Arts Activities Support

7,300 adults and children attended the sixth annual Midtown Global Music Festival that featured performances by 16 acts composed of 102 Minnesota artists. Audience surveys indicated that 70% of respondents would like to see the site host additional music festivals, concerts and cultural/community events. The Midtown Global Music Festival took place on Saturday, July 9th from 10:30 AM until 8:30 PM. We did achieve our artistic goals. The event indeed attracted a diverse audience. ETHNICITY: 54%-White,-19% African American-7% Latino-6%, East African-5% Mixed-4% Asian-4%, Other-4%. AGE: 0/18-6%, 18/30-27%, 31/45-20%, 45/60-27%, 60+-18%. RESIDENCE: Neighborhood-20%, Minneapolis-38%, Minneapolis Suburb-21%, St Paul-9%, St Paul Suburb-7%, Outlying/out state-5%. Performance artists represented a wide array of cultural stylings including dance, (Native American, Middle Eastern, Bollywood, salsa, belly, stepping, Somali), music (jazz, salsa, reggae, folk, Swedish, Ecuadorian) and display/culinary-Midtown Global Music Festival tenants and day table renters. We believe Midtown Global Music Festival 2016 was again another successful demonstration to the power of arts-based community development. There is something special going on, especially considering the events that had taken place the week prior to the event, to see people from all walks of life take part in a group salsa dance lesson or jiving to a top notch reggae band. What worked? The lineup! Our group received numerous comments on the quality of the performances. Particular thanks go to headliner The Wibesman, Q-band, J. Most's Command Steppers and Kalpulli Ketzalcoatlicue, all of whom put on spirited performances. What didn't work? To be honest and compared to last year's event (the site had no power until 3 PM), Midtown Global Music Festival 2016 went off without a hitch. The weather couldn't have been better--82%, sunny with a pleasant breeze. Strengths/Challenges-Again, the lineup was a strength. Instead of a second stage, we rented a quality dance floor...a suggestion from last year brought up to us by our dance artists. Our stage and sound vendors were again wonderful, professional and of quality. Do differently-Perhaps add another global artist in place of an US-based style, a minor consideration. Reach community-Yes and no. Yes, we did attract a diverse audience and our participants represented a wide array of art forms. However, we fell short (first time in six years) in meeting our attendance objectives. Actual vs. grant app forecast: Adult attendees: 6,500/8,500 (-31%), youth attendees: 800/1,000 (-25%), total: 7,300 (actual)/9,500 (forecasted). These outcomes were somewhat of a shock to us, primarily because the event attracted significantly more earned media than our prior five ('16: $73.8K, '11-'15 average: $28K, +163%). In addition, it was to be the highlight of the Midtown Global Market's 10th Anniversary. Our conclusion/theory: The racial unrest fueled in part by the Philando Castile shooting motivated most regional residents to stay near their homes. Adding fuel to this sentiment was the fact that social media channels were active in regards to potentially troublesome events that may take place. Supporting our theory were the number of discussions on race relations that took place during the event. For many, a colorful and festive celebration was not in alignment with the vibe being experienced by most in the 7-County Metro. Though a dip in the road, Midtown Global Music Festival attendance is still trending upward in the long run vs. its initial three years and relatively close to 2014's mark. Another bright spot...door counts indicated nearly 3,000 people attended the event after 4:30 PM. Adult artists benefiting: 100/75 (+33%) Of note: 10 children under the age of 18 also performed with their respective dance troupes. Diversity. As mentioned in the prior section, we do believe we reached a very diverse audience in terms of age, ethnicity and where people live. In terms of doing something differently, it would be worthwhile to encourage our performing artists to regularly post on their websites and social media they'll be performing at our event. Many did; however, there is room to improve. Accessibility: Midtown Global Music Festival planning meetings are open to anyone wishing to contribute. Cultural Program Manager Becky George is a member of numerous neighborhood boards and outreach programs and encourages her contacts to assist our efforts. Her networking efforts begin in early April. The Midtown Global Music Festival is 100% ADA compliant. We had a handicap accessible lavatory near the outside music grounds. We placed more pop-up tents near the stage area for shade. Towards the end of the day, those areas were occupied by our older guests.