The Kent Creativity Festival announces 2019 artists and performers for September event!
The Kent Creativity Festival, sponsored by the city of Kent and the Kent State University College of the Arts, will present the annual outdoor hands-on arts festival on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on the Lefton Esplanade between Kent State’s Rockwell Hall on Lincoln Street and downtown Kent, near Haymaker Parkway. The event will feature a wide variety of interactive creative activities presented by local and regional artists and art educators. Attendees can enjoy hands-on activities in jewelry making, weaving, dance, silk screen, architecture, creative writing, improvisational theatre, poetry, sewing and music therapy. This multigenerational event is free and open to everyone.
There will also be live performances by local performing artists and groups including the Kent State Orchestra, the African dance troupe ASE Xpressions, two high school marching bands from Kent Roosevelt and Rootstown, the ArtsSparks Scholarship Dance Team and the Kent State Thai Ensemble who will be drumming. Special guests are the Sanyuka Children’s Choir performing Ugandan songs.
“We look forward to welcoming even larger crowds than in previous years,” said Effie Tsengas, communications and marketing director for Kent State's College of the Arts. “There is so much to do, see and experience, we invite everyone to come out to participate. From toddlers to teens, to college students to octogenarians, everyone will be engaged in the art activities.”
Guests will also enjoy the UNITY Project where everyone can help to create a web of interconnectedness; the public exhibition “We the People,” which consists of large-scale portraits of Northeast Ohio community members who also identify as refugees; and a display of the Kent Clean Transportation Crew’s sustainable vehicles. Plus, food trucks will be on site.
Parking is free in the Rockwell Hall parking lot off South Lincoln Street at 515 Hilltop Drive.
For more information, visit http://www.kent.edu/kent-creativity-festival.
PERFORMANCES
Ugandan Sanyuka Children’s Choir
AseXpressions
Thai long drums
ArtSparks Scholarship Dance Team
Kent State University Orchestra
Hip Hop Hoop Troop
Kent Roosevelt High School Marching Band, 11:00 a.m. – Directed by Dr. J. Roebke
Rootstown High School Marching Band, 2 p.m. – Directed by D. McCloskey
CREATIVE ACTIVITIES
The Sanyuka Children’s Choir Learn a traditional Ugandan song and/or dance taught by this children’s choir visiting the area. The choir will perform a variety of traditional Ugandan songs and dances to inspire hope and create awareness of the plight of at-risk youth in the children’s home country. On behalf of Sanyuka Children Ministries
I Dream of Weaving Write your hopes and dreams for the future on re-cycled fabric and join us in weaving our dreams together! Using hula hoops as looms, we will be creating several collaborative weavings while encouraging positive thoughts through art in our community. NAEA Kent State Student Chapter
Thai Musicians Listen and participate in a demonstration of the Thai long drum ensemble. Participants will be taught simple, rhythmic patterns, and with a little practice will be playing music with the group. Kent State students and faculty – Thai Ensemble
Kent State University Robotics Team THREE stations will provide hands-on activities that include a game about gravity, drivable robots, and a big robot on display for all to ask questions and learn about engineering. Kent State Robotics students
Tech Infused Jewelry Be creative and design and make your own bracelet, necklace, ring, etc. that infuses one or more of the following technologies: 3D printing, lasercutting, or small electronics. Portage County Bio Med Science Academy
Theatre on the Spectrum Through theatre games and improvisation, company members will engage participants in spontaneous acts of theatre! The goal is to create an inclusive environment where people of all abilities and ages can meet to create mini performances. The Center for Applied Drama and Autism and Ardmore, Inc. have partnered to develop an adult theatre program for people of all abilities with an interest in learning and creating theatre. Center for Applied Drama and Autism
Pop Goes the Orchestra Experience musical instruments you can touch, explore and play! Enjoy a musical instrument try-it tent! Ever wonder… how does an instrument make a sound, how heavy is it, how can you play it and what does it sound like? Join us and make some music. Kent State Music Education students
Dance! Music! Joy! Step up, experience and learn basic elements of dance and a short piece of choreography. The ArtSparks’ Scholarship Team ages 8-13 will end the session with a short performance. ArtSparks
Fashion Designer for a Day Participants will create their very own fashion design. First they will draw their idea on the fashion croquis (sketchbook), with some assistance as required. After choosing their own designer fabric from a large collection of swatches, they will mount the swatches to their sketches and take home their very own design. Kent Fabrics
Conduct Us! Current Kent State students involved in the music program will play familiar tunes while festival participants come on stage to conduct the orchestra. Kent State Orchestra students
ASE Xpressions The troupe will be demonstrating different African dancing, both traditional and modern. After performing on the main stage, a workshop will be conducted teaching the dance that was just performed. Kent State students
Pull Up a Chair and Dance! Participants will be guided through dance/movement explorations with an emphasis on the joy of moving and connecting with others. Whether you want to rev up to walk around the festival or relax and renew before setting out again, Pull Up a Chair and Dance! will engage, entertain and invigorate. Kent State faculty
Silkscreen Your Own Tote The student printmaking club have created a 2-color design for this activity. Participants will be able to silkscreen the first color for the tote at station 1, then move to station 2 for the second color, leaving with a tote bag that can function as a reusable grocery bag. Kent State student United Print Alliance
Modular Building Join in creating a large installation using a large format modular building element that can be easily connected to other self-similar elements. The pieces are easily manageable, soft sheets of rigid foam to keep participants safe and to allow artists of all abilities to participate. The building components can be assembled in a number of smaller compositions or combined together into one, large-scale piece. DS Architecture
Design a Sea Star Materials include paper plate, markers, scissors, glue, yarn, a variety of colorful cereals and grains and sequins. We will make suggestions about what they could include to make their sea star more beautiful. Learn some fascinating facts about sea stars as you work. Fun Dimensions of Creative Writing
Jumping Off The Page! Join Wandering Aesthetics for a day of improvisational play for ALL AGES and ALL SKILL LEVELS! Guided by the storytellers, participants will be encouraged to put on a costume, grab a prop or two, and enter the world of the story. Using animal tales as our structure and improvisation as our rule, this activity is sure to bring out everyone's creativity. From myths to fairy tales, this day is sure to be an adventure like none other. A few props, some makeshift costumes and a story is all you'll need throughout this interactive theatrical affair. From trickster foxes to helpful monkeys, step out of reality and into the world of make believe. Wandering Aesthetics
Hip Hop Hoop Troop Dance The group will perform on stage and conduct workshops to teach their moves. Participants will be engaged in following a step-by- step process to learn hoop dance skills. Based at Kent Parks & Rec Fitness Center
Natural Spinning & Dyeing Hale Farm Spinners and Dyers present natural dyeing, using natural materials from garden, field or forest. A team of dyers will help you select materials for dye and then dye yarn or silk cloth in a surprising array of colors. Hale Farm & Village
Story of Self The project uses the arts to engage in how we honor differences and empower change, creating buttons to raise awareness of how we empower ourselves to have conversations and engage with others.
Boomwacker Band Come join the Boomwacker Band! Up to 12 participants at a time will work together using color-coded boom wackers and push bells to re-create family friendly pop hits. No musical experience is required and all abilities are welcome to ROCK OUT with support from our team of music therapists! The Boomwack Band will be set up all day, allowing participants to come back and play as much as they want! The Groovy Garfoose
Poetry Experience Enjoy a fully immersive poetry experience through micro-workshops that will guide guests through short writing prompts. Record your poem in a special recording booth and then view it in real time on the full-wall white board in a classroom of the Wick Poetry Center inside the Mary Prentice House. Wick Poetry Center
Puppets and Pitches Better living through Puppetry. Come create hand puppets and then learn how to use your new friend to pitch yourself or your greatest idea. With the power of creativity and crafts, you can really Sock it to ‘em! Kent State LaunchNet and Theatre & Dance faculty & students
Small Pillow Making Create small pillows with custom printed fabric designs on sewing machines set up at the booth. Several choices of fabrics will be offered. Kent State Fashion School TechStyleLAB
Paint & Snip A kinesthetic sensory exploration through splatter paint creations. Step 1: cut out a shape. Step 2: grab a postcard. Step 3: splatter watered down tempera paints onto them with different tools. The result will be a collaborative mural and a postcard you can pop in the mail to a friend! School of Art Alumni
Re-cycled Shirt Macrame Using yarn made from upcycled T-shirts (tarn), participants will make a simple braided creature. The Socially Responsible Sweatshop of Kent, Ohio
Button Making Participants will provide the artwork and we will provide everything else needed to make two buttons each. Artists can use crayons, markers, stencils, stickers, or bring their own supplies! Sparrow Haus
UNITY PROJECT
A global project where participants celebrate their uniqueness and strengthen their ties to each other. Join us in building a larger-than-life structure by creating a web of interconnectedness. Visit http://www.unityproject.net/
The Kent Interfaith Alliance for Racial Justice & Reconciliation
WE THE PEOPLE EXHIBIT
The public exhibition “We the People” consists of large-scale portraits of NE Ohio community members who also identify as refugees. With images by photographer Erin LaBelle, this project is organized by the GURI group at Kent State to emphasize our common humanity. Each portrait is accompanied by a panel that outlines each person’s journey to our region. Global Understanding Research Initiative (GURI) at Kent State University
SUSTAINABILITY
The Kent Clean Transportation Crew will have sustainable vehicles on display.
FOOD TRUCKS
Smash Time
Erie Street Kitchen
Partners for this year’s Kent Creativity Festival are Art Works (National Endowment for the Arts), Ohio Arts Council, the city of Kent and Kent State College of the Arts.
Sponsors include the Kent State College of Public Health, The Burbick Foundation, Cindy Stillings and Martin Simonsen.
Supporters include the Kent State College of Architecture and Environmental Design, Portage Community Bank, McDonalds, Metis Construction, Educational Equipment, PARTA and The Record-Courier. Design services provided by Glyphix Studio.
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For more information contact:
Effie Tsengas
Communication and Marketing Director
College of the Arts
330-672-8398 Office
330-283-2713 Mobile
etsengas@kent.edu