FUNDS TO BOOST SCULPTURE TRAIL RETURN
THE Lorne Sculpture Festival is set to receive a $30,000 funding boost from the Surf Coast Shire council as it eyes a return later this year.
A funding request from event organisers to the council estimates 60,000 people will attend the festival during October and November.
“The Lorne Sculpture will attract significant visitation over three weeks and four weekends in the off-peak, boosting recovery of these sectors, in particular during weekdays,” the application reads.
“In addition to visitor expenditure, Lorne Sculpture will generate significant social connectivity opportunities and place a focus on the creative and arts sector, which has been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.”
The event, which showcases the best of Australian and international sculpture, arts, and entertainment, is set to also provide flow-on benefits to accommodation, hospitality and retail businesses as they recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
During the coronavirus pandemic, 150 Lorne businesses have sought JobKeeper assistance, with lost visitor expenditure estimated to be more than $100m.
The centrepiece of the festival is a sculpture trail, a free outdoor exhibition featuring 16 precincts from the Point Grey Pier to the Erskine River Swing Bridge. Other attractions include musical performances, sculpture and model-making workshops, performance art, Indigenous culture and evening projections.
The overall event budget is expected to be about $500,000.
A council report recommending the council allocates $30,000 from its COVID-19 support allocation to support the event will be voted on at a meeting on Tuesday.