Kickstarter

Last year we got goosebumps as wild smiles contagious jumped face to face. We learned : we create and can alter and amp up the tone and feel of this place we call home. So we want to do it again, and grow!

THE SECOND ANNUAL PEOPLE'S JOY PARADE!
An Art Processional Celebrating the Diversity of Calle Cherokee
@ 1:11pm on May 8, 2010

The People's Joy Parade is a grassroots, diverse, processional of crepe paper float makers, home made costume fashionistas, b-boys/girls, midnight minstrels, Gigante puppeteers, art cars, bike brigades, moving installation artists, Elvis impersonators, cardboard bricoleurs, rainbow dancers, knights of St. Louis, drag queens, beat making marching bands, Mexican wrestlers, robot makers, Virgin of Guadalupe’s, and any lost members of the Missouri tribe.

Because… parades recognize the importance of the people who make up a community.

Surprise and connection are powerful tools for healing in transforming blocks like ours, where gunshots still pepper the night while daytime finds growing youth culture flaunting new style and curiosity. We want to feed our togetherness, empower participation not just from artists but especially from residents and youth -- anyone who wants to, and calls this place home.

Can we do it without corporate sponsorship? We'd love to leave logos out of this one. This year we're trying out new strategies. Last year an arts grant supported our first experiment @ over $2000. With our kickstarter funds, we intend to integrate even more educational workshops, buy supplies for neighborhood youth to creatively participate, and support ourselves for the soulful work we do making it happen (radical idea!).

Watch for interactive parade prep all during April at The Community Arts and Movement Project, including GIGANTES WORKSHOPS (giant puppets!), FOOTBEAT practices (a feel-good, singalong walking group of costumed crooners ), and the COSTUME SHOP (inviting neighborhood kids to amp their character!).

As St. Louis citizens perched on the verge of Cherokee's bzzzz, we are ready to put our money+energy where our mouth is and profess that art and music are leading the way to the healing and revitalizing of our city and culture. Let's bring it!

For more information about the festival or to register for the parade, visit www.cincodemayostl.com
For more information about community/educational programming, visit www.stlcamp.org