STATION HOPE 2021

Deadline for submissions is Monday, February 22.

Cleveland Public Theatre is planning the eighth annual STATION HOPE, a one night event of entertainment and art inspired by the history of St. John’s Episcopal Church and the Underground Railroad, the repercussions of oppression, and contemporary struggles for social justice, on Saturday, May 1, 2021.

How Station hope works

Audiences will explore a virtual compilation of original artwork. With many performances to choose from, viewers will experience multi-disciplinary performances and visual art.

Station Hope performances will be 3-10 minutes in length that may be shown multiple times throughout the event. Some pieces may be selected to be viewed in the “Road to Hope series.” These videos will be shown on select days leading up to Station Hope on May 1.

How to get involved

Station Hope is a large and complex project, and we need a lot of support to ensure its success. There are many opportunities to be involved, ranging from creative to technical assistance. Below is a list of different ways to participate in the event:

• Lead Artist: Lead a team of collaborators (or work individually) to create and film an original piece of theatre, performance, choral, or visual art. A Lead Artist can be an individual or an organization. Lead Artists will be selected through an application process, outlined at the end of this document.
• Actor: There may be opportunities in a variety of performances. CPT will compile and share an “Interested Actor” list with all Lead Artists. Casting decisions are in the complete control of the Lead Artists.

Individuals and organizations interested in being a Lead Artist should read the additional information and complete the application included in this document.

What to Expect

CPT’s number one priority is to make sure we provide the best event in a safe environment. Due to COVID-19, Station Hope will be presented virtually. CPT is a learning organization, and we value generosity, professionalism, and a spirit of good-will. We expect our partners to enter into the spirit of this experimentation while participating in the event as a whole.

Limited technical support is available to all lead artists. Elaborate, highly-specific, and proprietary technical support is rarely offered. Station Hope is more about the performance and the art rather than elaborate technical elements, but don’t confuse minimalism and resourcefulness with lack of style and quality. Artists are welcome to make elaborate plans for their video, but understand that CPT cannot provide technical support.

CPT requires all artists to adhere to COVID-19 Safety Protocols. These protocols include (but aren’t limited to) wearing masks when not speaking/singing, maintaining 6’ distance at all times when not from the same household, and maintaining 12’ distance when artists are performing unmasked.

Lead artists should provide their own artistic collaborators and produce their individual performance or installation. CPT staff will be available for consultation and support where possible.

Proposing a Performance or Visual Art for Station Hope

Proposals should reflect pieces that are 3-10 minutes in length. All pieces must be pre-recorded unless we give special permission. CPT cannot provide support with technical gear (i.e., cameras, phones, and other recording devices). You will be required to provide your own technical equipment.

Proposals should be bold, inventive, and thought provoking. Proposals can range from choirs, dance, short plays, art installations, poetry, performance art, solo pieces, etc.

In selecting works for this event, we will be looking at a number of factors:

• Has the artist/organization demonstrated the ability to produce the proposed work? Does this artist have the capabilities to pre-record their performance? We are not looking for expert producers or filmmakers, but we want to feel confident that the artist/group has a clear understanding of what is required to pull off a virtual performance and the ability to assess their own capacity.
• How is the proposed art inspired by contemporary issues of social justice or the Underground Railroad (UGRR)? We are open to all kinds of work but are most interested in contemporary theatre work that is inspired by the UGRR and its current parallels.
• Can the work be accomplished within the limitations of Station Hope’s virtual platform?

We want to curate an aesthetically diverse range of work and are open to educational, community, amateur, and professional groups.

Virtual Informational Meeting

To make the best proposal possible for Station Hope, we strongly recommend that interested artists and organizations join us in a virtual Station Hope Informational Meeting on Saturday, February 13 at 2pm (ET) (via Zoom). At this meeting, we will discuss the history of Station Hope, how we plan to make the event successful by going virtual, and review the application process. If you have any questions about the application, please come prepared to ask them.

The meeting is open to anyone considering a proposal for Station Hope, but you must RSVP. Please RSVP by emailing CPT’s Artistic Associate India Nicole Burton at iburton@cptonline.org.

Deadline for submissions is Monday, February 22.

Click here for the full application in Microsoft Word.
Click here for the full application in PDF form.