ArtSpark Festival 

The ArtSpark Festival has gotten a little too big for its shoes. So, we're getting bigger shoes. Read on to find out more. 

ArtSpark 1.0

So, what was ArtSpark?

ArtSpark began in 2005 as an 8 week new play competition, and by 2008, grew into a 12 week collaborative competition composed of individuals in theatre, music, visual art, video game design, and marketing. The Festival brought these disciplines together to form Creative Teams. To aid Creative Teams along the way the Foundation provided a budget, workspace, mentors, industry workshops, and equipment to help facilitate the process.

At the beginning of the ArtSpark Festival, Creative Teams received what we call a "spark.” This “spark” sometimes consisted of a piece of visual art and/or a musical composition that was submitted by an artist prior to the Festival. At other times we paired teams with local business to create “sparks." Theatre artists and video game designers used these “sparks” to brainstorm ideas for the Creative Team's new play or video game. Once development of the video game or play had begun, the team’s visual artist and musician would create a new piece that responded to the entire team's ArtSpark experience. The theatre artists or video game designers were required to incorporate this new visual art and music into the new play or video game. By week ten each discipline would showcase their work to an audience who would then provide feedback.

The Marketer created a strategy to promote all of the showcases. After implementing their marketing plan for the twelve-week Festival, the Marketer pitched their campaign to marketing company executives who helped determine the most effective Marketers of the Festival.

Creative Teams were judged by rubrics established for each discipline. Winning teams were selected after consideration of core values of the Festival: collaboration, innovation, and discipline, with more emphasis on the process rather than the final product. In 2008, the HBMG Foundation awarded $15,000 in prizes to the two winning Creative Teams. 

ArtSpark 2.0

After four successful years, the HBMG Foundation is ready to push the ArtSpark Festival to the next level. We are currently in the planning stages of the next Festival. Our goal is to make ArtSpark the most awesome multi-disciplinary Festival in the country. In order to take the program to these new heights, we are spending more time than usual developing the ideas and raising the funds needed. With that said, we are hard at work with other local organizations to develop what we are now calling... ArtSpark 2.0.

ArtSpark 2.0 will take the successful elements of ArtSpark and expand them. Many elements will stay the same. Teams will still receive offices and a budget to create new works, but the Festival will be bigger and better.

So, what will change…?

ArtSpark 2.0 will grow from 12 to 17 weeks. We will be adding more disciplines such as film, dance, and entrepreneurship. There will be more in-depth workshops focused on things like project management, financial planning, public speaking, resume building, and interview skills. We will ramp up the cross-discipline collaboration. Ever seen a dance/video game hybrid? Well, you might just see it in ArtSpark 2.0. We are working harder on economic development by connecting local business with participants in order to get individuals from the creative community more sustainable jobs. We will give out grants to exceptional groups and individuals from the Festival.

We are currently in the process of raising money to support this more awesome Festival. So, if you are interested in helping out, please visit our Get Involved page and make your tax deductible donation today!

Interested in participating in ArtSpark 2.0? Please send join our mailing list for all the latest updates. If you have any questions, send us an email.

some photos from the 2008 Festival:

 
Photos courtesy of Will Hollis Snider.