In 29th year, funding woes won't stop Inuvik's Great Northern Arts Festival

Inuvik's Great Northern Arts Festival is forging ahead with its 29th annual summer event, despite another year of funding woes.

"As the economic landscape here in Inuvik has been changing, the funding for our festival has also been changing," said Marie Horstead, executive director of the festival.

The 10-day visual and performing arts festival promotes northern art and artists in Canada and beyond.

Horstead says it usually requires half a million dollars from contributions and in-kind donations — but that's been difficult since it's no longer receiving the funding from oil and gas companies or private sponsors like it once did.

In 2015, Imperial Oil and ConocoPhillips cut funding to the festival. (In 2016, Imperial Oil returned as a "Marble Sponsor," contributing between $2,000 and $5,000 to help reinstate free youth workshops.) 

This year, Horstead said it looks like they will only have 30 local artists and 20 visiting artists. 

"If we were to have $30,000 to $40,000 more, we would see a return to some of the more prosperous festivals," she explained.

"That would be maybe 30 to 40 visiting artists, and more drum dance groups."

Keeping the festival alive

Inuvik's mayor Jim McDonald said the event is a tourist attraction for the entire region.

"We'll work to ensure they survive," he said. 

He said the town gives a lot of in-kind support — this year amounting to about $76,000, including the use of facilities, equipment and advertising.

There was a point, he said, where the town hoped the festival would operate independently but that has changed over the last couple of years.

"I know they have struggled in the past and it's certainly a sign of the times," he said.

"Money is tight all over and it's getting more and more difficult to find the funding."

A 'renewable resource'

This year the festival's theme is True North, in honour of Canada's 150th birthday.

It will include a gallery of traditional and contemporary art, at least 50 workshops, performances and an Arctic fashion show.

Horstead says she believes it's important to support arts in the North, and the festival does that.

"It is extremely unique, and it instills a lot of pride in the community and it's a healthy family-friendly experience," she said.

"I think it's an amazing kind of renewable resource that we have."

The Great Northern Arts Festival runs from July 14 to 23 at Inuvik's Midnight Sun Complex.