The community has been rife with exciting news, so why not add to the celebration.
The Gabriola Arts Council saw a need in the community and we had an opportunity to fulfill that need, so we wrote a grant application (we do a lot of that). We are pleased to announce we were successful in receiving a BC Gaming grant ($19,700) for the purchase, transportation, and training (putting it up/taking it down/maintenance), of a 32×50’event tent to be used over the Reservoir Stage at the Gabriola Commons. The Commons is excited about the idea, but we have many details to work out – boring things like insurance and such. We all agree this will enhance the Reservoir Stage and provide a wonderful outdoor venue. The date of install is as of yet undetermined.
If you were at Cultivate you would have seen the tent installed and similar tents have been used at past Cultivate festivals. The idea is for the tent to go up on the May long weekend and come down on the Thanksgiving long weekend. Making it available not only for Cultivate, but for community use for a myriad of performances and events. We also envision a “Tent Club” of folks interested in being the caretakers of the tent, being there in May and October, checking on it during the tent season, and carrying out any maintenance or repair. If you’re interested in being in the club, give us a shout.
That was news one, news two is also very exciting and all about the performing arts. GAC had another opportunity, applied for another grant and was successful in being awarded $74,900 from the Department of Canadian Heritage – Support for Workers in Live Arts and Music Sectors Fund. These funds will allow GAC will produce a series of live performances of Gabriola talent spanning from October 2021 – March 2022 utilizing the amazing venues on this island called Gabriola Live. Costs covered include, but not exclusive to: project managers, performers, tech, venues, front of house. We will be working with professionals such as Dave Tiechroeb (Project Manager) and Ron Cote (Tech Director), and mentoring new talent like Samantha Walker (Assistant Project Manager).
The emphasis will be on artist collaborations and we want you to show us (and the community!) something we haven’t seen before. Think of who you would like to work with and create something together. Think artists painting to music, dancers with live music, the three best guitarists having a show down. All performing arts: theatre, music, dance, comedy, spoken word, puppetry, and so on. On September 1st we will be accepting applications from performance artists, on our website, artsgabriola.ca. Questions will range from how many years have you been performing to what is your rate. Due to the short timeline, applications will be due September 15th. A committee of arts professionals and GAC staff will review the applications to create the most well rounded and inclusive series of shows possible with the funding available. Successful performers will be paid, all tech/venue/front of house/ticketing/promotion provided. The ticket sales from the events (some will be free), will be part of an Arts Council fundraiser to continue supporting the work we do, as the lion’s share of grants do not cover operations.
In light of the times we live in, all performers, all people involved in the production, and all audience members will be required to show proof of vaccination or proof of medical exemption. We are committed to keeping Gabriolans safe and providing an atmosphere with peace of mind. The fourth wave is rolling, we want to surf the wave, not feel the crash. In the event of a shutdown, we will gather talent where possible and live stream performances for free. Our goal is to get performers back on the stage with a paycheque and audience members entertained. We all need something to clap for.
Together we cultivate the arts.
