Lunenburg Folk Harbour Society

Transcription

1 125 Montague Street, P.O. Box 655, Lunenburg, NS Canada B0J 2C0 Tel: Fax: Charitable Organization Number: RR0001 History, Goals & Accomplishments In 1986, the original concept was created for an exposition of traditional and contemporary music from the Maritimes and beyond and the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival was born. Over the years, additional opportunities for music entertainment and education were added to the work of the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Society so that we now host a monthly concert at the Pearl Theatre, showcasing well-known as well as upand-coming (mostly) Canadian talent; a series of weekly concerts on the Heritage Bandstand in centre Old Town Lunenburg that provide a range of music from blue grass to swing and choral to Dixie; music competitions for high school students; an annual youth-run Concert From the Next Generation, a music extravaganza in March to select new talent to perform at our summer Festival; and a music-themed education seminar on the first day of our annual Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival. Founded in 1753, around a calm, picturesque harbour, with its intimate connections to the fishery and the romantic age of sail, Lunenburg forms a perfect setting for the enjoyment of sea songs and chanties, of ballads historical and heroic. What better place to savour the instrumental traditions which underlie the maritime folk music genre than our UNESCO Heritage Site Town of Lunenburg. The Lunenburg Folk Harbour Society s artistic vision is: To share traditional and contemporary folk music highlighting the culture and history of Nova Scotia and other North Atlantic regions through music, dance and other forms of artistic expression presented through events and educational experiences which celebrates the ever-changing nature of traditional music. While this statement governs the Program Committee s artistic mandate, the Society also celebrates diversity of regions, ethnicity, musical experience and musical styles. Festival performers draw from contemporary and traditional folk, bluegrass, blues, gospel, old-time, Celtic, Acadian, First Nations, children's, and maritime traditional music. The Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival is the oldest folk festival in the Maritimes. The Festival is a meeting place for performers and presenters from across the globe. Performers wander throughout the town of Lunenburg and access to them is not restricted as it is at some other festivals. There are many opportunities for audience members to meet performers, agents, staff and volunteers from other Festivals. The Program Committee arranges meetings requested by performers, agents or audience members whenever possible. The location of Festival venues allows performers and

2 Page 2 of 5 audiences alike to take advantage of town amenities as well as enjoy a more personal visit to this prime summer tourist destination. The Society is part of a larger grouping of festivals and organizations dedicated to the preservation of mainly acoustic genres of music such as folk and blues. We are affiliated with Music Nova Scotia, the East Coast Music Association, the Atlantic Canada Presenters Association and the Lunenburg Board of Trade. The Society has been proactive in providing opportunities for local performers. Each year emerging artists are booked to play the Ken Matheson Program which was established specifically to provide a venue for local talent. The Society s spring fundraiser, Folk Fiesta, allows local and area performers to compete for the final spot in the Festival s line-up with audience members voting to determine the winners. In 2010 we initiated an annual Music From the Next Generation concert in mid-winter that is planned, managed and performed by teenagers from the area, mentored by members of our Board and its operating Committees. An annual song writing competition, judged by music industry professionals, offers a Festival Mainstage performance to the competition winner as well as to the first and second runners-up. Workshop and small concert venues provide a unique opportunity for emerging performers to interact with established artists, with both gaining valuable insights, contacts and experience. This approach has provided a spring-board for many young artists who have since their debut with Folk Harbour become household names. The following performed at the Festival at the beginning of their careers: The Rankin Family, The Barra MacNeils, Natalie MacMaster, Ashley MacIssac, Richard Wood, Lennie Gallant, The Grass Mountain Hobos, Matt Andersen, Rose Cousins, Great Big Sea, JP Cormier and new sensation Molly Thomason. Other performers who have chosen to play with us once they had achieved notoriety include Connie Kaldor, Murray McLaughlin, Jim Byrnes, James Keelaghan, Garnet Rogers, Bruce Cockburn and David Francey. The Festival is an integral part of the Lunenburg summer and works closely with community partners such as the Lunenburg Board of Trade, the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic, the Lunenburg Heritage Society, local churches and businesses. Whether as sponsors of individual musicians or groups or as venue providers, the community and the Festival continue to forge successful partnerships. The Lunenburg Folk Harbour Society has over 80 government, corporate and business sponsors, mostly from the Town of Lunenburg and the surrounding County. The Festival s participatory workshops are a big draw and are priced to allow as many community participants as possible into the various venues. They often include local performers as instructors. The most popular show of the weekend is the Festival s Sunday morning gospel concert. The Mainstage tent is always full to overflowing with local residents, visitors and weekend ticket holders. For many this is the highlight of the Festival. The event is also a fundraiser for area Food Banks, typically raising more than $2,000 as well as many pounds of food. During the non-festival months, the Society holds at least one off-season concert per month, showcasing local as well as nationally recognized performers. This supplies a source of entertainment to local residents in an otherwise slow time of year as well as

3 Page 3 of 5 increasing the performance opportunities for musical artists. In 2012, we started a series of afternoon family entertainment focussed concerts and book readings. If successful, these will add another dimension to the arts and culture contribution of the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Society. The Society is a long-time sponsor of two prizes, Junior and Senior Folk Performance, at the Lunenburg and District Music Festival. The two prize winners receive a cash award and are invited to perform at the Festival on Sunday. Another outreach activity is the Jim Pittman Awards competition that promotes folklore and heritage education among the students of Lunenburg County. Submissions are judged by a panel of local historians and folklorists. The number of schools that have students entering the competition continues to increase, an indication of the importance of the awards in promoting heritage education as well as exposing students to folk music. The Music From the Next Generation concert provides mentored leadership and performance management experience while allowing local youth to get live performance experience in the Town s famous Pearl Theatre. The Society s total annual budget is about $280,000 which, while modest in terms of professional arts organizations, is sizeable in the region. We are able to raise about 60% of our revenues from ticket and merchandise sales. Twenty percent is funded through government grants and the other 20% is raised through local and national business sponsorships that range from $20 to $5000. In 2010 we conducted a survey which suggested that we generate about $500,000 in economic benefit to the area businesses and to our performers. The budget is allocated as follows: 60% is for programming and publicity; 18% is for merchandise that is re-sold; 12% is for payroll and 10% covers all other administrative expenses. An incorporated, non-profit society, the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Society is managed and run by an elected Board of Directors and an army of over 200 volunteers. A parttime Office Manager works year-round. During the months prior to and during the Festival, a full-time Festival Coordinator and an Assistant Coordinator (both must be students) are hired to work with the volunteer committees. Volunteering includes time and labour as well as providing homes for performer billeting and vehicles for transporting performers and equipment. In 2012 we are planning to hire a full time General Manager to work on increased fundraising efforts as well as to provide marketing expertise, operational guidance and a professional management approach to our Society. The Lunenburg Folk Harbour Society is a financially stable organization with each year s activities managed within the limits of our budget. We do not have any outstanding debt and a small reserve allows us to manage cash flow during the months when we have limited income. Since a significant amount of our revenues come from ticket and merchandise sales during the 4 day Festival, we are building a reserve fund to shield us from the possibility of a weather-induced loss in any future year. However, we are relieved that Festival weekend seems to always be one of the best weather events of the summer

4 Page 4 of 5 Project Outline The Lunenburg Folk Harbour Society meets its artistic vision through the variety of entertainment and educational events that it programs as well as in the design of these events. In 2012, the plan calls for the following performance highlights: The 27 th Annual Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival: August 9-12, The Festival showcases well-known musical artists as well as provides opportunities for young and new performers to show their talent on our many venue-stages to the Ken Matheson Program that promotes local and younger talent. Workshops and jam sessions allow for one-on-one learning for guests of al ages and the children s art-focussed play area new the Heritage Bandstand ensures that they are cared for while hearing the music while they are at play. A monthly concert (September through June) at the Pearl Theatre headlining a variety of Canadian singers and performing groups, mostly Maritimers on tour. The annual gala event Folk Fiesta at the end of March. This event, always a sell-out, showcases three new performing groups who are chosen from auditions to perform for the privilege of being added to the roster for that summer s Festival. The audience votes for their favourite and the winner is invited to perform at the Festival. The previous year s winner traditionally entertains the audience as the votes are tallied A youth winter concert, headlined by 5-6 up-and-coming young maritime musical artists. The format and venue of the concert is channelled to attract a young audience, connecting future stars with future supporters of the arts in Nova Scotia. The concert is planned and managed by young members of our community, mentored by members of our Society. A weekly series, from July through September, of free concerts in the Lunenburg Heritage Society Bandstand that provide summer entertainment to residents and visitors and that feed a range of musical tastes from blue grass to swing; choral to strings; and traditional to youth-performers. A performer-led Traditional Music Seminar preceding the Festival In addition to providing entertainment year-round in Lunenburg, the Society attempts to provide and promote music education and exposure to a variety of genres and artistic expression. The Festival prides itself in its programs for children and youth such as the Val Meister Young Fiddler s Workshop and the performances by young people on the Heritage Bandstand. The Ken Matheson Program at the Festival provides an opportunity for young or emerging performers to play before an audience on the Heritage Society Bandstand. The Festival also considers as part of its strength the many workshops for dance, song, song-writing and musicianship as well as the formal discussions of musicology in the Alma Houston Talks and at the Traditional Music Seminar that precedes the Festival. These programs include traditional folk and Celtic music as well as Acadian and aboriginal genres from Canada and abroad. Audience response to many of the new-to-the-festival performers underscores the importance of the Program Committee s practice of seeking new artists from all corners of the globe and representing a diversity of ethnic communities.

5 Page 5 of 5 While maintaining the traditional folk music component of the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival, the Program Committee will continue to book performers who demonstrate the modern side of folk music. This approach keeps the festival relevant to folk music fans world-wide and attracts new and perhaps younger audience members. Audience Statistics: Our 2011 attendance for the Festival was recorded at approximately 3100 people. Our monthly concerts usually attract from 80 to 250 (maximum attendance). The lower numbers reflect attendance for lesser known or new performers and the maximum sell-out occurs at least 3-4 times per year. Summer Heritage Bandstand Series The Summer Heritage Bandstand Series is presented each Sunday from July through September. The Society Program Committee oversees the selection of musical performers and groups with a goal of providing a variety of entertainment, in keeping with the needs of the Town of Lunenburg. Our other goal is to provide a venue for emerging performers to get performance experience, and in some cases, these performers have graduated to playing at our monthly concerts or at the annual Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival. Audience Statistics: These outdoor concerts are provided free to residents and visitors and will usually attract from 100 to 250 in the hillside audience. (On rainy days, we perform in the United Church Hall and get from 40 to 100.) Performers are paid $250, which is usually enough to cover their transportation and other costs, while the LFHS pays for the venue rental from the Heritage Society and for the sound system and technician. The Concert Series is sponsored in part by the Town and the Board of Trade. The balance is made up of contributions to the Society that are ear-marked by us for the Bandstand Series. The businesses providing these sponsorships are recognized on a banner erected at the concerts as well as by the MC from the stage. They are our Patron and Commodore sponsors who support the Society on a 12-month basis (over $2500).