Funding Wangaratta Festival of Jazz

Friday, 02 September 2011

The Victorian Government announced the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz will receive $42,500 from the Tourism Victoria's Events Program. This allocation will fund a comprehensive marketing campaign that includes advertising on Prime TV, a website upgrade, radio and print promotion and a targeted public relations campaign. This support will work to raise the event's national profile, helping attract more visitors and underpinning the long-term sustainability of the festival. The event includes the National Jazz Awards and youth workshops, and new for 2011 is an expanded blues focus. The Wangaratta Festival of Jazz is a vital part of Victoria's vibrant performing arts scene and will play a key role in attracting visitors to the region. Around 30,000 people are expected to attend this popular festival, many from interstate, making it a great Victorian experience and a vital economic boost through tourism and local spending. This funding grant is additional to the $109,522 that has been provided by Arts Victoria to assist the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz. The funding announcement follows the release of a new report by the Victorian Government that indicates Victoria's live music performers and venues contribute more than half a billion dollars to the state economy each year. The report by Deloitte Access Economics, The economic, social, and cultural contribution of venue-based live music in Victoria, found that the venue-based live music sector contributes around $500 million annually to the Victorian economy, creating the equivalent of 17,200 full-time jobs. The Wangaratta Festival of Jazz will be held from 28 October to 31 October 2011. For more information visit www.wangarattajazz.com