Funding pledged for queer fest

ORGANISERS of LGBTIQA-plus volunteer association Bendigo Queer Arts Festival have been promised fifty thousand dollars should Labor be re-elected in this month’s State election.

The pledge was made by candidate, and Member, for Bendigo West Maree Edwards, who said it highlighted the party’s continued commitment to supporting local queer culture.

“The Andrews Labor Government has done a power of work in supporting our LGBTIQA+ community across Victoria… from our Commissioner for Equality… to support on the ground for organisations such as [the Bendigo Queer Arts Festival],” she said

“They do an enormous amount of work, volunteers mostly, and they support our queer community across Bendigo and the region, and they do an outstanding job.

“It’s become much more recognised that Bendigo is a place of… equality and support so we want to make sure they have the funds that they need.”

The Bendigo Queer Arts Festival is the umbrella group behind events Bendigo Pride Festival, Bendigo Queer Film Festival, and Queer Country Art Exhibition.

The association has more than 20 volunteers alongside a committee of about eight members.

With Bendigo Pride slated for late March next year, Bendigo Queer Arts Festival director Chris Butler said the funding would ensure longevity for their efforts.

“It would be enormously helpful because it means we would be able to fund the festival going forward. It gives us certainty about being able to run these,” he said.

“Often, it’s a bit hand-to-mouth when you’re running festivals. When you’ve got that solid funding behind you, you know you can get the structure underneath the festival running, and everything else just falls into place.”