Flying House Launch:
Performing Arts Stock Exchange
South Africa is producing world-class, edge-pushing theatre. Each year the National Arts Festival showcases groundbreaking shows, many of which are winning awards in international festivals. But there’s a problem. Artists are burning out with the load of having to be their own administrators, fundraisers and backers. Creating visionary work is not always financially viable, and many artists work 2-3 jobs just to be able to sustain their craft. Arts education in schools has been sidelined as maths and science is prioritized; yet studies prove that arts training can help create entrepreneurial thinking – something South Africa desperately needs.
Flying House has a vision to change this – a permanent resource-sharing hub serving the performing arts industry and closing the gap between artists, schools and businesses. It will be a place to network, rehearse, eat, drink, showcase work and watch rehearsals in progress. Its members will generate income through a variety of arts-based services – think workshops, experiential learning, creative mentorship, productions and helping emerging artists build their creative “stock”.
We’re crowd-funding to help launch this vision with the Performing Arts Stock Exchange. This will be the first of many signature Flying House pop-up happenings where artists are invited to grapple with important questions of the day. This is the first stone, which lays the foundation for more accessible and sustainable artistic livelihoods.
The Arts Stock Exchange:
– Can creativity be commoditised?
– Can performing arts professionals play the game of Capital?
– What is the real worth of what artists do?
We ask these questions directly, playfully and subversively.
– What is the relationship between Art-making and Capital, particularly with the intangible, ephemeral disciplines such as theatre and dance?
– We explore all aspects of creativity, from ideas to finished products, teasing out the meaning of art and idea as commodity.
– What is the worth of a story? Is an idea worth the same as a cup of coffee? Why would you spend R200 on airtime but not on a theatre ticket?
The event will consist of an evening of curated performances that tackle those questions. Interspersed with the performative parts of the evening – a live auction of skills and a live trading floor of services, products and skills. Artists can bid for time and input from other artists. Facilitators, trainers, teachers, actors, designers, singers, writers, dancers, choreographers, marketers and accountants can advertise themselves, their shows, their products in a safe, playful, facilitated space.
This is an invitation to you, to help develop new ways for professionals in the creative arts industries to trade, do business and sustain themselves.
By supporting this event you support the development of creative and performing arts in South Africa. That means more imagination, more problem solving, more entrepreneurship and an enhanced sense of ethical responsibility. Art is a necessity, not a luxury, and Flying House’s vision is that everyone can fly.
Milestones
Milestone 1 – R30 000
The Tipping Point
The launch event: hard costs for catering, signage and printing, equipment hire and MC.
Guests will get exposure to an amazing night of industry thought leaders thrashing it out on the trading floor.
The event itself also serves as a fundraiser for the next part of Flying House’s business plan, so your money goes further than just one night.
Milestone 2 – R70 000
We put out a call for artists to create short performance installations
on the theme of Creativity as Commodity / the Game of Capital.
We select 10 dynamic pieces which will punctuate the evening’s proceedings.
With the additional funding we will be able to offer a performance fee to artists whose applications are successful.
Milestone 3 – R130 000
Training of artist-facilitators; development of Flying House App and Space Bank concept, partial funding for the first month’s operations.
With the full R120 000 we will be able to put in place the first 3 steps towards our sustainable hub for artists, and it’s all about job creation.
1 – Train the first team of artist-facilitators who will take our products into schools and organizations. Creative thinking, performance, writing and dance workshops will be charged on a sliding scale – private schools pay for previously disadvantaged schools.
2 – Develop the Flying House app and software to allow artists to crowd-source rehearsal space, and corporates to donate venues.
3 – The first month’s salary for an administrator who will oversee the logistics of setting this all in motion.
Help us bring our imagination to life, support Flying House
Buy Rewards and share the crowdfunding campaign: www.thundafund.com/FlyingHouse
Contact
http://www.flyinghouse.co.za
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info@flyinghouse.co.za