Here comes the BOOM: Expect the unexpected at this fringe arts festival in Plaza Midwood
An explosion of Charlotte culture comes to Plaza Midwood this weekend as the second annual fringe arts BOOM Festival kicks off three days of dance, theater, visual art, spoken word and family-fun with 36 ticketed events and additional free activities at half-a-dozen venues.
Arts for and by our culturally diverse community defines this inclusive, grassroots-led celebration of talent, creativity and energy. BOOM’s organizers have assembled a coalition of artists, volunteers, nonprofits, businesses and neighborhood organizations to create and share art and culture in innovative ways to reach a broad audience.
“Much of what goes on in Charlotte, from housing and education to employment opportunities, is segregated,” said Manoj P. Kesavan, the festival’s founder. “This became painfully evident after the Keith Scott shooting. We feel like we can do something to address this by sharing an inclusive spectrum of diverse talent that isn’t often represented.
“Through Charlotte’s growth we have many people in our community who aren’t from here, with diverse backgrounds and representing distinct cultures. BOOM celebrates the culture of who we are and unites us as a city – not just on our stages, but in our audience as well.”
Kesavan is well known in the Charlotte arts scene. The classically-trained architect has spent years in Charlotte at the intersection of thought-provoking artistic creation and connecting divergent influencers from the business, artistic and academic communities.
He led the thought group Point 8 Forums, brought the global show-and-tell Pecha Kutcha to Charlotte, and in 2012, while an artist-in-residence at the McColl Center, launched Que-Os, a nonprofit culture-from-the-ground-up arts organization.
BOOM Festival is an outgrowth of Que-Os.
Accessibility one key component in making the festival attractive to many of our neighbors who wouldn’t typically access the arts due to prohibitive costs. Ticketed events are only $10 and many events are free.
Here’s what to expect at BOOM, April 28-30:
Performers include:
– Sinergismo, a collaborative performance art ensemble.
New for the festival: International House and Gallery Twenty-Two will showcase the visual arts, with special guests including 100 Words Film Festival and Tosco Music Party.
Ticketed performances will be at the small music venues Snug Harbor (1228 Gordon St.), The Rabbit Hole (1801 Commonwealth Ave.) and Petra’s Bar (1919 Commonwealth Ave.)
Free events and family activities will be at International House (1817 Central Avenue) and the Intersection Stage (1920 Commonwealth Ave.). Audience and community members can congregate in an outdoor living room with couches and a fire pit, and play in the children’s activity spaces. The Intersection will include public installation and participatory visual art and games.
Learn more and see the full schedule at boomcharlotte.org.
Photos: Deborah Triplett, Kayla Hamilton, Mall Goth, xoxo, BOOM, Sinergismo
This story was originally published April 23, 2017 at 11:25 PM with the headline "Here comes the BOOM: Expect the unexpected at this fringe arts festival in Plaza Midwood."