Minnesota Festival Support
Groundbreaker Battle Festival
In July 2013, the fifth annual Groundbreaker Battle Festival will bring more than 2,500 hip-hop artists, dancers, and audience members to downtown Minneapolis for a day-long celebration of hip-hop culture.
Judson Bemis Jr.: Actor, arts administrator, founder and principal of Clere Consulting. Secretary, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Ardell Brede: Mayor of Rochester, elected 2002.; Peggy Burnet: Businesswoman, art collector, and community volunteer. Chair of the Nominating Committee, Smithsonian National Board. Trustee, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Michael Charron: Dean of the School of the Arts, Saint Marys University of Minnesota. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Sean Dowse: Executive director, Sheldon Theatre. Board member for Minnesota Music Coalition, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, and Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies.; John Gunyou, City manager, Minnetonka.; Benjamin Klipfel: Board member, Minnesota State Arts Board. Executive Director, Alexandria Area Arts Association, Inc. Director and arts educator.; Ellen McInnis: Director of Twin Cities government relations, Wells Fargo. Member of Bottineau Boulevard Partnership. Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Pamela Perri: Executive vice president, Builders Association of Minnesota.; Margaret Rapp: Former educator, Saint Paul Academy and Summit School. Officer at-large, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Anton Treuer: Professor of Ojibwe, Bemidji State University.
Eileen Banks: Past board member, Minnesota Fringe Festival; Social Worker, Hennepin County; Stephanie Busiahn: Executive Director, Fairmont Convention and Visitors Bureau; Kelly Finnerty: Deputy Director of Programs, The Bakken Museum, Minneapolis; Faith Krogstad: Community organizer, Hamline Midway Coalition, St. Paul; festival and events coordinator; Leif Larsen: Producer, music events for MPR; advertising executive; Barbara Mollberg: Dean of Academic Affairs, Rochester Community and Technical College; Paul Robinson: Company Manager, In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, Minneapolis; Margaret Vosburgh: Manager, Memorial Auditorium Performing Arts Center, Worthington
ACHF Cultural Heritage
Engage the community in a festival of activities that showcases and celebrates Hip Hop culture, educating the public and encouraging the perpetuation of this traditional American art form. We will assess audience numbers to determine if our attendance goals have been met. We will administer program evaluation materials to a random sample to gain critical feedback, and take into account media reviews. 2: Provide the next generation of artists the opportunity to develop and showcase the skills, techniques, and values of Hip Hop with the support of elder artists. We will assess artist/dance crew participant numbers/demographics to determine if our goals have been met. We will administer program evaluation materials to gain qualitative and quantitative data from artists and dance crew members.
We were able to increase marketing efforts, gaining both a geographically broader and larger audience, increasing attendance by more than 60% since the previous year. We conducted interviews with a random sample of attendees to gain both demographic information and critical feedback. Members of the sample had come from Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, Anoka, Washington, and Mower counties, and had heard about the Festival in a variety of ways, including word-of-mouth, social media, on the radio (KMOJ), through our email blasts and promotional mail, and our Festival partners. Many had also entered from the street, drawn in by the festival atmosphere. We also gathered video testimonials, which we will edit and use to market the festival next year, and as a tool to cultivate additional sponsors and support, increasing the Festival's financial stability. One respondent, who returned after being mesmerized by last year's festival announced: I'm 79, and I'm here! 2: Based on a specific set of cultural values, the skills, customs, and practices of Hip Hop artistry are passed on from the art form's recognized elders to the next generation primarily by word of mouth, example, and observation. This Festival is dedicated to celebrating Hip Hop as a traditional art form and providing a platform for its transmission in the traditional way. The 2013 Festival exhibited tremendous growth in terms of artist participation. The number of breaker crews participating grew from 13 in 2012 to 30 in 2013, and included crews from Farmington and Austin, MN. We also featured a number of returning and new guest performers and workshop leaders, including Ill Chemistry; DJs Nikoless and Los Boogie; dancers Mona Lisa, Dancin' Dave, and Profo Won (Chicago - artist fees not covered in budget); and graffiti artists from our long-standing partner, Juxtaposition. Interviewee: A lot of great dancers are here and it creates an example in the community for youth.
Other, local or private