This opportunity message is being delivered as a benefit of your membership. To learn more about Tippecanoe Arts Federation member benefits, visit TippecanoeArts.org/Member-Resources.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
FROM:
Tippecanoe Arts Federation
638 North Street
Lafayette, IN 47901
CONTACT:
Spark Placemaking
765.807.1090
DATE: 6/29/2017
 


Spark Lafayette-West Lafayette
Apply to: Create, Engage, and Activate 

Spark Lafayette-West Lafayette is a two-city partnership to activate both downtowns with temporary public programming. The result: new opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy the many assets already here, participate in creative activities, and to socialize with others as well as learn new things and enjoy new experiences.

Activities - which will change from place to place and time to time - are free for the public to enjoy. This approach, known as placemaking, also helps make public spaces more inviting and comfortable with human-scale features such as movable tables and chairs, games, demonstrations, and other cultural programming activities to engage the public. Placemaking supports local economies and communities and can lead to long-term positive change. In West Lafayette, Spark brings energy to businesses affected by ongoing street improvements. In Lafayette, it builds on the momentum of efforts to enliven downtown. Together, Spark will bridge the cities with activities on both sides of the river.

We want you to propose an art or community activity for Spark Lafayette-West Lafayette! The door is open for you or your community or group to share a simple proposal for a pop-up experience - performance, workshop, mini event, or whatever you think might be a great idea for public spaces. Your activity should be playful, inclusive, and interactive.

Participants could include crafters, makers, teachers, instructors, gamers, business owners, and artists of all kinds to share a fun, creative, and educational experience in the two downtown areas. In Lafayette, space activation will take place at locations along Main Street specifically at Chase Plaza and Riehle Plaza. In West Lafayette, similar activities will happen on Brown and South streets - in areas temporarily affected by ongoing road improvements on State Street. Both cities will offer placemaking popup improvements from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays in Lafayette and Thursdays in West Lafayette. This program lasts 16 weeks, from July 11 through October 31 with a variety of programming each week. Feel free to apply for more than one date. This is a rolling deadline so ideas and proposals are accepted throughout the process.

Activities should:
  • Be suitable for public spaces and all ages (no explicit, religious, or political content)
  • Be free to the public
  • Be inexpensive to produce (we have a modest budget for time and supplies and welcome no-cost, partnership ideas as well)
  • Be led by a person 18 years or older, or with permission of a parent or guardian
Submissions will be reviewed based on these criteria:
  • Does the idea fit within the spirit and themes of Spark and the cities?
  • Will it happen on one or more of 16 weeks between July and October?
  • Is it social, inclusive, and engaging?
  • Is it easy enough to implement?
  • Will it appeal to people, especially families?
  • Is it connected to the site and to the community?
Please visit: www.sparkplacemaking.org/lafwlaf or use the form to submit your idea at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/applyspark

When you apply, please tell us about: the equipment or materials you'll use; a link to photos or video or reviews of previous presentations; anything else to help us understand your idea. Spark staff will work with you to identify a specific time and space for your project, if accepted. Expect to receive a reply from Spark staff within five days. Communication will be via email. Thank you!

For more information, contact [email protected].

Spark is a placemaking and tactical urbanism program of the nonprofit Big Car Collaborative working across Indiana and beyond. In this program, our team collaborates with communities to test and implement approaches for people-focused public places and streets.

About the Tippecanoe Arts Federation
The Tippecanoe Arts Federation is the umbrella organization and arts council for 14 counties. TAF provides educational opportunities in the visual, performing, and literary arts, outreach programs for both underserved and at-risk youth, and funding for capital and operational expenses to fellow arts organizations region wide. Established in 1976, the Tippecanoe Arts Federation serves as a model for arts advocacy by promoting the role of the arts within our region. More information is available at  www.TippecanoeArts.org.

This opportunity message is being delivered as a benefit of your membership. To learn more about Tippecanoe Arts Federation member benefits, visit TippecanoeArts.org/Member-Resources.

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For More Information, please contact  Spark Placemaking by calling
765.807.1090, by emailing  [email protected],  or by visiting www.sparkplacemaking.org/lafwlaf.


Activities of the Tippecanoe Arts Federation are provided, in part, with support from the Indiana Arts Commission, a state agency, with funds from the Indiana General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.
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