Friday, November 21, 2008

Facebook and I'll Go!!

Eugene Carr tells you all you need to know about a new Facebook program that we, the arts people, gotta use. It's called I'll Go and utilizes all the Web 2.0 social networking tools you need to build your audience. Check it out here and then use it. Tell us how it goes for you.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Literary Death Match & 60x60

Innovators abound! Two "new" events around town are garnering quite a bit of attention for their challenges to the traditional presenting/audience development paradigm. In these tough times, it's survivial of the fittest!

First, Literary Death Match puts the performative, competitive fun back in the staid reading series. I went last night to the 2nd NYC LDM at Housing Works Cafe. As an avid reading attender, I am often super dismayed by some authors' non-performance. It does a great disservice, I think, to hear some writers read their own words with little to no awareness that there is an audience. LDM turns the traditional reading on its end: In Round One: 4 authors read (under 5 minutes only!) against each other, (one against one, and another against another) and then a panel of 3 astute and sassy judges adjudicate their performances based on literary merit, performance style, plagiarism, hipness, form and other intangibles. The panel is as giddily performative as the authors. Round Two pits the Round One winners against each other in the Death Match finale: paper money is tossed from the ceiling of Housing Works symbolizing the "Book Advance Competition" - catch as much $$ as you can. Then in the final final finale: the authors are blindfolded and asked to catch fake $100 bills (with Mos Def on the currency). The winner is the one with the most $$. Last night it was the deadpan funny poet Tao Lin. He won a crown, a medal and, probably, alot of new readers.

As for appropriating this "model" to other arts: it's the traditional reading series model tweaked for the social networking generation with a desire for competition and judges. Expenses and Income? free space at Housing Works? (a venerable cafe/bookstore), no admission price but a suggested donation, beer/wine/food for sale (proceeds for Housing Works), and an afterparty at Pravda (no free booze but that would be asking alot). Impact: Authors get new audiences perhaps? Indie presses get new readers? Housing Works gets new patrons?

What could the dance world do that's similar? How about the theater folks?


Second: 60 x 60 Dance!
Read Thomas Cott's blog and I won't reinvent the wheel. He is one of my favorites and 60x60 is doing their darnedest to get new dance audiences and to reinvigorate the dance scene. Go go go.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Applications Complete!!!

Wow, we received over 100 ERPA applications! A tremendous THANK YOU to each of the applicants for your entrepreneurial ambitions...and GOOD LUCK to you!!!

Over the past few months, through the course of the Town Hall and all six Invention and Information sessions, over 400 community stakeholders have already joined us at the ERPA table. The dialogue from each event, and all the chats in between, has been personally revitalizing for many. Several of those swooping by The Field today (completed application in hand) mentioned that the process of putting the application together was revitalizing in its own right. That's a real joy to hear. We know it's a lot of work to put yourself out there, and we appreciate your efforts and hope that the process was insightful and energizing for all.

Let's keep the conversation going here on the blog. For those who missed them, the full audio content from all three Invention Sessions is here...

Check out the following posts:

9/16/08 - Galapagos - Starving Artist: Fact or Fiction?
9/30/08 - Joe's Pub - No More Grants & Grandma
10/9/08 - Chez Bushwick - Artist or Cultural Entrepreneur

P.S. ERPA participants will be announced in mid-December. Please stay tuned for updates and add your own two cents in the meantime...yes, let's get bloggy!

PPS. Listen to WNYC's "Weekend Edition" this weekend for an interview with The Field staff about ERPA!!!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

I love John Schaefer: adaptability is key to "thrival"

The ever brilliant John Schaefer (and The Field's new west Soho neighbor!) offers up yet another inspiring and provocative program on the challenges facing the arts and arts leadership. Listen in on Soundcheck on WNYC. The über astute Joan Jeffri from Columbia University also weighs in on the need for knowledgeable artists in arts administration. And a savvy caller offers up "adaptability" as the key to "thrival" in these tumultuous times.

Check out John's Soundcheck blog too and add your voice to the dialogue.

BARACK!!