Kickstarter

Risks and challenges Learn about accountability on Kickstarter

Although our Kickstarter campaign goal seems modest at $1000, it's a small fraction of what we REALLY need to pull this thing off. We are uber new at fundraising, so we want to build up some confidence before we can ask for a trillion bazillion gold coins raining from the sky, ya know?

Typically, the Midnight Tea is an act of generosity, we never charge guests to attend, because the entire project is about what we can offer each other and ourselves regardless of race, class, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or socio-economic status. But let's be honest, going to India is not cheap.

REAL EXPENSES:

$1500 - Venue Fees (damage deposit, cleaning fees)
$4,400* – Roundtrip Airfare for 2 Featured Artists
$2,200* - Roundtrip Airfare for 1 Childcare Assistant
$1000 - Production Design (Set elements, Lighting, and Sound)
$500 - Marketing and Public Relations
$400 Translation and Transportation Assistance in Mumbai

TOTAL: $10,000
*Average RT flight to Mumbai from Seattle (December): $2200 per person

Yeah so travelling halfway around the world is kinda pricey, enit? Some of us have it, some of us have part of it, and some of us don’t quite have it at all, but we aren’t going to let that stop us from trying, dammit. With your help, we can make sure that those who need extra help can cover their immediate expenses: plane ticket, visa application, and extra baggage fee in order to bring the equipment they need to make this happen.

Of the 12 Featured Artists travelling to Mumbai for this project, 4 of us will have children under 10 years old in tow, so we really need to bring along a babysitter or two. People don’t realize what a huge role reliable childcare plays in making awesome things happen, but it does! Ask your mum! Many of our friends and colleagues have volunteered to take on this role if we can just cover the cost of their roundtrip ticket and accommodations in Mumbai.

The motto of this project has been “Use what you have to do what you can,” since it’s extremely humble beginnings in 2008, but for 2012 we’d like to do a little bit more. If our funding goal is surpassed, we can get better equipment to document and archive the project to share it with you and each of the 12 Featured Artists can receive a small stipend to offset the significant personal costs associated with hosting the Midnight Tea in Mumbai. Without your support, we may not be able to pull this off the way we want to... so if you can help, pretty please do! Your contribution will make it possible for a really nice community of thinkers and dreamers, artists, academics, doers, workers, nerds, and free spirits to do their work. What is that worth to you? For us, it's the opportunity to bring a dream to reality.

If we can raise $1000 a day for 12 days, we can exceed our goal and make some once-in-a-lifetime art happen. Everyone can do something special and important, regardless of how much money they have or don't have. This project started as an idea ... who knows what could happen! Please help us to spread the word by telling your friends and *sharing* the project within your social networks. If you have ideas and/or suggestions about what we can do better, let us know. Yes, we want to meet your friends, work with you, and connect through art, creativity and TEA! Just email mikokuro@gmail.com and visit www.mikokuro.com for more more more.