Kickstarter

I created Cultivate two years ago, when I first moved to rural Northern New Hampshire, one of the most beautiful places I have ever lived. I was lonely for my art kin, and I wanted to feel alive and connected the way I only do when surrounded by artists deep in their making and sharing.  

Cultivate is a grass-roots effort, designed to nourish and support community by 1) creating a space for contemporary dance to take root, develop and flourish. Cultivate enlivens the field by bringing cutting edge dance and performance to an area of the country that might not otherwise have access to it, and 2) encouraging a conversation to develop between artist and audience. 

The idea is simple: Invite artists who make beautiful, compelling, independent, gritty and important work to visit you in the White Mountains.  Give them a beautiful space to share their art, and unique opportunities to meet other artists, makers and thinkers.  Then invite everyone you know to come be a part of it.  Infuse the community with the energy and abundance generated from all of this making and sharing by creating opportunities for artists and audiences to meet, linger and mingle.  Take care of artists in ways they don't always encounter in their daily lives and, in doing so, take care of the community in ways that will continue to inspire, support and nourish long after the artists leave town. 

Now in its third year, Cultivate is growing and going strong!! What was originally a one day informal gathering is now a four day town-wide festival! Four full days of workshops, performances, spontaneous community events, shared meals and plenty of opportunities for a deep dialog to emerge.  

NEW this year: a dance/education conference and a town wide ArtWalk!

Extending the Dance Map in Northern New England is a resource-packed conference for teachers, dancers, parents and school administrators interested in integrating dance and movement into education in the North Country. (Presented in partnership with the Arts Alliance of Northern New Hampshire) Thursday, August 9, from 8am-4:30 pm. 

Bethlehem’s first ArtWALK!! On Saturday, August 11 Main Street will come alive as venues stay open late, artists open their studios, and storefronts and designated outdoor spaces become ad-hoc art galleries. Live music, pop-up performances, kid’s classes, hula-hooping, bbq picnics and more! 

All of this is possible, in part, because of the generous spirit of the many artists and community members involved. More than 20 dance makers, musicians and designers are traveling from all over the country to make this magical event happen.  And there are dozens of folks here in NH freely their giving time and resources to form the fertile soil that supports the festival from the ground up.  

But I need your help to really pull this off!  The money raised in this campaign will help pay the artists' performance and teaching honoraria, as well as their room and board during the festival.  It will pay two very talented designers, Alan Genser (lights) and Tori Lawrence (graphics) a fraction of what they are worth for their gorgeous work and countless hours spent working on the festival. It will also help me advertise and promote Cultivate to the wider community of Northern New Hampshire New England and beyond, and pay for all the little things no one ever thinks about, like renting a dance floor for the Colonial Theatre. And, it also helps me keep the class fees and ticket prices affordable, so that as many people can take advantage of what Cultivate has to offer them as possible. 

Anything you can give will help me make Cultivate a reality. Every little bit helps, and means so much to me, and my community. Thank you for caring enough to read this far.  Thank you for all that you do in your own lives, in your own communities, to make the world a better place.  On behalf of the entire community of Cultivate, I thank you for your support.  

Warm greetings from the White Mountains... Come visit sometime! 

gratefully yours, 

Katherine Ferrier

The Artists of Cultivate 2012

• Alicia Christophi-Walshe (Dublin, Ireland) 
• Stephen Clapp (Mt. Rainier, MD) 
• Katherine Ferrier (Bethlehem, NH) 
• Sarah Gamblin (Denton, TX) 
• Ellie Goudie-Averill (Philadelphia, PA) 
• Ashley Hensel-Browning (Chester, VT)
• Jessica Howard (Fall River, MA) 
• Jennifer Kayle (Iowa City) 
• Katherine Keifer Stark & Loren Groenendaal (Philadelphia,PA) 
• Kai Kleinbard (New York, NY) 
• Monkeyhouse (Boston, MA) 
• Angie Muzzy (Troy, NH) 
• Bethany Nelson (Jackson, MS) 
• Cori Olinghouse (New York, NY) 
• Goldie Peacock (Brooklyn, NY) 
• Pamela Vail (Lancaster, PA)