Geeks & Freaks...

Each Thursday between May and September, CoCA is pleased to present a varied and eclectic array of After Dark events, at our ballard gallery, located inside the Shilshole Bay Beach Club at 6413 Shilshole Ave NW. All After Dark events commence at 9pm, and our cash bar will be open until 1am. We’re raising the bar!

CoCA Events After Dark presents…

WHAT: The Geek & Freak Show—a forum for talent, expression, and performance. Hosted by MC Waldo Vega & live grooves by Tommy Long (206blend.com)

WHO: Calling all Musicians (but take your lame acoustic guitar solos elsewhere), Dancers and Performers (we encourage the bizarre), and otherwise Self-labeled Freaks and/or Geeks with an obscure Talent!

We’re seeking six performances and will limit you to 10 minutes of guaranteed fame. The rest is up to the audience—because after we cut the dead weight, if you’re one of the crowd favorites you get an encore onstage performance!

WHERE: CoCA Ballard lives @ 6413 Seaview Ave NW, Seattle WA 98107 inside the Shilshole Bay Beach Club.

WHEN: May 1 and May 8. If the Geek & Freak Show returns, we will let you know.

8pm doors open, and limited walk-in signups will be considered until 8:45pm. Performances commence at 9pm. Entertainment continues thru midnight.

WHY: Here at CoCA we believe that creative license is everything. We want you to bring your funk, your talent, your energy, and your fans! If you need to dust off your accordion, assemble your esoteric poetry, or swing from our rafters with fire, let us know!

We believe the terms “geek” and “freak” are “empowering”, not “derogatory”. As adapted from our friends at urbandictionary.com, a “freak” is commonly regarded as a 'catch-all' term for mainstream society to use to describe anyone who they may believe isn't mainstream. Such as mallgoths, punks, hardcore kids, emos, metalheads, goths and whatnot. We’re all a little freaky, right? Or at least geeky. The “geeks” were those people you picked on in high school and now work for. They tend to have brilliant ideas and often need obligatory prodding to showcase their talents.

CONTACT: CoCA at 206.728.1980 or email freakshow@cocaseattle.org! But please be forewarned: you must be able to cogently explain to us what the hell you’re attempting.

No Mimes please. For the love of god no more mimes!

Seattle Parks and Recreation is launching its Busker program for spring/summer in Center City (Downtown) Parks.

Who can apply? Buskers, artists, mimes, jugglers, minstrels, musicians, actors, and other individual street performers interested in committing to scheduled, two-hour performances in exchange for a stipend of fifty dollars per performance. (Tips and cd sales allowed.) Performance will be in specific locations at the following downtown parks:

Freeway Park http://www.seattle.gov/parks/parkspaces/FreewayPark.htm
Hing Hay Park http://www.seattle.gov/parks/parkspaces/hinghaypark.htm
Pioneer Square Park http://www.seattle.gov/parks/parkspaces/Pioneer
WestlakePark http://www.seattle.gov/parks/parkspaces/westlake.htm
Waterfront Park http://www.seattle.gov/parks/parkspaces/WaterfrontPark.htm
Occidental Square http://www.seattle.gov/parks/park_detail.asp?ID=323
Victor Steinbrueck Park http://www.seattle.gov/parks/park_detail.asp?ID=338
Counterbalance Park (Queen Anne) http://www.seattle.gov/parks/park_detail.asp?ID=4438

For those of you who participated last year, please note that the program has changed (and grown!) since the 2007 pilot.

Busker/artists will generally perform between 11:30 a.m.and 1:30 p.m.with two 15 min breaks. One or more parks will provide an opportunity to busk in the evening between 5:30 p.m.and 7:30 p.m.

Applicants must participate in an audition. The audition panel will include representatives from the arts community and from our partnering community organizations. Auditions will be held Thursday, April 3 and Friday, April 4, 2008 between 2: 00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. at the Lake Union Park Naval Reserve Building at Lake Union Park, 860 Terry Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98109. Additional auditions will be held monthly through July 2008. This will allow new performers who wish to be a part of the program to able to participate in the coming months.

The selection process will be based upon the quality of the performance and the appropriateness of the artistic expression as it relates the parks and their surrounding communities.

If you are interested in applying to participate in this program, please click to download the application(PDF / Word) and return it via e-mail, adrienne.caver-hall@seattle.gov, or fax, 206-684-0766 or mail to:

Seattle Parks and Recreation
ATTN: Adrienne Caver-Hall
100 Dexter, Box #5
Seattle, WA 98109

The first round of applications must be postmarked no later than Monday March 31, 2008 or dropped off by 5:00 p.m., Monday March 31, 2008 at our office, 100 Dexter Ave N, Seattle, WA

Please help spread the word by forwarding or sharing this information with any artists, organizations, or networks that you think might be interested.

For questions and/or additional information please contact me using my information below.

Adrienne E. Caver-Hall
City of Seattle, Department of Seattle Parks & Recreation
100 Dexter Avenue N. Box# 5
Seattle, WA 98106-1211
206-684-7710 (phone)
206-409-5237 (Mobile)
206-684-0766 (Fax)
Adrienne.Caver-Hall@seattle.gov