By Luke Clark | Project Director
The end of 2013 was a roller coaster for both Bryce and I. After quickly revisiting the last report we submitted via Global Giving, it was pleasing to see that we had fulfilled all we had set out to achieve.
The Progeny Premiere Opening on November 1st was very successful. We were so glad to unveil the work for the first time with donors, guests and friends.
On November 8th and 9th Progeny hosted evenings of improvisation and performance utilizing the installation as both a sound instrument and dance environment. Performers included musicians and dancers from Daytona State College and students from South Beach Dance Academy. Improvisations were courtesy of Surfscape Contemporary Dance Theatre. Rather than seated performances, the audience were invited to walk around and/or enter the Installation. This provided the audience with an opportunity for an intimate interaction with each performance.
The education program was also a real success. November 13-15 introduced the Progeny Education Program which consisted of a three-day Student Advisory Council workshop for students ages 14-19. The Advisory program encouraged student interactions with the installation, the community and the natural environment. A major outcome of the workshop was for the Student Advisory Council to create and develop an educational curriculum for middle school students ages 8-13. This program was implemented at Atlantic Center for the Arts, and will be used at future exhibition locations, including Atlanta and New York. On November 16, High School students led a two hour education program based on these Student Advisory Council workshops. The young people taking part in the sessions really did respond positvely, both to the Student Advisory Council members and to the Progeny Installation itself, which provided a unique venue for them to focus on the themes highlighted by the Progeny project. Our Adult education program on Wednesday, November 6, was hosted by Atlantic Center for the Arts and provided an informative discussion about the project's construction and artistic intention. The panel was led by Art Critic and Professor Mark Price of University of Central Florida and included Dr. Douglas Peterson of Daytona State College, Bee expert Doug McGinnis and both Bryce and I.
The exhibition received a high volume of visitors and ran until November 24th. Positive press was received both locally and further afield. One International Art magazine did a full feature on our Installation which can be found at http://installationmag.com/progeny-an-international-collaborative-project/. As promised, we also developed a new website www.theprogenyproject.com for the general public.
One of our kind Donors, Roy Hester, has provided us with a Storage facility for the Progeny Exhibition. We are now in the process of writing funding applications to Grant Givers in the US and UK for the Progeny project. Our aim is for the project to tour to Atlanta next. Future exhibitions and education programs are wholly dependent on the funding we can secure. Neither Bryce nor I have made any money from the Progeny exhibition/project. It is our hope that we will be able to secure enough funding in the future to sustain the level of work it requires from us both. We remain hopeful, given how successful we have been so far in securing funds to build the project and to deliver the first education program.
We are already so grateful for all you have done to support our project. A special thank you goes to those who are already donating on a regular basis. Continued donations are certainly not expected yet will absoloutely be put to great use. Anyone who would like to donate and support our project at this time, will be helping us to take the installation and education program to the next venue, reaching new audiences with our unique installation and important educational message. If you are unable to donate to our cause currently, we would greatly appreciate any suggestions or help you may be able to provide, in identifying possible grant givers or securing private donors sympathetic to Progeny's focus on the Arts, Community and Environment.
Thank you for your continued support.
Happy New Year
Luke Clark & Bryce Hammond
Progeny Project
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