August 7, 2008

“DEVOLIN ANNOUNCES $15,000 IN FUNDING FOR THE FOREST FESTIVAL IN HALIBURTON”

HALIBURTON – Local MP Barry Devolin on behalf of the Honourable Josée Verner, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women and Minister for La Francophonie, today announced $15,000 in funding for Patria Music/Theatre Projects’ the Forest Festival.

The money will support the Forest Festival, a 10-day, multi-disciplinary event taking place from August 22 to August 31, 2008. The celebration will feature artists from a range of genres, including music, dance, and visual arts, all of which are thematically linked to ecological topics. These performances will take place in the Logging Museum and the Bone Lake Amphitheatre at the Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve.

“The Forest Festival has made an important contribution to the arts in Canada.” said Minister Verner. “Investments in the arts and culture are essential to Canadians, and the Government of Canada is pleased to support Patria Music/Theatre Projects as they showcase such tremendous talent and artistic excellence.”

“Our Government is proud to support the Haliburton Forest Festival, which provide those of us in rural Canada with an opportunity to see high-quality, artistic programming,” said Devolin. “Haliburton has a rich and diverse arts scene, and festivals such as this play an important role in developing our home-grown artistic talent and enriching our communities.”

“We are delighted by the news that a substantial Department of Canadian Heritage grant has been awarded to the Forest Festival for 2008,” said Stuart Laughton, President of the Forest Festival. “The festival’s development of eco-arts presentations in a wilderness setting is at a crucial stage of development. Our artists and audiences will benefit greatly, as will Ontario’s eco-tourism and the Haliburton Highlands community at large.” 

The Government of Canada has provided funding through the Arts Presentation Canada program of the Department of Canadian Heritage. This program seeks to give Canadians more access to direct experiences of the diversity and richness of Canada’s culture through professional arts festivals, presentations of live professional performances, and other artistic experiences.

-30-

For more information contact: Barry Devolin, MP (705) 324-2400 or (866) 688-9881