Over the summer, Ottawa transforms into a city of festivals. It’s a treat for any local, and for any student who stays here for the summer—that is, if they can afford it.
They say arts are the pillar of any society, and that students are the engineers of the future. So it stands to reason that the two should be pushed together as often as possible. And to a certain extent, they are.
Bluesfest features a lineup that caters to students, but their price list doesn’t match. They offer a youth discount ($99 if you buy the early bird special, and then $199 for all the latecomers). They also offer a student rush, which offers a $35 day-pass.
While both options help, they still exclude many students.
The youth pass is limited to people aged 10-21. That excludes any mature students, who despite their age can still be full-time students with the same restraints on their income. For those who meet the age requirements, they need to know their summer plans early enough to purchase the early bird special.
When so many students’ summers depend on their job location and availability, very few are able to plan that far ahead. Which leaves the student special, which unfortunately limits the number of shows students can take in. It’s a band-aid, not a solution.
Bluesfest needs to seriously look into a student pass that is accessible in the same way an adult pass is, and it needs to be based on enrolment in the school and not age. Students should not be limited in their exposure to the arts simply because they chose to go to school.
