Well not all the thanks…but some of the thanks.
Tomorrow Festival of Health Research begins. I’m nervous and excited. It’s been a lot of work. For the first time in years, the festival has no federal funding and we have to rely entirely on ticket/pass sales, liquor sales, merch sales, fundraising, private donations and corporate sponsorships.
Our core team is small. The 2 dope boys have invested an exceptional amount of work curating the talent you will see at the showcases. Our volunteer coordinator Cam Holt has been working around the clock. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered! Everyone is working extremely hard. It has been nerve-wracking. I am grateful for everyone involved, especially those who’ve jumped in recently and just dug into the work, and can’t imagine how it would have been without them.
All our venues have been exceptionally accommodating, and I’ll be thanking our sponsors in a separate post.
I take hospitality very seriously. I want everyone who comes to feel at home. I am at fault for all the things that go wrong or have been overlooked, and for that, please forgive me. But where I’m wrong, others are right, and I know everything will fall into place as it should.
Overall I am excited about the festival, and can’t wait to experience what everybody brings. Everyone who is present at this festival matters deeply: those who speak, those who serve, and those who listen. The poet, the volunteer, the witness. To all those who call out and all those who answer: thank you for being here.
mcd | festival director