.E-mail This Article

Ups and downs

Van Valkenburg reflects on her time with Great Northern Arts Festival

Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Apr 27/01) - Tanya Van Valkenburg says her four years with the Great Northern Arts Festival has been demanding but enriching.

"It's been an unbelievable experience, full of highs and lows," says GNAF's executive director.

FESTIVAL FACTS

  • Stats based on 1998 visitor's survey (completed by 55 people):
  • Visitor spending in Inuvik during GNAF:
  • Average spending at the festival (per party) -- $355
  • Average spending in the region (per party) -- $908
  • 34 per cent said they came to Inuvik primarily to come to the festival
  • 21 per cent said they extended their time in Inuvik by at least 2 days to see more of GNAF.
  • GNAF organizers determined total visitors and spending as follows:
  • 200 hotel rooms and campsites in Inuvik, fully booked during the 10 days Assume 3 turnovers during the 10-day festival, equals 600 parties staying at the hotels/campsites
  • 600 parties spent $908 on average in the region, equals $757,800
  • 204 parties (or 34 per cent of 600 parties), spending $908 on average in the region, equals $185,232. This represents spending by people who came specifically for the GNAF
  • 126 parties (21 per cent of 600) parties extended their stay by at least 2 days to see more of GNAF. Assuming daily expenses of $250, equals $63,000 spent by visitors who would not otherwise have stayed in the region
  • 204 parties (or 34 per cent of 600 parties) spent average of $355 at GNAF, equals $72,420.


    • "It's really tested us to see how much we can actually accomplish and how much we can handle. My skills have increased so much from what I have been forced to learn in this job, because there was no one else to do it."

    Van Valkenburg shook her head while recalling her first year or two with the festival. Five months after her arrival, then executive director (and GNAF co-founder) Charlene Alexander moved out of town.

    "That was definitely challenging. She talked to us on the phone everyday for a year. It was sort of hit the ground running. There was no time to take a breath."

    She said the filing systems and finances and other administrative details had to be straightened out, while at the same time marketing and planning for the festival itself was under way. All this with no full-time permanent staff in 1997.

    How things have changed. Now the GNAF boasts three full-time permanent staff, and its overall operating budget has gone from $300,000 in '97 to $545,000.

    Van Valkenburg said a big reason for that is a decision by organizers to hold weekly bingos on an almost year-round basis. More than $100,000 was raised in the first year, starting in September 1999.

    She said this has allowed for more financial stability, and has allowed organizers to do things like hiring Marni Hilash in February 2000 to work on their website (www.greatart.nt.ca) and other visual communication aspects. A full-time office manager was also hired last year.

    Van Valkenburg said more staff has allowed for more planning. For instance, organizers recently submitted a proposal for the Attractions Canada awards.

    The GNAF won the Attractions Canada award for the NWT in cultural events (for organizations with operating budgets of more than $350,000). The GNAF also won as an attraction of national or international interest.

    The GNAF is now entered for the national Attractions Canada award in the cultural event category. (The winner will be announced May 23.)

    More care

    "That's the sort of thing we've now been able to do, to put a lot of care into things so we're not just struggling to survive," Van Valkenburg said.

    "That's not to say our funding worries are completely a thing of the past."

    She said she spends more time fund-raising than on anything else, and that the lack of core funding makes things difficult.

    "We are never sure until the middle of the festival whether we're actually going to have a net income or a deficit, because we get confirmation of funding as late as the beginning of July."

    Van Valkenburg said corporations, especially oil and gas firms, are being targeted this year in a big way for donations.

    In the 2000 fiscal year, the total contributed revenue to the festival from outside the three Northern territories was $73,000 (or about 35 per cent of the total contributed revenue of $205,507).

    Big impact

    Van Valkenburg said the GNAF makes a huge economic impact upon Inuvik and surrounding area.

    According to figures released by the GNAF, visitors spent $72,420 at the 1998 festival, and visitors spent more than $248,000 in the region that can be directly attributed to that year's festival.

    According to 2000 fiscal year stats on the GNAF's expenses, the festival spent $496,152 in the three Northern territories (out of total operating expenses of $514,367).

    The GNAF paid a total of $114,548 in commission to artists, of which 92 per cent was paid to artists in the three Northern territories.

    Production costs for the GNAF in the 2000 fiscal year was $122,174, of which nearly all was spent on Northern companies. Marketing costs were $23,069, of which 76 per cent was received by Northern companies.

    Staff costs were just under $198,541, of which 97 per cent was spent on staff living in the three Northern territories.

    Administration costs were $39,306 (all spent on Northern companies). Northern companies also reaped all the benefits from the $16,729 spent on souvenirs.

    This year's event will mark the final festival for Van Valkenburg, as well as artistic director Marilyn Dzaman. Both of them, and their families, are moving to Whitehorse this summer.

    "Being given the opportunity to put something on that makes so many people happy, I mean, I'll take that with me whatever I do," Van Valkenburg said.