Last May, the ‘Creational Trails team, a collaboration between the Greater Milwaukee Committee’s Innovation in Milwaukee initiative, beintween, and Art Milwaukee, received a $350,000 grant from ArtPlace America.
Through this grant, beintween has announced a $40,000 call for performance ideas to showcase the diverse talent of the community along the artery next summer.
What is the artery? It is an 8 acre linear corridor extending the Beerline trail to from Riverwest into Harambee. We imagine this parcel, once a seventrack railyard, can be transformed into a place by connecting people to a space.
Similar to principals of creative placemaking, we seek performance ideas that encourage safety and comfort the artery as a place to connect with one another. We welcome ideas that involve the trail, the plants, the buildings, the sidewalks, the bridge, the parking lots, the fences, anything you find interesting in the artery!We are inspired by the imagination of Kid President, who asks us to “Create something that will make the world awesome” in his Pep Talk.
We are open to many types of performance, including ones we haven’t imagined: jazz, relay races, spoken word, barbeques, back flips, walking, gardening, treasure hunts, dancing, hugs, basketball, cooking, yoga, games, pep talks…we want to hear what you want to do!
Of all the performance ideas submitted, 40 will be invited to pitch at a talent show in late February to a panel of jurors representing local and regional leadership. The top 20 ideas 2 will each be awarded $500 each to perform at the artery this summer; up to $1,500 is available for the production and documentation of each performance idea.
Season one at the artery will feature a select number of performances hosted outdoors, from May through August, emceed by a different local artist, on the last Saturday of each month (weather permitting). An encore event planned in autumn will showcase the best performances as determined by an audience vote from each of the summer events.
Submissions are due February 7th by 5:00 PM; the talent show on February 22nd (location TBD) is open to the public.
beintween is seeking a diverse range 3 of performance ideas or creative expressions that can be performed or installed outdoors along the artery by an individual or a team of any skill level. This call is open to people of all ages 4 who live or work in the neighborhoods 5 highlighted in the map, or whose idea supports the people in these neighborhoods.
To learn more about ‘Creational Trails and the artery, or to submit an idea 6 to this call, visit www.creationaltrails.com.
“It’s everybody’s duty to give the world a reason to dance!”
– Kid President
1 All ideas or creative expressions submitted should be family-friendly in nature;
2 Those reflecting cultural sensitivity to these neighborhoods will be reviewed favorably
3 Performances ideas can be experimental, instructional, local, mobile, spiritual, scientific,historical, fictional, temporary, reoccurring, spontaneous or permanent .
4 Individuals or teams under 18 years of age require consent of a legal guardian.
5 Neighborhoods: Harambee, Williamsburg Heights, Riverwest, Lincoln Park, Rufus King, Estabrook Park, Grover Heights, Arlington Heights, Borchert Field, North Division, Triangle North, Hillside, Halyard Park, Brewer’s Hill, Schlitz Park
6 Performance Ideas can also be submitted via mail to beintween @: 161 W. Wisconsin Ave. Suite 16 Milwaukee, WI 53202
