Following on from being denied $20,000 in funding from local city council, the organisers of the popular Breath Of Life festival are at risk of moving the event from its traditional site.
Festival organisers Opcon are considering moving the annual Tasmanian music festival away from the Inveresk Showgrounds in Launceston, where it has been held since its inception in 2011, following the Launceston City Council rejecting Breath Of Life’s application for $20,000 in sponsorship, as The Examiner reports.
Opcon director Clint Pease says that the festival, which is taking place this year on Saturday 9th March, has generated $2.3 million in economic activity for the Tasmanian city in the past, but that increasing costs of running the event had risen to $1.3 million.
“The event’s margins are getting smaller and we are continually working hard to keep the event viable in a tough economy,” said Mr Pease.
“We go through every possible angle and follow any possible opportunity to keep this event viable,” including discussions to move out of Launceston and the Inveresk Showgrounds. “We now can’t look past what other regions may have possibilities for funding to support the event there.”
“We are constantly told that this is one of the biggest weekends in Launceston financially for businesses – pubs, clubs, hotels, restaurants,” said Mr Pease, adding that organisers “would love to keep this event in Launceston at Inveresk – it’s been a great spot for us.”
Mr Pease notes that Breath Of life would “definitely” be kept in Tasmania, “but we now can’t look past what other regions may have possibilities for funding to support the event there,” he says.
Pease says the Breath of Life 2014 festival lineup is expected to drop next month, with Opcon having booked four international acts thus far, but may have to scrap plans for a fourth stage that would exclusively host local Aussie acts as result of the council’s ruling to not financially support the festival.
Promoters Opcon had approached Launceston City Council for $20,000 in sponsorship funding, after having previously received $21,150 from council over two years, but were denied a share of the council’s event sponsorship budget of $378,000 in favour of 10 other community events that had their applications granted; a decision that Pease and the Breath of Life festival team learned about from the media and not directly from the council, as they tweeted yesterday.
Launceston Acting General Manager Rod Sweetnam tells The Examiner that the council has “a robust and objective process” to assess sponsorship applications based on their economic, social, and environmental values.
“The council’s finite funds mean good governance practices are extremely important – particularly as every time it is assessing an extremely competitive field of events,” said Mr Sweetnam.
Originally the brainchild of singer-songwriter Mark ‘Diesel’ Lizotte, and the Lizotte family, Breath Of Life festival first debuted in 2011 in conjunction with the Australian Lung Foundation as a music festival that also promoted lung health awareness, while raising funds for the Foundation. With over $70,000 raised for research into chronic lung disease, from over an attendance of over 1,600 – Breath of Life had a storming debut.
Last year’s Breath Of Life compounded that success. A smoking ban was introduced as well as stage for the electronic fans in the Ministry Of Sound Clubbers Guide stage, with a lineup that featured the likes of Steve Aoki and A-Trak to complement the mix of rock and hip-hop on the Breath Of Life 2013 lineup; featuring Dizzee Rascal, Bliss N Eso, 360, Birds Of Tokyo, Flume, Northlane, Dream On Dreamer, The Amity Affliction, and many more.
Despite missing the $20,000 in council sponsorship, Ministry Of Sound is returning to add their presence to Breath of Life 2014, which takes place over the March long weekend, with the Ministry of Sound Arena – which will be hosted “at the at the very best five star venue in Launceston Tasmania,” tease organisers, while the full 2014 lineup will feature the “absolute creme’ de creme’ [sic] of national and international bands and DJs.”
In a post on the Breath of Life Facebook page this morning, Clint Pease notes that he has a meeting with Launceson Council Member Alderman Rob Soward, “who has pledged his ongoing support for the event,” writes the Opcon director.
“Rob believes in the value of youth events in our state and the great economic boost it brings. Fingers crossed we can turn the tide.”
Breath Of Life 2014
Saturday 9th March 2014
Inveresk Showgrounds, Launceston TAS
Lineup TBA
breathoflifefestival.com
