f2 FutureFest LA
The f2: FutureFest LA The c3: Center for Conscious Creativity www.consciouscreativity.org proposes producing the launch of an annual "worlds fair" type LA cultural event featuring emerging entertainment technologies and the latest creations in the arts, entertainment and media industries with emphasis on how the arts, entertainment and creativity can create a better world. Initially, the f2 will take place downtown LA at LA Center Studios www.lacenterstudios.com and will feature a futures film festival, an arts and emerging technologies showcase and a music concert for a challenge/cause. The buildings at the LA Center Studios will become canvases for unique digital projection mapping creations and the Vortex Dome www.vorteximmersion.com located at the studio will house a fulldome festival showcase as well. The first of its kind in Los Angeles. The festival will also include the STATE OF THE ARTS symposium featuring thought leaders and experts addressing the latest trends in the arts and entertainment industries and will provide ideas and case studies around how the arts, creativity, entertainment and storytelling can be used to create a better world/future. The c3 has presented the STATE OF THE ARTS since 2010 when it first launched as a collaborative partner with the LA Opera's RING FEST LA www.c3so.com and www.c3visionlab.org and would now propose adding the f2 to its offerings in honor of the City of LA. The f2 will serve as an annual magnet attracting the world's greatest artists and creators and technology innovators to participate along the city's own talent pool. It will be modeled after the tremendously successful Venice Biennale, SXSW in Austin, Texas, and the Fringe Festival in Endinburgh, Scotland (Statistics for 2011 Edinburgh Festival Fringe concluded that it was the largest on record: there were over 40,000 performances of over 2,500 different shows in 258 venues. Ticket sales amounted to around 1.8 million. There are now 12 full-time members of staff. For more details visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh_Festival_Fringe). The f2 has the potential to become a global event that could rival the Edinburgh Fringe Festival potentially attracting millions of visitors to the city for this annual event as it seeds in the Fall of 2013 and then gradually involves the entire City of Greater Los Angeles, the Creative Capital of the World, to participate. The arts and creativity of children and students will also be included and arts and media colleges will also participate by encouraging their students to participate in the annual event.
What are some of your organization’s most important achievements to date?
In 2009 the c3 created a partnership with The Millennium Project www.millennium-project.org, a global futurists think tank, and the founder of c3 serves as the Chair of their Global Arts and Media Node. Together with the Millennium Project, we have present an annual STATE OF THE ARTS event since 2010. In 2011 we co-presented the STATE OF THE ARTS with the PGA: Producers Guild of America and also hosted a think tank to address how arts and media professionals could help to address 15 global challenges through their work. The event was held in The Vortex Dome, a 50 foot immersive dome theater and was streamed globally. During the think tank several ideas were generated including an idea to create an educational program called MYTHIC CHALLENGES that would help to inspire youth to create modern day myths addressing the 15 Global Challenges and create films about their stories. In 2012 the first class was launched and students from Grove Cleaveland High School Media Lab in Reseda collaborated with High School students in Afghanistan through the internet to create Mythic Challenges projects. Fantastic! Seven films were created by these students. To view these films visit the c3 site page and scroll down to the bottom of the page: http://consciouscreativity.com/millennium-project/mythic-challenges Not only did the students learn about mythic challenges storytelling and filmmaking they also learned about what a professional futurist is and does. In 2012 we were also awarded a $50,000 grant to produce an immersive ballet in the dome with a renowned 83 year old ballet dancer/choreographer. The piece, BLUE APPLE, was successfully premiered in September 2012 in the Vortex Dome to a very appreciative audience.
Please identify any partners or collaborators who will work with you on this project.
The Millennium Project www.millennium-project.org will co-present with the c3 as they have since 2010. Futurists and PhDs David Wright and Jose Ramos, amongst other futurists, will participate in presenting the f3 futures film festival portion of the f2 and we will invite other relevant non profit organizations to team up with us who specialize in arts and creativity education and projects for children and youth so as to involve them in the festival as well. Cal Arts. Otis, USC, UCLA, Art Center, Chapman College will be invited to have their students participate.
Please explain how you will evaluate your project. How will you measure success?
The f2 will be deemed a success by evaluating the number of artists and attendees who participate in the festival and the symposium who have a positive experience. Optimal financial success will be measured by the total income and profit made from the event so that the f2 can continue to be produced and evolve into the future.
How will your project benefit Los Angeles?
Los Angeles would benefit by hosting a unique annual world famous arts and entertainment event much like SXSW has done for Austin, Texas, the Venice Biennale has done for Venice, Italy and the Fringe Fest has done for Edinburgh, Scotland (which touts itself as the largest arts festival in the world). It would bring together the worlds of technology, entertainment and the arts and engage citizens of all ages to participate from across the city and globally. The artist and creative professionals will benefit by the publicity they will gain from participating in the f2, the tourism industry in LA will benefit and LA will stay at the cutting edge of creativity and technology due to being inspired to showcase this event each year.
What would success look like in the year 2050 regarding your indicator?
Much like the World's Fair and the Venice Biennale, the f2: FutureFest LA will have grown to become a prestigious citywide global festival that persons of all ages participate in. It will inspire year round innovative project creation and engage students and youth to learn new creative skill sets like filmmaking, dance, music -- from classical to new music, art, fashion, design, architecture, photography and art forms we've yet to invent. The world will admire LA for continuing to serve as the Creative Capitol of the world and countries will send their artists to the f2 to represent and present the greatest innovative art from their country. Inherent in the mission of the f2 will be the spirit and goal of art and entertainment and culture to uplift and transform humanity -- to create a better and more evolved future. LA will have benefitted by being host to this remarkable festival showcasing the great genius of humankind.