BridgeThink.org was a new media, film and arts initiative that I co-founded with colleagues in the education, creative and communications fields. BridgeThink connected creative communities and sponsored events that encouraged cross-pollination between fields. It was a remarkably collaborative effort, whose contributors I still work with today. Here are a few projects the team launched:
Building Bridges to the Homeland | Film and Arts Festival, 2009
This evening of short films, art and dialogue involved the greater New Bedford, MA creative community and local business owners. It drew local VIPs plus guests from Los Angeles and New York, showcased 19 SouthCoast, MA arts and cultural partners, 16 local business sponsors and shined a light on the creative economy that is generating a renaissance in the city.
Selected partners and locations included Hatch Street Artists at ArtWorks!, Travessia Urban Winery, the Zeiterion Theatre, UMass Dartmouth CVPA, Rose Alley Ale House, Blush Beauty Bar, On A Roll Sandwich Shop, Gallery X, New Bedford Art Museum, New Bedford Economic Development Council, Limelight Magazine, and more.
SoCo to SoCal | Bi-Coastal Film Screening and Dialogue, 2009
This web-televised event was held between indie filmmakers working in the SouthCoast of Massachusetts and those working in Southern California. Using Skype, Ustream, and multiple live cameras, an international online audience interacted with the filmmakers and each other as they screened films and discussed the benefits and challenges of creating “regionally” versus “resource access” – near an industry hub.
Filmmobile | visit to ArtWorks! during AHA! New Bedford, 2010
BridgeThink sponsored and organized a visit and workshop from LA’s Echo Park Film Center Filmmobile to ArtWorks!, New Bedford, MA for a summertime AHA! Night experience. The Filmmobile’s Lisa Marr and Paolo Davanzo led participants in making hand drawn animations directly on film stock and then projected their creations during an outdoor live screening. Discover more about the EPFC.
Monthly e-Newsletter
Edited a monthly newsletter showcasing interdisciplinary art, culture, science and creative business projects on three continents. Selected stories include MultiRio’s award winning animation work with children in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Gateway Cities Creative Economy Roundtable in New Bedford, MA (USA), RETHINK – Contemporary Art and Climate Change at the UN’s COP15 Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (Denmark).
Podcast Series
Hosted an educational podcast series with artists and scientists working on interdisciplinary projects, including 3-D virtual reality research scientist, Jürgen Schulze at Calit2 in San Diego and Filmteknarna director-animator, Lucas Zanotto in Berlin, Germany.