A. Laura Brody

I’ve put up my first ever Kickstarter project! (If you haven’t heard about this great resource, check it out. It’s a fabulous way to get project funding. Each donation level has great prizes attached, if the project doesn’t come through no money goes out, and it’s just an inspiring and fun way to get your information out into the world.)

The project is a Re-purposed Circus in Baraboo, WI (Circus City, USA). It’s the birthplace of the American circus and former home of the Ringling Brothers, now home to Circus World Museum.

Heidi Dakter and I were asked to create performances and workshops for the Summerset Festival of the Arts in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Heidi came from there, I have friends there and we were thrilled. We came up with a repurposed circus parade, using my live draping to transform old circus materials onto the townspeople and the lead clowns and ringmaster from Circus World. Heidi has created a series of memory boxes incorporating old materials and memorabilia into little dioramas, I make garments on live bodies by stapling old fabrics into new garments- it’s a perfect combination for making repurposed arts workshops.

We put together ideas for 2 gallery shows from local sources: the fabulous collection of old circus costumes of Circus World’s Museum, pieces from the renowned American Player’s Theater and Dr. Evermore’s beautifully odd salvaged mechanical creatures. He’s a local artist who’s created stunning creatures out of old machinery, and while his work’s been featured as a roadside attraction he doesn’t have much local attention. Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to get people to see what’s in their own backyards…

Unfortunately, Wisconsin’s been going through some difficulties with state funding (you may have heard about the protests) and while the Festival still wants us there, they didn’t know about spending the money to bring in outside talent.

And this is where Kickstarter comes in! We’ve contacted people and already started this process, and just don’t want to let it lie. If we can possibly bring ourselves there, with the help of interested and fabulous folks…

Why not?

Thanks so much, thanks to Kim and Richard and merry spring!

Laura

Links! Please share the link to the project- we’d love to get as many people as possible checking us out.

The Repurposed Circus Kickstarter Project: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1898846927/repurposed-circus-parade-and-workshops-in-circus-c

Repurposed Circus Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Repurposed-Circus/128743903868948

Circus World Museum: https://circusworld.wisconsinhistory.org/

Dr. Evermor’s fabulous creations: https://worldofdrevermor.com/

Heidi Dakter and her stunning textile designs: https://www.heididakter.com/Site/_welcome_.html

And the Summerset Festival of the Arts: https://baraboo.uwc.edu/?pid=1104

I’ve been gently reminded by both Kim and Richard that I’ve been remiss in keeping my fellow Visionaries up to date. The problem is, as usual, that I’m doing more than I’m writing about what I’m doing. Much of the drama gets lost in the business of the moment.
I’ll do my best to write more during the process instead of after the fact. I’ve got to warn you, though. It’s a little hard to keep up. For now, I’ll give you a little month to month precis.

August and September were mostly about Diavolo Dance Theater and creating the SteamWalker, aka Le Flaneur. It’s the second installment in my Opulent Mobility series and includes a tasseled cushion and parasol, a chafing dish nestling a GPS unit and cow horns in front. Oh, and a bud vase. You may have to look at the pictures.

I worked on Diavolo’s adaptation of Fearful Symmetries on and off from June through September, but Aug-Sept were the push times since the show opened at the Bowl on September 9th. Naturally, my completed submission of the Steamwalker for the Steampunk Form and Function design competition was due Sept. 4th and the walker needed to be ready to ship out to Massachusetts before I left for Kansas City on Sept. 29th. Did I mention that August was also filled with finishing crafts for Toy Story on Ice and September was also devoted to prepping patterns (with designer Michael Schmidt) for Steven Tyler’s debut on American Idol?

Got to pay the bills somehow.

At any rate, Toy Story is now on Ice. Steve Tyler hasn’t yet worn anything I’ve made on American Idol, but it will happen. Diavolo’s Fearful Symmetries went up and down without a hitch at the Hollywood Bowl and the Steamwalker is safely on display at the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation through May 2011. Pictures from the exhibit are up now on Facebook, and you can find the exhibit online here.

For the next installment-
I’ll tell you what’s up to date in Kansas City!
(I hear it’s everything.)