A portion of last month’s Awesome Grant was awarded to magician and storyteller David London to assist with the creation of his latest production, the Creative Spirit Seance. Presented for just 12 participants per seating, The Creative Spirit Seance is an intimate, fully interactive experience that explores various ways in which human beings communicate with the unseen world. Combining performance, ritual and creative play, David will guide audiences through the mysterious realms of imagination, creativity and the Great Beyond. The world premiere of the seance will take place from August 14th-24th at Church and Company, located at the intersection of 37th and Falls Road in Hampden (directly above Hunting Ground). Tickets available here. If you are not familiar with David or his work, he has a long history of producing experimental magical creations. Along with five theatrical productions, including …Art of Dreams, Cerebral Sorcery, and The Adventure to the Imagi Nation. He has also created a variety of interactive experiences, including the Winter Festival of Wonders, Sensorium, the IMAGINE Device and the Scoposcope, and is the co-founder and director of operations for the Circus of Wonders. David has been dreaming of creating an original seance for over 15 years, and views this production as the latest in his ongoing efforts to spread… read more →

No one said having ideas was easy; in fact, Walter Bagehot went a little further, “One of the greatest pains to human nature is the pain of a new idea.” But ideas are also the great exception to my bootcamp instructor’s favorite anthem: If it were easy, everyone would do it. To our great benefit, all of us are small-scale idea-generating machines in our own right. Unfortunately, many potentially ideas are put down through self-critique or dismissed as not relevant, many are left unwritten over the course of our multitasking days, and many interesting observations are forgotten by the time we get out of the shower. This draining of awesome observations represents a colossal loss in our community, but Awesome Foundation MIAMI is here to help. We believe your ideas deserve an ear to listen and a partner to provide feedback. We believe bigger is great, but smaller is not too shabby either. We believe awesomeness can be promoted in our city only if all parts of our diverse community feel engaged and find avenues to participate. With this in mind, we launched in January 2013 to award self-funded, no-strings attached micro-grants to ideas in Miami. Now, a year and a half… read more →

Ever seen a woolly mammoth loping through the streets of Baltimore?!? … How about a flowery one? Thanks to Awesome Baltimore and our newest grantee, Mammoth Sun Movers, the city’s neglected nooks and forgotten crannies will soon witness gigantic fifteen-foot tall mammoth-variety sunflowers bursting up into the air for our delight and amusement … Congratulations to Mammoth Sun Movers co-founders Zoe Friedman and Sarah McNeil – artists, friends, and partners in crime… Both are self-proclaimed “transplants” but after years of “laying down roots” feel deeply connected to Baltimore. They’ll be spending the Awesome Grant and the next few months growing the sunflowers in mobile containers and then move them like giant floral installations between different spots throughout the city. Best of all, you’ll be able to take one home with you. That’s right! Adopt a mammoth. Those who do will be able to register their sunflower and post pictures and comments to the Mammoth Sun Movers website. Other guerilla gardeners will also be able to post pictures of their own mischievous Baltimore city operations. Keep on the lookout for these beauteous behemoths, and if you’re eager for some of your own seed money for your own spectacular project or miraculous creation, be sure to apply for our… read more →

Join us on Thursday, July 10 and dine with a purpose at AWESOME SOUP, an event produced in collaboration between MIAMI SOUP and Awesome Foundation MIAMI.  SOUP is grassroots model for funding small to medium-sized projects designed to enhance the quality of community life. MIAMI SOUP is a convivium of neighbors enjoying a simple supper of soup, salad, bread, and beverage that generates a profit to be invested back in the community. The SOUP model combines the best of the eating philosophies of Slow Food with the fund-raising approach of Kickstarter. Along with the purchase of the meal, each attendee receives a vote to cast in favor of a proposal for neighbor improvement. The income from the meal becomes part of a grant awarded that very night at the discretion of the dinner guests. MIAMI SOUP is more than food for thought because it enables ideas to be transformed into reality and empowers positive change in a single neighborhood. The July 10 event will take place at Grand Central and will food prepared by Chef Alan Hughes of The Embassy. Tickets may be procured here.   https://frmedicamentsenligne.com

The submission window for our August grant will be open from July 1 – July 20, 2014.   The funds will be awarded April during the chapter’s Awesome Hour to be held August 20 @7pm at Fork and Juniper – 125 1oth Street – Atlanta, GA