I always enjoy receiving ArtsMidwest’s newsletters. They often feature great ideas to stea..erm…adapt for use in other communities.
Recently they posted a call for pitches from residents of the Dakotas, Iowa, and Native Nations for short form video.
What does that mean? Film at least 10 short, vertical phone clips of a local art, culture, or community happening, and get paid to help us amplify Midwestern creativity.
We’ll handle the editing, scripting, and posting on our channels. You’ll get credit and $300 for your footage, a short write-up, and a couple of photos.
Their examples of past submissions is where I found some inspiration.
The one that really grabbed me was the photowalks around Cincinnati where people meet once a week to take photos of little moments of life with whatever camera they have. I loved the idea for facilitating community building, getting people to wander different neighborhoods, and cultivating an appreciation for the beauty of every day occurrences It is the sort of exercise that helps people recognize their capacity for creativity..
Just because this one struck my fancy the most doesn’t mean there weren’t other great ideas in the sample they provided. The featured videos of a sculpture garden mini-golf course, art shanties on frozen MN lakes, and little free libraries turned into sidewalk art galleries.
I was surprised to learn that Des Moines, IA has the largest non-profit building with creative workspaces in the US with 180 studios serving 220+ artists.
And I certainly did not expect to see a video about parkour for senior citizens included on the list. But it certainly makes sense as a way to mitigate concerns about falling by help people improve their spatial awareness and comfort with falling and regain their feet. Not to mention the program encourages creative movement.
So if you live in the geographic area they are focusing on, get a proposal in. If you don’t watch the shorts and get inspired.
