Archive: April 2010

Urbana - The City of Urbana Public Arts Program invites public participation in a community dialogue entitled “Art Work: a National Conversation on Art, Labor, and Economics.” On May 1, 2010, from 3:30 – 5:00PM, join artists Brett Bloom and Salem Collo-Jullin of Temporary Services and other guests to discuss the topic. The discussion will take place in the Urbana Free Library Lewis Auditorium, at 210 West Green Street in Urbana.

In January 2010, artist collective Temporary Services launched a 40 page newspaper about the state of art in the economic environment. Articles by artists, critics, historians and concerned people address ways artists are surviving, alternative funding mechanisms, creative resistance to the capitalization of everyday life and more. The paper has been distributed in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Artists and art institutions around the country are hosting events and conversations to address what to do now.

This project is hosted by the Urbana Public Arts Program in recognition of the need to further community dialogue on timely issues related to the arts and society.

The Urbana Public Arts Program works to create a city where artists thrive and are valued, and where all residents can engage with the arts in its many forms.

For additional information, contact the Urbana Public Arts Coordinator, Anna Hochhalter at (217) 384-2311, or by email at alhochhalter@city.urbana.il.us.

what: Art Work: A Conversation on Art, Labor, and Economics
when: Saturday, May 1, 2010, 3:30-5pm
where: Urbana Free Library, Lewis Auditorium, 210 W. Green Street, Urbana, IL

Chicago - The Chicago International Children’s Film Festival (October 22 - October 31, 2010) has issues a Call for Entries. Now in its 27th year, the CICFF is the oldest and largest children’s film festival in the US and the only Academy Award qualifying children’s film festival in the world.

In 2009, over 260 films from 40 countries were screened for approximately 25,000 children, parents, teachers and filmmakers. 

The CICFF has earned an international reputation for presenting the very best in children’s media from around the world. The festival advocates inspired, innovative programming for kids.  They are seeking humanistic, culturally diverse, and compelling films that reveal the world in new ways and leave room for the child’s own imaginative response.

CLICK HERE for Entry Form and Regulations  (or visit http://www.cicff.org/content/applications-deadlines/3)

CICFF Award Categories include: Feature, Short, Animation, Live-action, Documentary, TV series, Poetry-based, & Child-produced film.

CICFF Prizes Include: Poetry Prize ($10,000), Montgomery Award for Best Emerging Director ($2500); Montgomery Award for Best Child Produced Film ($2500)
 
CICFF is the largest festival of films for children in North America.

Early Entry Deadline: May 1, 2010 (save 20%)

Final Deadline: May 31, 2010

Urbana - The public is invited to join Change of State and Prairie Rivers Network this Wednesday, April 28, 2010, from 6-8 p.m. at the Urbana Free Library, Lewis Auditorium (210 W. Green St.) for a lively reading, discussion and creative writing. This event is part of Change of State’s current project, the making of AquaTown: a future hydrohistory.

They are researching the people and places of Urbana-Champaign’s watersheds to excavate future possibilities for our society here.

About Dam Nation
Part water history, part Do-It-Yourself guide to sustainable technologies, & part vision for ecosystem restoration, this anthology brings together an analysis of water’s history with the active fight for its future.

Join contributing author Andrea del Moral and Prairie Rivers Network’s Cecily Smith for discussion of the acclaimed anthology that brings together an analysis of water’s history with the active fight for its future.

Champaign - A year after the release of husband&wife’s critically acclaimed Dark Dark Woods, the Indiana-based band is hitting the road one more time before recording a freshly written follow-up LP. 

Tour Schedule:

5/14 Hanover College, IN -Wake up and Live Festival w/ Prayer Breakfast, Onward Pilgrim, the New Old Cavalry
5/18 Columbus, OH - The Treehouse w/ Taxicabdrivers
5/20 Kalamazoo, MI - The Strutt w/ Glowfriends, Good Night & Good Morning, Jared Bartman
5/21 Ypslianti, MI – Elbow Room w/ Lightning Love, Computer Perfection, Sunil Sawani
5/22 East Lansing, MI – Scene Metrospace w/ Sunil Sawani, The Jet Rodriguez, Curtis Eller
5/26 Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle w/ Tim Lowly Ensemble, Kaspar Hauser
5/27 Champaign, IL – Cowboy Monkey w/ New Ruins
5/28 Marion, IN – Rodeo Roby Love CD Release
5/29 Fort Wayne, IN – Dash-In w/ Rodeo Ruby Love
5/30 Bloomington, IN – The Bishop w/ Rodeo Ruby Love, Busman’s Holiday, New Ruins

For more, visit http://www.myspace.com/husbandwife

-”husband&wife will initially enter your ears as humble and meek, but up close, their sound is astonishingly immense.” -Aubrey Welbers, Alternative Press
-“It’s desperate and it’s gorgeous. Dark Dark Woods sounds both atmospheric and intricate.” –Blake Solomon, Aboslute Punk

Urbana - The University of Illinois’ Asian American Cultural Center presents Champaign-Urbana’s Second Annual Asian Pacific American (APA) Heritage Month Celebration on Sunday, May 2, 2-4:00p.m. at Lincoln Square Village Mall, 201 Lincoln Square, Urbana.

May has nationally been celebrated as APA Heritage Month for almost three decades now, but hosting a formal celebration for the local APA community in Champaign-Urbana has been a new endeavor. Last year’s first APA Heritage Month Celebration brought together the diverse facets of C-U’s unique campus and community APA population, while also educating, entertaining and engaging the public via performances, interactive art, and cultural educational booths and resources.

This year, organizers hope to bring about the same success in uniting the Champaign-Urbana communities. Experience the sights and sounds of traditional and modern performance (music, dance, spoken word, martial arts) and find out how those performances fit into the APA community, expand your artistic skills through authentic interactive crafts and calligraphy, and learn more about the many groups that make up the rich culture of C-U’s APA population through cultural educational booths and resources.

The event is FREE and open to the public. Sponsored by the Asian American Cultural Center and City of Urbana Arts Grants.

Asian Pacific American (APA) Heritage Month Celebration 
Sunday, 05/02/2010, from 2-4pm
Lincoln Square Village Mall, 201 Lincoln Square, Urbana

Urbana - The Wide World of Urbana Community Concert is a 3-part interactive concert with an educational focus, set to take place Saturday, May 1, from 4pm–7:30pm at the Urbana-Champaign Indenpendent Media Center at 202 South Broadway, Urbana IL. The concert will feature:

The C-U Swedish Folk Ensemble performing the beautiful and haunting melodies of the Scandinavian fiddle tradition. Performance will include music, history, and a chance to try the traditional dancing.

MEANS New Music Ensemble performing 5 new pieces by young composers from around the world and here in Urbana. Come hear the pieces, meet the composers, and learn about their lives and work.

Zach May and the Maps performing very danceable original music in an eclectic, orchestral style. Synthesized from the efforts of University of Illinois students of Music Performance, Education, and Composition, this is a great opportunity to see what your local music students do for fun.

Admission is FREE and Adults, Students, and Children all welcome.  Paid for in part by the City of Urbana Arts Grant.  For more information, go to: http://urbanaconcert.wordpress.com/

Urbana - The City of Urbana Public Arts Program invites public participation in a community dialogue entitled “Art Work: a National Conversation on Art, Labor, and Economics.”  On May 1, 2010, from 3:30 – 5:00PM, join artists Brett Bloom and Salem Collo-Jullin of Temporary Services and other guests to discuss the topic.  The discussion will take place in the Urbana Free Library Lewis Auditorium, at 210 West Green Street in Urbana.

In January 2010, artist collective Temporary Services launched a 40 page newspaper about the state of art in the economic environment.  Articles by artists, critics, historians and concerned people address ways artists are surviving, alternative funding mechanisms, creative resistance to the capitalization of everyday life and more. The paper has been distributed in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.  Artists and art institutions around the country are hosting events and conversations to address what to do now. 

This project is hosted by the Urbana Public Arts Program in recognition of the need to further community dialogue on timely issues related to the arts and society.  The Urbana Public Arts Program works to create a city where artists thrive and are valued, and where all residents can engage with the arts in its many forms.  For additional information, contact the Urbana Public Arts Coordinator, Anna Hochhalter at (217) 384-2311, or by email at alhochhalter@city.urbana.il.us.

Champaign - Enjoy “Believe,” “Wonderwall,” “Achy Breaky Heart” and more favorite tunes when the Parkland Pops community choir performs its “Songs of the ’90s” concert on Sunday, May 9 at 1 p.m. at Parkland Theatre.

Director Brian Hagy leads a 39-member group including singers from the community, Developmental Services Center, and Central High School.

The concert will conclude with a brief celebration to mark the group’s 25th year; audience members are welcome to enjoy the light refreshments.

The Parkland Pops choir is open to all community members, including those with special needs.

Urbana - The Children’s Art Festival, a festival by children and for children, will be at the U-C Independent Media Center on Saturday, May 8, 2010, from 10am- 4pm.

The Children’s Arts Festival will be a day of opportunities for children to experience new outlets for self-expression through art, music, and media workshops and to also share their talents with each other in performances throughout the day.  Some activities include instrument making, seed growing, dance workshops, ‘zine making and bike decorating. There will also be pinatas, puppets and even a parade on the sidewalks of downtown Urbana! Children will also have the opportunity to perform live on broadcast by WRFU 104.5.

The Festival will include live performances by Mo Betta Music, Urbana Free Library sponsored performance of Children’s written narratives, Community Center for the Arts’ Bowdacious String Band, Chinese Heritage School Dance Performance, Folk & Roots Festival sponsored “Kid’s Contra Dance,” Poetry recitation by Jeff Mondak, Soul Miners: Children’s Theatre Company of Champaign-Urbana, and the West African Dance Workshop.

Admission is free. The Children’s Arts Festival is paid for in part by the City of Urbana Arts Grant.

More information can also be found at: http://shows.ucimc.org/caf, or by contacting Katy Vizdal, Performance Venue Coordinator, Independent Media Center: katyvizdal@gmail.com.

Champaign - Zoo Improv announces the Second Annual C-U Improv Fest to take place on May 7 and 8, 2010.  This year’s festival will include two nights of shows and one day of workshops taught by some of the most experienced improvisers in the world, including, Joe Bill, and Jay Sukow, both who have experience with Second City and Improv Olympic.

Shows
Teams from Chicago, Bloomington, and Champaign-Urbana will perform at 8pm on May 7 and 8pm and 10pm on May 8.  Headliners include BASSPROV and pH productions.  Also featured will be a team made up of local improvisers, directed by Chicago Improv Festival Executive Director, Jonathan Pitts. 

All Shows are at Class Act, 114 S. Neil Street, Champaign.  Shows are $10 each or $25 for a festival pass.  For tickets and information, visit www.zooimprov.com. 

Workshops
C-U Improv Fest Workshops are open to the public for $25 and run from 2-5pm on Saturday, May 8. The topics and presenters are:

The Only Form You’ll Ever Need: Yes, and…  with Jay Sukow
In this workshop, students will get back to what makes improv great: agreement instead of form. Yes your way to success. 

Jay Sukow has been teaching improv since 1993 at iO Chicago, ComedySportz, and through private workshops. He has a degree in Acting from ISU and training at ComedySportz, Annoyance Theatre, The Second City and iO Chicago.

Playing fast, playing smart with Jason Geis and Sally Anderson of pH productions
Erase the misconception of “faster play equals dumber bitty play”. Not true! We will teach you how to create a richly satisfying montage, or approach any piece with more energy and pace. You will find yourself approaching longform in a whole new way. Faster doesn’t always mean speed either…getting to the meat of the scene faster is another big emphasis of this class.

Sally Anderson has been proud to be a part of the Playground Incubator 2 team Kids With Feelings, Second City Conservatory program, iO, and Makeshift Robot. Jason Geis one of the founders and current Artistic Directors of pH. In addition, Jason is a member of the iO team, Mr. Fahrenheit and the Playground member team, Pastor of Muppets. Jason also coaches the Playground team, Space Robbers and Loyola’s college team, BAM! Jason is a graduate of iO and Second City Conservatory, where he was a member of the sketch group, Self Centered Girl.

Your Power Improv Toolkit with Joe Bill
The focus of this workshop will be bringing the power of depth and point of view to your improvised Characters and Scenes.  We’ll work with understanding the vital differences in playing Short Form vs. Long Form Characters, and will include personal feedback with things to work on going forward.  This workshop will perfectly augment ongoing study of Characters and Scene, Long Form Improvisation and Harold, as well as benefit the Improviser that is currently performing or aspiring to perform with a team or group. A minimum of 1 year of Improv Training is suggested, advanced Improvisers and actors welcome as well.

Joe Bill is a founding member of Annoyance Theater and has taught Improvisation at The Second City Training Center & Conservatory, iO Chicago & all over the U.S., Canada and Europe for almost 20 years.  He is a member of the Nationally Touring productions, BASSPROV and SCRAM and has been Improvising since 1977.  

To register for a workshop, send an email to workshops@zooimprov.com.