GUELPH – After a successful Hillside Festival this year, and that after two years of COVID-19 disruptions, the Hillside Community Festival celebrated a $249,700 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
A recognition event took place on Sept. 16 as a part of the annual Hillside Festival Member Barbecue, which is an opportunity for members to enjoy a social event with refreshments, and to hear about the activities of the organization.
“Congratulations to the Hillside Community Festival for receiving the Community Building Fund Grant,” said Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner.
“Hillside is a staple in our community and is an event that provides a place to come together to share in music, community and friendship.”
Schreiner said the festival has given opportunities to many artists and has inspired creativity within the city and beyond.
“As an MPP, resident and volunteer, I can say that Hillside is the highlight of my summer and something that I look forward to taking part in every year. I want to thank the Hillside Festival for their continued commitment towards fostering connectedness and creativity within our community,” Schreiner continued.
Festival executive director Marie Zimmerman said the funding helped keep staff employed during a precarious time for the live music and tourism industries.
“The continuity we were ensured through funding is no small thing for a not-for-profit charity that can be buffeted about by change,” she said.
‘Institutional memory’
“It preserved institutional memory and program momentum, and bolstered our commitment to serving our communities. We are forever grateful to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for keeping us alive and relevant.”
The Hillside Community Festival of Guelph presents the Hillside Summer Festival and Hillside Inside, a three-day, multi-stage events with a broad artistic vision.
As an artistic presenter working in a time of reconciliation and reckoning, Hillside remains committed to offering space and work for artists and arts workers from all races, cultures, and communities, particularly Indigenous, people of colour, LGBTQ2S+, and women whose inclusion will help stitch a richer and more varied cultural fabric.
For more information, visit hillsidefestival.ca.
