Episode 30 – Monday Through Friday Fest with Bry Liggins

Hi Friend, Welcome to Episode 30 of Sally’s Performing Arts Lab Podcast.  Today I talk with Chicago’s Monday Through Friday Festival founder, Bry Liggins.

I’m your SallyPAL podcast host, Sally Adams. Every week I talk to people about creating original work for a live audience. Send an email anytime to Sally@sallypal.com. Your ideas keep great conversations coming every Monday evening.

Check out sallypal.com/join for the free 20-page theatre resource. It’s a glossary of live performance support you’ll need for your show. I’m working on another performing arts insert and I’m interested in knowing what creators need as a performing arts resource. Do you need more information about venues? Do you want to know how to put butts in seats on the cheap? Would you like to connect with other creators? Do you need more practical tips? If there are things you want included in the Creator’s Notebook, let me know by sending an email to sally@sallypal.com! I read them all… Every. Single. One.

In this Episode you’ll hear my guest, Bry Liggins, share about a new Chicago arts festival, the Monday Through Friday Fest. Bry started out in Tulsa, Oklahoma at Holland Hall School as the shy kid in the back row. It wasn’t too long before she became a regular member of the performing arts groups as a lead actor and slam poet. Bry has a background in film, theatre, music, and spoken word. As a Louder Than A Bomb participant, Bry traveled to Chicago where she fell in love with the arts scene. We talked a little bit about the LTAB spoken word event where she and another SallyPAL guest, David KoloKolo performed original work.

While studying filmmaking at Columbia College in Chicago, Bry volunteered for the multi-day Chicago International Movies and Music Festival also known as CIMMFest. Bry quickly rose to Festival Manager and started to see career options. Since graduating, she’s declared 2018, “The Year of Bry”. M-F Fest is her shot at creating opportunities for artists that connect them to resources while showcasing their work. If you want to get in on the ground floor of the M-Ffest, contact Bry Liggins at bry@m-ffest.org. The website www.m-ffest.org should be up by the end of the month. Be sure and listen until the end of the interview for Concise Advice from the Interview, and Words of Wisdom from George.

Concise Advice from the Interview is a short version of tips from my guest, M-F Fest Founder, Bry Liggins. Here are 10 important bits of advice.

10 You must depend on other people to help you pursue your dreams. Don’t be afraid of collaboration.

9 To meet artists, use social media, attend local college events, or go to solo shows. Meet artists after performances to let them know you’re interested in supporting them and collaborating.

8 Starting a festival is a little like throwing a party. Starting small gives your event room to grow.

7 When you are discouraged at the success of others, turn it around and see if you can be inspired by their success and use it to propel you forward.

6 Mistakes are encouraged. You gotta fail in order to grow.

5 All art is subjective. Failure and success are as well. You are the one who evaluates all of it.

4 Start small and build from there.

3 Planning a festival or other arts event is like planning a party.

2 Be inclusive and welcoming. You’ll make friends.

1 You have the tools. You have friends. You have a room. Just do it. 

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Thank you for following, sharing, subscribing, reviewing, joining, & thank you for listening. I want you to pursue your dream to have your work on the stage in front of a live audience. It’s scary, but SallyPAL is here with resources, encouragement, and a growing community of people like us. 

If you’re downloading and listening on your drive to work, or falling asleep to my late night noodling like my sister does, let me know you’re out there. I want to help you create original shows for a live audience… All the performances you’ve seen on stage once lived only in someone’s imagination… Now… Just do It!.