Councilor Abel,
It is unclear what you want me to respond to considering the e-mail below is structured more like accusations than queries about Aurora Festival of the Arts (AFA) practices. Further it implies the AFA is guilty of deliberately casting the Town of Aurora in a negative light despite no proven facts provided.
The AFA retains a policy of not being involved with smear campaigns in print, on websites, blogs or in business e-mails. Nor will the AFA be drawn into answering politicians or others who hide behind the guise of needing to inform anonymous residents.
If anyone has reasonable questions about the AFA, our practices or the event we produce, we can be reached through www.aurorajazzfest.com website or office phone number. AFA contact information is also available on our 2012 postcard, FEO website, Ontario Festivals Visited website, YRAC website, York Scene website, Town of Aurora website, Aurora Chamber website and in the recent Aurora Leisure Services Guide, and York Scene Tourism booklet. I would suggest the residents you have heard from be encouraged to contact us directly and we will be happy to respond.
I would also suggest facts be verified. The AFA has paid to advertise the Aurora jazz+ Festival (festival) with Ontario Festivals Visited for several years considering it is a website devoted to festivals and events in Ontario. Other than placing the festival ad, we have had no communication with Gary or Judi McWilliams, the owners of Ontario Festivals Visited website until we received an e-mail from Gary recently. Gary asked if we had comments about an e-mail he received from Councilor Paul Pirri. (Re: ‘What Were They Thinking’ article – May 2012 issue of Ontario Visited Newsletter). I personally spoke with Gary who advised he used information from an article published by The Banner regarding a decision made by Aurora Council to not fully support the 2012 Festival. If you have further questions about supposed AFA involvement in the article Mr. McWilliams wrote please contact Gary directly. gary@ontariovisited.ca 888-818-0255
Mr. St. Kitts was the 2011 Artistic Director of the festival and the AFA has invited him back as the 2012 Artistic Director. Sher St. Kitts is the AFA's General Manager. Both positions require they be ex-officio members of the AFA Board. Neither speaks for the AFA Board unless the Board gives prior approval. The AFA respects the founding producers of the Aurora jazz+ Festival. Without their vision to birth an arts & music festival as a special event for the 2009 Aurora Farmers Market - to growing the festival into a nonprofit volunteer organization, the AFA would not be able to produce the upcoming 4th annual community event benefitting citizens of Aurora and beyond.
The AFA Board is not interested in personal blogs. We recognize and respect the right of any private citizen to blog their opinions however, the AFA Board will not respond to such blogs. AFA volunteers have been advised to not generate comments on behalf of the AFA or the festival without prior Board approval.
The AFA has not received congratulations from the Town of Aurora for the festival being recognized in 3 short years as a top 100 festival by Festival & Events Ontario www.festivalandeventsontario.ca The AFA volunteer Board who are all Aurora taxpayers are proud to have this honour bestowed on our town. This is a first for Aurora and the only community arts & music festival in York Region to achieve this distinction for 2012.
The AFA would appreciate the same kindness and endorsement that is extended to other nonprofit organizations in the town. The work our volunteers do to produce an arts and music community event gives our Town of Aurora a cultural identity. It also generates economic benefit for the creative community of artists (musicians, visual artists, artisans) plus spin offs to food vendors, wellness businesses, sound/light/backline instruments/staging companies plus local charities and York Region High School Music departments. The AFA has recently applied for an economic impact study through the FEO, which will prove the economic benefits the town receives as a direct result of this award winning festival.
This is the second year the AFA Board has endured an attitude of mean spiritedness from a handful of people. Continual unsubstantiated comments in the press and elsewhere about the AFA and the community festival we produce unfortunately serves to hurt the Town of Aurora more than they hurt the Festival. In fairness to the facts, the AFA and its numerous volunteers would appreciate positive support and appropriate recognition from the Town of Aurora for the festival. The AFA requests appropriate assistance from yourself and other Council members to build bridges towards supporting arts and culture in the Town of Aurora.
Respectfully,
Susan Morton-Leonard
AFA Chair/Communications
Cc: AFA Board, AFA Advisory Board
Town of Aurora Council, Senior Staff
Gary & Judi McWilliams, Ontario Festivals Visited
Aurora Cultural Centre - Executive Director
Aurora Farmers Market - Chair
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