FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
City of Pittsfield Director of Cultural Development, Megan Whilden, 413-281-7289
Barrington Stage Company Press Director Charlie Siedenburg 551-655-0968
10X10 UPSTREET ARTS FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR 2014 FESTIVAL
3rd Annual Festival Slated for February 13-23, 2014 in Downtown Pittsfield
(PITTSFIELD, MA) Spearheaded by Barrington Stage Company and the City of Pittsfield, the 10×10 Upstreet Arts Festival is seeking submissions for the 3rd annual festival which will be held throughout the city’s Upstreet Cultural District from February 13-23, 2014.
Last winter’s expanded 10X10 festival creatively enlivened downtown Pittsfield for 11 days from February 14-24, 2013. The dynamic mix of art, dance, film, music, theatre, comedy and more drew over 6,500 patrons to downtown Pittsfield (more than doubling the attendance at the inaugural festival in 2012) to experience more than 75 performances, events and art exhibits. In 2013, more than 480 artists participated or had work featured and over 300 new works were created specifically for festival.
2013 festival partners included Alchemy Initiative, Barrington Stage Company, Beacon Cinema/Berkshire International Film Festival, Berkshire Art Association, Berkshires Jazz, Berkshire Museum, Gallery 25, Hancock Shaker Village, NU Arts, the Royal Berkshire Improv Troupe/Berkshire Theatre Group, WAM Theatre, and WordXWord, as well as a comedy show presented by Thomas Attila Lewis. The 2013 festival also included a new family arts component, as the festival took place during February school break. Family programming participants included Berkshire Museum, Bisque, Beads & Beyond, Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield City Hall and Miss Hall’s School.
The 2014 10X10 Upstreet Arts Festival will feature signature programming such as the 10X10 New Play Festival at Barrington Stage Company; the Ten Spot art show at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts; a short film festival at the Beacon Cinema; Ten Days of Play at Berkshire Museum; Berkshire Art Association’s 10X10 art auction featuring 10″x10″ work by area artists; and more. The committee is also looking for new and out-of-the-box programming and partners.
10X10 Upstreet has issued a call for submissions to encourage artists, performers and cultural organizations to propose programming for inclusion in the festival. All programming must occur within the Upstreet Cultural District during the festival dates and must relate to the festival’s theme of “ten.” The deadline for submission is Friday, November 15.
“The 10X10 Upstreet Arts Festival is an opportunity to enliven wintertime in the Berkshires, bring thousands of people to the Upstreet Cultural District, and showcase the talents of our local artists, performers and arts organizations,” said Pittsfield Mayor Dan Bianchi. “I look forward to enjoying this winter’s array of creative talent at the 2014 Upstreet Arts Festival.”
Proposals maybe submitted by email to cultural@pittsfieldch.com or mailed or dropped off at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, located at 28 Renne Avenue in downtown Pittsfield’s Upstreet Cultural District. Interested participants should send a one page description of your proposed performance, program, exhibition or event including whether it will be free or ticketed, the location, and whether it is proposed or confirmed; bios of key performers, artists or personnel; images or links to video if appropriate; and a list of similar projects you have been involved in. If you do not have a confirmed Upstreet Cultural District (Housatonic to Linden Street and First to Center Streets) location please contact us and we will be happy to make suggestions.
About 10×10 Upstreet Arts Festival
The festival is a collaborative effort spearheaded by Barrington Stage Company and the City of Pittsfield and coordinated through a steering committee that includes the Beacon Cinema, Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFF), Berkshire Museum, Lichtenstein Center for the Arts and the City of Pittsfield, and Word X Word. For more information, visit discoverpittsfield.com/10×10, find 10×10 Upstreet on Facebook, or contact the City of Pittsfield Office of Cultural Development at 413-499-9348.
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