Juggling public expectations and COVID regulations isn't easy, nor is navigating the financial realities of a pandemic. But even with the deck stacked against it, Halifax Pride knows how badly we need its annual dose of joy and community. Here, in the run-up to Pride's 2021 event this August, its organizers are giving a glimpse behind the curtain of how the summer staple is overcoming everything to bring Halifax the rainbow with this, a diary series. Below is the third entry—and you can catch up on past ones here.
July 23
Adam Reid, Executive Director
Today I woke up just before 6:00am, grabbed my coffee, and sat down with my pups to spend a couple hours catching up on email. I cherish my quiet morning time because once I’m at the office, the team and I are often faced with a rush of time-sensitive festival issues. I’m also in a particularly good mood as last evening we hosted our Partner Appreciation Reception, our first large in person event since last summer, and we think it was a hit. Staff, volunteers, community partners, and sponsors gathered to help mark the imminent arrival of the festival. We shared our plans for 2021, introduced staff from the MacPhee Centre for Creative Learning whose youth are the 2021 Pride Ambassadors, watched a great performance from Elle Noir, and enjoyed the feeling of queer life returning to normal.
But that moment passed and now I’m at the office trying to catch up on emails, invoices, messages, and meetings that I had to push aside while planning the reception. We’ve also learned that a recent change to public health guidelines will require us to update portions of our COVID-19 safety plan. Since COVID-19 began we’ve had to continually work on a Plan A and a Plan B, while trying to imagine what changes might occur to require a Plan C. We’ve had more plans than there are letters in the 2SLGBTQIA+ acronym.
Although the constant change has made event planning a challenge, it’s also made us better planners and more thoughtful collaborators. Tomorrow, for instance, we begin filming the Noon-Hour Panel Series at the Light House Arts Centre with a variety of panelists and community partners. The pandemic has required us to think deeply about access needs, how to host events safely, and how to protect the health of our guests. We hope public health guidelines will be significantly relaxed next year, but this time has given us the chance to reflect deeply on ways we can host a safe and accessible festival for all.