fuelling organizers’ gratitude, she added.
“We need to continue to push forward and really make Sudbury proud, and share Sudbury with everyone.”
The Up Here festival hit a financial snag earlier this summer when it was revealed their funding application to the province came up blank, having been scaled to zero from last year’s $66,600.
A statement issued to media by Tourism, Culture and Sport Minister Neil Lumsden’s office later claimed the festival’s application was missing required documentation. This spurred a second round of criticism in the ministry’s direction for neglecting to let Up Here organizers know about the alleged shortcoming in their application prior to denying their application.
The festival’s 2021 provincial funding totalled $69,000, which was preceded by $24,167 in 2020, $48,895 in 2019, $50,000 in 2018 and $45,000 in 2016.
In the wake of media coverage donations poured in to make up for the shortfall, with approximately $9,000 raised to date.
Organizers had been prepared to scale back this year’s festival, but Lathem said the influx of donations helped them ramp up this year’s ninth annual event.
Mural artist Katie Green was re-invited to paint a mural on the back of 84 Station on Elgin Street, art installations are going on full display, and Lathem said the festival will now be “able to equitably pay crew members, our suppliers and our contractors.”
“It’s made a world of difference people will feel when experiencing Up Here 9,” Lathem said.
Several members of Greater Sudbury city council joined Lathem and Up Here co-founder Christian Pelletier during Friday’s launch, including Mayor Paul Lefebvre, who credited the longstanding festival with bringing out Sudbury’s “weird and wonderful.”
For more information about this year’s Up Here festival, including ticket information, visit their website at uphere.com. The best information, however, is available on the Up Here app, which is available for download at the Apple Store and Google Play.
Included in the schedule of events are musical performances beginning this afternoon, as well as guided mural tours and other activities throughout the weekend.
During Friday’s launch, actors could be heard rehearsing Romeo and Juliet at the Refettorio outdoor theatre on Durham Street. The show is slated to open on Aug. 22.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
