SonneBlauma hosted its first bi-annual SB-ADaPT Festival with 20 + events/performances occurring between June 8th - June 25th in 8 different venues with artists from 5 countries and 23 cities participating.
SB-ADaPT Fest - A Dance and Physical Theater Festival
A professional gathering of like minded individuals seeking to make a difference in the world by manifesting their life work as artists with as much integrity as they can muster.
A Conference that Celebrates the Movement Arts & Welcomes Emerging Genres with components that include dynamic Social Gatherings, time & space for Networking, engaging in Discussions about key topics pertinent to the arts, Education in terms of sharing our dances, physical theater, and movement art with each other and with the Santa Barbara community in a fully produced venue at Center Stage Theater.
To spice it up & add a fun twist we've added an official Movement Art Competition whereby conference participants share their creativity with the community & after soaking it all in the community present will "vote" in such a way that results in a "prize" that is shared by one and all.
DESIGN OF THE SB-ADaPT Festival (A Dance and Physical Theater Festival)
Our Intent
It is our intent to create an environment that builds local, regional, national, and international community that will lead to building bridges of support between communities leading to potential opportunities to share their creative expression in new communities all over the world.
We serve artists making work of high integrity.
Our primary focus is on creating an educational adventure in a conference format for the hard core community of artists who are committed to carving out their lifework no matter how difficult it is, carrying out careers in related and unrelated fields to earn their living. Technically, some may be "amateurs" but the integrity of their expression illustrates these artists are anything but! The conference is geared not only towards serving "amateurs" who do not earn their living at the arts but to seasoned professionals who've been fortunate enough to settle into a lifestyle where making and performing their art has become their livelihood.
Collaboration
The design of the conference is a collaboration between the artists and the host company. The host company for the SB-ADaPT Festival (A Dance and Physical Theater Festival) is SonneBlauma Danscz Theatre.
Host Company Responsibility
The host company puts in the hundreds and hundreds of hours to create the conference. They put out the call for submissions, process applications and conduct an adjudication process. They design the programming and contact the artists about the outcome of the adjudication. They fundraise for the costs to: rent the theater, purchase insurance for the event, pay for the technical support, for printed materials (programs, poster, flyers), videographer, etc. The host company generates all press materials and sends them to the appropriate contacts, they make sure preview articles are written as well as reviews, and create the container for the process for sharing work.
The Artists’ Responsibilities
The artists collaborate by submitting an application along with an application fee (and at times a production fee.) The nature of the application and fees vary from Festival to Festival. For the SB-ADaPT Fest artists went through a rigorous application process. They submit information that includes video documentation of the work they hope to bring to the Festival, a biography, description of their achievements over the past five years, a description of what they hope to get out of the Festival, and sign a Festival Agreement form outlining responsibilities of the artists. The artists pay for all costs associated with creating the work (artist pay, costumes, rehearsal space, etc.) & the costs associated with travel, lodging, and food. Artists do not receive compensation for performances.
Crazy huh?
Why?
Taking work into a new community as a lesser known artist who does not manage their career through booking agents is hugely expensive and extremely risky. You not only have your costs associated with creating the work but the costs associated with taking it to another city, paying for housing while you are there, you have the challenges of booking the theater, figuring out who to send the press releases to, how to get an audience there and so on. There is a very good chance, since you are not known, that you may very well perform for very few people (if any at all.) Attending Festivals saves an artists the time and money associated with producing the work. Additionally, in that the host company is well connected in their community, the local community comes out to support the work they do guaranteeing not only an audience, but in a well organized festival, the presence of the local press.
How this Festival Differs
Conference: Dance Festivals generally only include a short technical rehearsal with the opportunity to perform once (sometimes twice.) There is no time built into the Festival for artists to devote to building community and an artistic exchange of ideas. We have built in ample opportunity for this by adding treating the Festival like a conference. Conference components include:
An Artist Welcome - provision of a free continental breakfast with initial artist introductions
Education: artists will have time set aside to discuss topics pertinent to the arts as well be afforded the opportunity to engage in master classes.
Business Development: artists will be afforded the opportunity to network and establish contact with artists from many different cities and countries which we hope will lead to opportunities to share their work in different cities and countries.
Creative Feedback: There will be a private artist exchange where artists will have the opportunity to share their work with other artists. Afterward their will be time set aside to discuss respective processes in an atmosphere of mutual admiration, respect, and support.
Lodging: For those who wish, we are attempting to reduce their Festival costs by searching for free lodging with host families. Additionally, we offer a list of affordable accommodations in the area.
Fund raising: We are offering some support with fund raising coaching those with less experience on how to draft effective fund raising letters, ideas on who to approach for funding, and when needed will advocate on behalf of international artist. An example of this is procuring $2,000 from the Israeli Consulate to be used for bringing two Israeli artists to the Festival.
Food: Local organizations are donating food for a free continental breakfast, lunch, and Shop Talk Reception so there will be times in the Festival where we will be feeding the artists.
Additional Technical Rehearsals: While most Festivals only allow the artists 15 minutes to 1/2 hour to set their lights with no dress rehearsal we offer artists the chance to not only set their lights but enjoy a dress rehearsal during the day devoted to a Private Artist Exchange. Each program will perform for the other, and there will be opportunity for dialog after each dress rehearsal.
Performances: Many Festivals provide only one opportunity to perform. The SB-ADaPT Festival will provide three for Center Stage Performers. Once during the Private Artist Exchange, one matinee for the community, and one evening performance for the community.