So the affordable arts space situation is a real clusterfuck at the moment and we decided we could either try harder to find a space that fit in our budget, sacrificing our own timelines to fit into their schedule, sacrificing location that can be accessed by public transport, altering our budgets to pay higher rent, and generally having to jump through hoops to find a place to produce the work we want, or we could say screw it and find our own place. We chose the latter. So, the hunt begins folks. We're looking for a warehouse or storefront space about 1,500-2,000 square feet that we can convert into a space in which we could not only produce our own shows, but offer a place for queer artists to produce their work without having to worry if they'll be able to eat if they do it. It's our goal to offer rental rates below $1000 per week. In addition we'd like to be able to donate spaces for single night events, meetings, gatherings, brainstorming sessions, workshops and even be able to have a scholarship program to subsidize rental rates for those to whom low cost is too much cost.
How cool would it be if there was a place in the Twin Cities where queer artists could go and just worry about their art? How powerful would such a resource be? So, come play on our Playground. Come create with us. There's a ton of ways you can help us make this dream a reality, but I'm not gonna list off a list of numbers we need to meet in order to make this happen. (If you're really interested, you can find those links on our website.) Instead I'm going to ask you what you want to create. Have a one person show exploring themes of race, sex, and identity.Awesome. Photography series depicting the daily lives of abuse survivors? Wonderful. Wanna do a dadaist reimagining of the Salem Witch Trials that compare the struggles of Abigail Williams and Marry Warren with pressures queer teenagers live with in the rural South? Bring it. Nothing is off limits and the only limits are those we place on ourselves. Gadfly is committed to creating a safe space that will be a community hub for queer art in any media. But we can't do it without you. Hence the community. So, again my question for you all out there in internet land is: What do we want to make?