COVID-19 may have silenced Armstrong MetalFest (AMF) this year, but thanks to a provincial grant, the festival will be kept on its feet until it can āturn it up to elevenā in 2022.
AMF, a part of West Metal Entertainment, was awarded relief funds through the BC Arts Council and co-founder Jesse Valstar said the grant will cover all of the societyās fixed and basic operating costs for 2020-21.
āThis funding is really positive,ā Valstar said. āOne of the most challenging parts during the COVID pandemic is for a (non-for-profit) society that depends on people gathering to make money ā when you canāt gather people, you canāt raise funds.ā
Earlier this month, AMF announced it had to pull the plug for the second year in a row due to provincial health orders restricting events and Valstar said the volunteer-based society had come to accept the costs of the pandemic.
āWe had just said, āthis is a casualty but we can deal with it.āā
But with this award, the team behind Western Canadaās largest metal festival wonāt have to start two steps back.
The funding will cover website operations, society maintenance and the annual Armstrong Metal Fest Music Bursary, awarded to a graduating Pleasant Valley Secondary student.
āWhen we donāt have an event, we canāt really pay for that kind of stuff,ā Valstar said. āThe B.C. government rolled in and actually helped us out quite a bit.ā
Looking to 2022, the festival is set to come back bigger and better than ever ā pending health orders.
āWeāre looking at ways to expand the festival from what it is right now but trying to sort things outā¦ we canāt do anything without knowing what weāre allowed to do,ā Valstar said.
Now, itās a game of wait and see.
āArmstrong MetalFest and every other event and gathering has its struggles so weāre not unique in that aspect,ā he said. āYouāve just got to move forward with whatever youāve got.ā
The BC Arts Council was created in 1995 to support the arts and cultural activity in communities across the province.
READ MORE:
READ MORE:
Caitlin.clow@vernonmorningstar.com
Like us on and follow us on .
