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Proposal: Figment Boston

Sunday, October 23, 2011 | Posted by Alex

Jason Turgeon

Describe Your Idea.
Figment Boston is the Boston branch of a nationwide grass-roots participatory arts event. Figment is the anti-gallery, where all of the art is designed to be touched, pulled, climbed on, or otherwise played with. We believe that everyone is an artist and welcome everyone to bring their own art to our event, especially if it is participatory or interactive. Our two previous Boston events have included DJs, marching bands, spontaneous dance celebrations, giant hammocks, domes with aerialists performing inside, jellyfish made from recycled plastic bottles, free tutu making sessions, sidewalk chalking, giant bubbles, mutant bicycles, giant kaleidoscopes, interactive sculptures, video art, storytelling sessions, and much more.

Figment Boston will take place on the Rose Kennedy Greenway on the first weekend of June. Other Figment events have happened in New York City; Jackson, Mississippi; and Detroit, Michigan. Figment is completely volunteer-run and accepts no advertising or commercial sponsorships. We do not sell anything to raise funds. Our artists are free to do whatever they like as long as their projects are safe, somehow interactive, suitable for all ages, and non-commercial (no selling, advertising, or handing out fliers). All our projects are leave-no-trace.

How Will You Use Your Grant?
Figment Boston is a gift from the 200 or so artists and volunteers to the city and people of Boston. We do not accept any advertising or sponsorships and we sell nothing. Figment’s projected budget is around $10,000 annually. The project is funded through grants from non-profit cultural institutions and arts groups and private donations. We have almost no overhead; we are all volunteers and maintain no office space. Our expenses are insurance, portable toilets, signage, security, tent rentals, and a small amount for T-shirts and snacks for our volunteers. Much of our equipment for the events is donated or highly discounted.

If we win, we will use the funds for a specific piece of of the event, like creative signage, the rental of an outdoor dance floor for dance performances, or the rental of a “dark space” tent for the many digital artists in Boston who work with projectors and lights.

What is the expected status of your project by the next Feast?
Figment Boston will take place June 2–3, 2012. We are currently in the fundraising stage of our event, which lasts until the end of May or until we reach our budget, whichever comes first. Our “call for participation” for artists is open from mid-February to mid-April each year. We will be happy to report back to the group at any future Feast Mass, but would be even more delighted to have members of Feast join us for the fun in June!

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