ACAF is committed to supporting the local arts & cultural sector and engage Greater Freeport’s residents and visitors in arts and cultural activities. Among the many programs ACAF’s undertakes to fulfill its mission are professional development workshops, networking events, youth workshops, online concerts, publicity, and our flagship project, Meetinghouse Arts.
The professional development series supports the creative community with everything from marketing and grant writing 101 to tech advice and tax essentials. Last year’s Business of the Arts Panel was well received by attendees, who learned the basics from local professionals. Currently, we are working on transitioning our professional development opportunities to Zoom.
Creative community networking events sustain the health and vitality of the arts and artists locally, while also striving to make the arts accessible to all members of the community. Stay tuned for the return of our Virtual Community Coffee this October.
ACAF’s quarterly youth workshops aim to provide broad accessibility and student engagement with the arts culturally, socially, and educationally. This year free quarterly programs included Circus Arts, Map Making, Ugly Sweater Design and Creation, and a Musical Theatre Workshop that served 150 children online. We are working to secure funding for a virtual youth workshop series to ensure that everyone has access to arts and cultural education.
Additionally, we have held 15 “Concerts from Your Couch” via Zoom and Facebook Live to keep arts and culture alive during these difficult times. More than 1,000 individual community members have attended these virtual events. These popular concerts will resume on October 18, 2020.
We use our platform to raise the visibility of Greater Freeport arts & cultural activity. Via our website, social media, email, in-person events, and print media, we publicize local arts and cultural events and provide information about the many individuals, organizations, and venues that make up our creative community.
Meetinghouse Arts – A Project of the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Freeport
Meetinghouse Arts will provide both a performance venue and gallery/exhibit hall. Within this facility, we will curate local and traveling programming, host classes and workshops for all ages, and provide affordable rental options for community organizations. It will allow the community to create, collaborate, learn, present, and enjoy a diverse array of arts and cultural work.
ACAF aims to achieve a balance of uses by local community/amateur groups, local professional artists and presenters, as well as performers and presenters from around Maine, New England, and beyond.
The pre-renovation “deconstruction” phase has begun.