BALLARAT's 'big ideas' spring festival, which called for tenders in January, has been put on hold for at least another year due to COVID-19.
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The idea was for a spring festival to run every two years on the alternate year to the Ballarat International Foto Biennale as a replacement for White Night.
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It was hoped the festival would be able to attract up to 40,000 people, which also would have included up to 10,000 overnight stays in the city.
However, a changed landscape in the wake of COVID-19 means that any possibility of a festival this year is gone, with the council to look at reviving the idea later by the end of December.
"The city is committed to developing an innovative set of experiences that we can become known for," the council document said.
"The activation is seen as a complement to the 'off year' to the Ballarat International Foto Biennale.
"It is envisaged that the event will create a safe space to investigate and activate 'bigger, better, bolder' ways of thinking."
However, the council has now been forced to backtrack on those ideas due to the changing festival landscape of 2020 and plans will not go ahead this year.
"The tender for spring has been placed on hold, with the action to review how this funding will be best utilised in this calendar year," a council spokesperson said.
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It comes as the spring season in Ballarat looks like a wasteland with the loss of a number of events including the Ballarat Show and SpringFest.
Frolic Festival remains the only festival left in spring, and that is in serious doubt with a final decision expected at the end of Melbourne's six-week lockdown period.
The City of Ballarat has budgeted for $6.8 million in this financial year to support tourism, which it says will now focus on recovery, industry advocacy and planned events for 2021.
"Events such as Cycling Australia's Road Nationals will still progress in January 2021 and we are working closely with them to maximise this opportunity pending the regulations at the time," the spokesperson said.
"Other key City of Ballarat events such as Ballarat Begonia Festival and Ballarat Heritage Weekend will also be supported with the key objective of supporting the local tourism economy as appropriate.
"Our focus is to maintain the economic viability of businesses that make up our tourism economy, and be in a position to implement events and marketing activity which will stimulate desired results when the time is right"
Plans stipulated in January called for the spring festival to involved "bigger, better, bolder" ways of thinking.
"The community is eager for an alternative for White Night and are prepared to take to the streets again to enjoy the common spirit," the plan said.
"The activation must loop in with planned activities and not appear to be 'bought in' from elsewhere."
This will "require a successful funding application to the state government and private sector investment".
"Council can provide support with developing and submitting funding applications, which can be prepared once sufficient level of detail on the event concept is known."
The target audience for the event included day visitors, intra-state, particularly from Melbourne, and interstate visitors for overnight stays, and residents seeking activities and opportunities to experience the city with and without their children.
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