Pride WA have released a statement on the future of Fairday following a community forum in September to discuss future timing and cost structure of the event to ensure sustainability.
At the community meeting Pride WA revealed that the 2016 event had run at a substantial loss of around $20,000.
The committee’s representatives told the meeting that despite a great deal of effort they had not been able to attract a naming rights sponsor for the event which had made it a challenging undertaking.
President of Pride WA Andrew Barker said the overwhelming message from those attending the forum was that Fairday is an essential event for the LGBTIQ community and it is imperative that the event continues.
“Representatives of community groups who attended the forum stated that Fairday is the major event on the LGBTIQ calendar during the year that provided community-based organisations and members of the LGBTIQ community an opportunity to get together and connect, while celebrating the diversity and differences that make up the LGBTIQ community,” Mr Barker said.
“Fairday is the main LGBTIQ event for youth to connect with and see other LGBTIQ people from all walks of life celebrating as a community, and to interact with information, assistance and community support services.”
Pride WA say they are committed to establishing a working group to explore various options in relation to the timing and structure of Fairday, so that they can determine recommendations to improve the sustainability of the much-loved event.
Pride WA will not commence any planning for the next Fairday in February of 2017 until the working group’s recommendations have been presented and discussed. The working group will be tasked with finding ways to work more closely with community groups, as well as make changes to fundraising, entertainment, event management and kids events.
In recent the years the popular community event had been separated from the Pride Festival which occurs in November and moved to being part of the Fringe Festival in February. The event was also returned to its previous site of Hyde Park after many years in Russel Square in Northbridge.
In 2013 Pride WA explained the rationale for moving the events’s location and scheduling it for another spot in the calendar. Then Pride WA Co-President Daniel Smith told RTRFM’s All Things Queer that the event was no longer working.
“Fairday at the moment tries to be two events. We’ve got one half of the Russell Square which tries to be a community fair where people can be comfortable bringing their kids and the other half is like a serious ‘swim through’…essentially the two events aren’t working, both events are constrained by the other.” Smith said.
Pride’s current President Andrew Barker said it was time to review the event again.
“We will also be looking closely at the timing of Fairday as an event following several years of Fairday as a summer event in February as part of the Fringe Festival program,” Mr Barker continued.
“Pride WA will consider whether moving Fairday back into the PrideFEST program or another time is more appropriate.”
Pride WA will make a formal announcement on the future of Fairday following the presentation of working group recommendations and consultations with the wider community.
OIP Staff
