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HPX NEEDS YOU HELP
Please take a minute to read this and write an email to help us get support for our funding application.

THE ISSUE
The Halifax Pop Explosion has been denied Hallmark status, without being given an opportunity to present to the committee. For whatever reason, HPX was never contacted even though the committee had scheduled a presentation about the festival! Without this critical information, the festival was denied funding.

We need your help to convince the Special Event Advisory Committee to allow us to present our case!

BACKGROUND
Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) historically has never had enough funding for any festivals and events.

Halifax Pop Explosion has not received funding in several years, because we stopped applying because the city would only come up with $750.00 or so. In other cities, events like ours would expect between $5000 and $15,000.

In March 2007 HRM adopted a new policy which lead us to hope we would be considered for Hallmark status, which would result in significant recurring funding. We applied for $10,000 this year, and we were turned down. No reason has yet been officially given.

Halifax Pop Explosion is a large, internationally recognized event, drawing over 16,000 people in 2007, with over 135 bands from eight countries. Over 25% of our advance tickets were sold to people coming from out of province. We have a significant role to play in the development and promotion of our music industry, as a tourism draw, and as the critical annual music event that maintains Halifax's status as centre for excellence in new and innovative music.

In a year where the Province of Nova Scotia has doubled the festivals operating support from $10,000 to $20,000, why has HRM denied HPX Hallmark status?

WHY THE HALIFAX POP EXPLOSION IS A HALLMARK EVENT:
HPX is a tourism event. We are one of the largest annual music events in Atlantic Canada, are a national leader in the youth tourism segment, and we sell over 25%of our advance tickets, and no less than 15% of our total ticket sales, to fans from outside HRM.

We continue to receive significant international coverage for our event, on par with the coverage received by most other Hallmark events. The majority of our out of town ticket sales result in overnight stays, and it cannot be denied that our sales show that a material share of our total participation comes from overnight tourists and visitors.

The Halifax Pop Explosion is one of the most important new music festival in Canada, and as such provides Halifax with a tremendous competitive advantage in terms of attractiveness for youth and young adults, as a tourism destination, a cultural centre, a centre for music excellence, and a place to go to college and/or to create a life for oneself.

Creative people know about the Halifax Pop Explosion. Destination Haifax has been using the festival to market the city for over two years. We have been here for sixteen years, and have become an integral part of the cities image as a "hip and happening" destination, whether acknowledged by the city or not.

WE NEED YOUR HELP
It is not too late. HRM has money in reserve that can be used to fund HPX as a Hallmark event.

The first sentence of your email should read: "I am writing to request you all the Halifax Pop Explosion to present to the Special Event Advisory Committee, and reconsider your decision to deny Hallmark funding to the Halifax Pop Explosion"

We need the opportunity to present the information, so that we can be reconsidered.

We suggest you also talk about.
- why the Halifax Pop Explosion is important to you
- why the festival is important to the Halifax

Keep it positive! There is no issue with the Film Fest or Jazz Fest getting support, the issue is that Halifax Pop Explosion deserves it too.

Send an email by FRIDAY JUNE 13:

To: Sheila Fougere, Chair - Special Events Advisory Committee fougers@halifax.ca
CC: Waye Mason, Executive Director, HPX - waye@halifaxpopexplosion.com
CC: Peter Kelly, Mayor - kellyp@halifax.ca

and post your letter on your locals messageboard, your facebook page, your myspace, and/or your blog!

Thank you in advance for your support.

city hall has never given me what I wanted..soo
get over it

Well that's helpful........

I'll do what I can and spread the word.

Honest question:

Doesn't HPX have a lot of punk bands? If so, don't a lot of punk bands try to question every move the government makes? Is it really fair for a festival which promotes music which often protests the government to ask for funding from it?

Just seems like that might be the ultimate reason you don't get funded. Not trying to start a fight, just pointing out what I think is obvious.

ha. another thread derailed.

Why do people keep saying that? They've had punk bands, but I wouldn't say they "have a lot" of them, as if it were some sort of Punk-Fest.

Sorry Waye,

I'll try to write something a bit later.

This is me trying to speak objectively, but look at the stereotypes:

I'm pretty sure the older generation and business owners looks at punk rockers as close to being squeegie kids. The city just put a ban on begging and squeegiing in the road.

I would guess that the older generation and business owners also think that those graffiti tags on their buildings come from fans of a similar music scene. People have been complaining about that for years.

I know that we had the debate about the Tattoo and SNS, but when most people picture muggers and thugs, they probably don't picture a dude running off in a kilt with a fiddle or bagpipe. It just seems pretty obvious why they won't fund HPX.

If you really want to get funding from them, forget your letters. Convince Halifax business owners to write in so they know which demographic is asking for it. All they care about is money and re-election, so work it somehow.

Has anyone sent off any letters or e-mails yet? I'd be interested to see what you guys are saying.

Honest suggestion: perhaps take the cuntliness (d/de) and irrelevant questions (kidney) to another thread so that people who are actually interested in helping can read it.

deleted

I agree, but like you just said, a lot of people say that. I think it's fair to say that might be the city's perception as well.

Dear Ms. Fougere,

I am writing in support of the Halifax Pop Explosion's application for Hallmark Status and funding as a Hallmark Event.

The Halifax Pop Explosion is a huge cultural draw for our city. It not only showcases and nurtures local talent but serves to draw interest and tourism from across the country. As one of the premier music festivals in Canada, Halifax Pop Explosion (sometimes singlehandedly, it seems) serves to keep Halifax on the national music radar year after year. HPX has an amazing tradition of finding great Canadian talent to showcase -- many of the top names today played at Pop Explosion just before they hit the big time (or just after they blew up, like Arcade Fire) -- which makes the festival of critical interest to journalists and media personalities nationwide, and serves to expose local talent to those same personalities.

Our city's economy will stagnate without the ability to attract and keep young, vibrant people to live and work here. Eagerly anticipated by many, the Pop Explosion, as the only festival of its kind in the Maritimes, is one of the top events of the year aimed at young people. We get excited for it. To be frank, without events like the Atlantic Film Fest and Pop Explosion, this would be one heck of a boring city for the creative class. And the thriving creative community is one of the major attractions of the city, not only for artists, but for those interested in the arts. I know I wouldn't be here without it.

Respectfully,

Sarah C.
{address redacted}

Not sent yet...anything I should add?

BK, how about you start your own thread with your problems with HPX?
I think it would be much more appropriate and a classy move.

Hey, I wrote my letter in. I'm just pointing out another method of attack that might help. Like I said, convince business owners to complain.

Like this you mean: