Summer is here and that means fun in the sun with long beach days, lounges by the pool, summer blockbuster movies, and vacations galore. Well, why not in the midst of all the traditional summer fun you and/or the family could take in some arts and culture! Of course we want to spend our summer days out and soaking up the rays, but if you live in Florida like I do you may want a break from the heat. And, the theatre or a festival is a great way to do so. I've decided to research some summer alternatives to the usual summer adventures and see what performances are happening in summer 2013. So if you are in the Central Florida area, or find yourself near the area, here is a list of my top five must-see events happening this summer.
1) Art Takes Over Orlando, Public Art Installation - looking to take in some unique artwork then look no further than this event which features local artist work in the Downtown Orlando area. Also, local artist get to enter to have their art showcased at this well-known event. For more information visit Art Takes Over.
2) Dreamgirls, Mad Cow Theatre - this musical rendition of the 1960's musical acts such as James Brown, The Supremes, and The Shirelles come to Central Florida for one night. Dreamgirls tells the story of a musical group's rise and fall to fame. And yes, this the same Tony Award winning musical Dreamgirls that was brought to the big screen by Beyonce, Jaimee Fox, and Jennifer Hudson. Showing on July 7th at Mad Cow Theatre.
3) Disney's Alice in Wonderland Jr, Princess Theatre - enter the wonderful, quirky, and mystical world of Wonderland and journey with Alice as she navigates her way through this enchanted world. This is one for the kiddies, and adults if you enjoy Disney classics with a twist. For more information and list of other summer productions check out Starving Artist Studios .
4) WordPlay, does your teen have talent and looking for a place to showcase, then this event is for them. Open mic for teen poets, spoken word artists, emcees, new young artists and performers get to showcase their talent at this event held by teens for teens. Click here for more details.
5) Harmony Music & Arts Festival - although this event is outdoors you can still stay pretty cool as this event is at the end of summer just before going into Fall. The event hosts three stages of music and performances, kids shows, and more for all musical/arts enthusiast. Something for families, kids, and all. Details here.
Well, these are just a few of the summer performing arts events I plan to check out. If you have any good events you would like to share, please leave a comment or post here. Look forward to summer arts fun!
Thanks for reading,
LaKesha, xo!
Friday, June 21, 2013
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Performing Arts Is Entertainment
Technology has impacted a number of business' and industries in terms of how a company may operate or do business. Technology causes a business to be more creative in creating new, strategic, and innovative ways to engage their target audience. In the performing arts community technology and social media have had a tremendous impact on the industry and how the arts is translated to the public. Recently I came across a company that is using technology in new heights to engage the audience and share the various forms of art with the public. Quixotic is a performing arts company founded by Anthony Magliano that brings all types of artists together from varying fields to create new artistic art forms by pushing the limits of the traditional approach to art. The company uses dance, film, fashion, aerial acrobatics, and visual f-x to design and create unique performances through sound, movement, and music. Everything Magliano creates is to push the limits of art and entertainment in the minds of his performers and the audience in which the performances are shared.
In todays culture we are a visually, technology, and social media driven community that thrives on being engaged with the next best thing. In order for the performing arts to remain and grow, it will be key to understand todays culture and how to entertain, while also being able to draw in new audiences. Quixotic is one company that has learned to do just that with the fusion and blending of art and technology. The performances are not only visually engaging, but they also push the artists to new boundaries in their skill to truly be innovative and creative, not just for today but for tomorrow also. As a performer I am always amazed when I come across companies such as Quixotic and see how the industry is being shaped by innovative minds of the 21st century. Performing arts is no longer just art, it is entertainment.
Here's a video of Quixotic Fusion performance:
Thanks for reading,
LaKesha xo
Reference:
Quixotic. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.quixoticfusion.com/about on June 8, 2013.
Quixotic Fusion. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/quixotic_fusion_dancing_with_light.html on June 8, 2013.
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Connections & Building Bridges
In the performing arts community marketing is a key factor to bringing awareness about the arts and organizations that dedicate themselves to keeping the arts alive. Traditional marketing strategies relied mostly on word of mouth, causing there to be a small audience of performing arts patrons. Today, new marketing tools such as social media has helped the performing arts community expand its reach, however the biggest impact to a nonprofit performing arts organization surviving, sustaining, and growing is connection. Connection is one of the biggest tools a nonprofit performing arts center can use to gain the support from the community to reach the desired goals.
Recently in doing some research I came across a few organizations that dedicate their time and efforts to supporting performing arts in the community, and helping to bridge the gap between the organization, residents and/or visitors to the area. One organization that has been working to provide such services for years is The Arts & Culture Alliance of Central Florida. The Arts & Culture Alliance of Central Florida works to increase the participation of residents and visitors in the arts community. The organization also provides collaborative efforts through marketing and sales strategies to increase awareness, patron participation, ticket sales, and arts education. The biggest initiative the organization uses to execute these efforts is their Red Chair Project, which brings the culture and arts community of all the Central FL counties together under one umbrella. The Red Chair uses unique branding campaigns to bring awareness to the regions cultural assets.
Organizations like The Arts & Cultural Alliance of Central Florida are vital to the continual growth of the performing arts community. The work and efforts of such organizations help nonprofits, such as mine, gain exposure and connection that we might otherwise not have access to. By joining with an established organization, like the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Central FL, we are able to tap into additional marketing resources that can drastically boost our audience reach, utilize an established brand to build value and loyalty with patrons, and build a relationship that creates even more opportunities within the community.
As A. Quinn Performing Arts continues to grow our desire is to build lasting relationships with other organizations that will drive our vision, and mission, beyond our current reach. To truly impact a community it takes joint efforts and coming together with other like minded organizations to do so. This is our vision, building bridges that connects the performing arts community with those individuals who may not have been apart of our community before. And organizations like The Arts & Culture Alliance is one connection in the right direction.
Thanks for reading,
LaKesha xo
Recently in doing some research I came across a few organizations that dedicate their time and efforts to supporting performing arts in the community, and helping to bridge the gap between the organization, residents and/or visitors to the area. One organization that has been working to provide such services for years is The Arts & Culture Alliance of Central Florida. The Arts & Culture Alliance of Central Florida works to increase the participation of residents and visitors in the arts community. The organization also provides collaborative efforts through marketing and sales strategies to increase awareness, patron participation, ticket sales, and arts education. The biggest initiative the organization uses to execute these efforts is their Red Chair Project, which brings the culture and arts community of all the Central FL counties together under one umbrella. The Red Chair uses unique branding campaigns to bring awareness to the regions cultural assets.
Organizations like The Arts & Cultural Alliance of Central Florida are vital to the continual growth of the performing arts community. The work and efforts of such organizations help nonprofits, such as mine, gain exposure and connection that we might otherwise not have access to. By joining with an established organization, like the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Central FL, we are able to tap into additional marketing resources that can drastically boost our audience reach, utilize an established brand to build value and loyalty with patrons, and build a relationship that creates even more opportunities within the community.
As A. Quinn Performing Arts continues to grow our desire is to build lasting relationships with other organizations that will drive our vision, and mission, beyond our current reach. To truly impact a community it takes joint efforts and coming together with other like minded organizations to do so. This is our vision, building bridges that connects the performing arts community with those individuals who may not have been apart of our community before. And organizations like The Arts & Culture Alliance is one connection in the right direction.
Thanks for reading,
LaKesha xo
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)