A month-long initiative by the Downtown Halifax Business Commission has taken on new meaning amid the recent provincial government’s budget cuts to the arts and culture sector.
Launched last year, March is for Music is a grant program that pairs local musicians with downtown businesses to boost customer traffic during what is typically a slow month in the HRM’s core district.
“Supporting local live music is the big thing,” says Jayme Lynn Butt, the Downtown Halifax Business Commission’s communications manager. “Then also at the same time, using live music to bring business and create economic impact in downtown Halifax.”
The rules are fairly straightforward: Participating businesses must host live music events that are free for the public to attend, and in return, the commission subsidizes the artist’s compensation.
This year, the event sponsors 49 live performances at more than 20 downtown locations over the month, with each taking place in venues that do not normally showcase music.
Among those businesses participating this year are Trident Booksellers & Café, Argyle Fine Art, Carrefour Atlantic Emporium and the Puffin Gallery in the Historic Properties.
Butt says the event has received more involvement this year from downtown businesses, noting that the sweeping provincial budget cuts to the arts sector have both musicians and businesses looking for alternative ways to support the sector.
“When we do stuff like March is for Music, it just (proves) the arts are what draws people to a downtown,” explains Butt, adding that hopefully businesses will take note. “Then hopefully, that musician that played at their (venue), they’ll see that it is worth spending and hiring them again because it brought people that wouldn’t have been in their establishment before, so it helps everybody.”
She adds that the Downtown Halifax Business Commission also has growing concerns about the recent approval by the municipality’s budget committee to introduce paid parking on Saturdays in downtown Halifax, noting that action could deter potential customers from coming to the city core.
In combination with the province’s budget cuts, Butt says the Downtown Halifax Business Commission is now focused on creating new programs and initiatives in order to boost economic traffic in the downtown core.
“We’re going to keep doing what we do, but increase it,” says Butt. “We have a huge sponsorship program as well, where we sponsor people that are bringing events to downtown and so that is our concentration that we’re going to have over the next few years to just offset the disappointment with these cuts.”
