Why is it that the fine arts always seems to end up with the short end of the stick when it comes to government funding?
With organizations in every sector asking for more and more federal and provincial money, little is left over for artistic endeavours.
Health care, homelessness, mental health and other community issues all take precedence over the arts – as they should – but surely there is some money left over somewhere to help inspire creative minds. Sadly, it is easier to cut back on arts funding than many other programs.
Such is the plight of the Mission Folk Music Festival.
Organizers have noted that both federal and provincial funding has diminished over the years, making it harder and harder to put on a world-class event.
Add to that the recent decline of the Canadian dollar, and the financial challenges get even harder.
With festival founder Francis Xavier Edwards stepping aside, new leaders have to emerge and create fundraising ideas that will keep this Mission tradition alive. They also need to keep lobbying all levels of government for whatever support is available.
Hopefully those organizers can steer the festival in a new direction – one that will lead to prosperity and, more importantly, self-sufficiency.