Look Who's Back!
More Giant Bunnies and Artists From Around the Globe and the Corner Will Have the City Hopping
More Giant Bunnies and Artists From Around the Globe and the Corner Will Have the City Hopping
Charlotte SHOUT! Festival Relaunches In September
Charlotte SHOUT! Festival Relaunches In September
by Brandon Carter and Joy West
On a sunny Saturday afternoon in uptown Charlotte, the aroma of tacos, lobster rolls and hickory smoked barbecue from food trucks tantalize the senses as bass-pumping music from a nearby stage has an exuberant crowd dancing and cheering. Up ahead, bright colors of fluorescent spray paint catch the eye as a graffiti artist creates a one-of-a-kind mural. To the left, a group of children lose themselves in a sea of bubbles, and on the right is a lush green park filled with giant, glowing bunnies that invite selfies from smiling admirers.
Welcome to Charlotte SHOUT! – a weeks-long festival highlighting the convergence of community and art and celebrating Charlotte’s creativity, diversity and resilience. Presented by Charlotte Center City Partners and Blumenthal Performing Arts Sept. 17-Oct. 3, the festival will weave together the talents of internationally acclaimed and locally grown artists, dancers, musicians, poets, storytellers, photographers, chefs and thought leaders. And yes, the bunnies will be back!
Photo by Alexander South NC
Spectators of all ages join in the fun at First Ward Park during Charlotte SHOUT! 2019.
The festival had been a beloved staple of Charlotte’s vibrant arts and culture scene until it went on hiatus in 2009. CCCP and Blumenthal joined forces 10 years later to reinstate the festival as part of the city’s 250th birthday celebration. The festival's revival was a success with more than 200 events over two weeks in late April and early May of 2019. Plans were made to present the festival in early 2020 but the pandemic forced a postponement.
After a period filled with immense challenges and social separation, SHOUT! 2021 aims to bring the community together and provide a time for audiences and participants to reflect on the beauty of our planet, our community and each unique person that makes it so special.
This year we will especially savor the chance to safely be together again to enjoy our vibrant city and the creativity that helps to define it.
Tom Gabbard
President and CEO, Blumenthal Performing Arts
Blumenthal President Tom Gabbard says, “Our goal is to make Charlotte SHOUT! the most inspiring annual festival in the Southeast celebrating art, music, food and ideas. This year we will especially savor the chance to safely be together again to enjoy our vibrant city and the creativity that helps to define it.”
Through myriad events presented in four overarching themes – art, music, food and ideas – the festival will connect with the community and spotlight homegrown talent in an even more profound way this year.
'Made in CLT'
'Made in CLT'
From dancers to magicians, singers to visual artists, festival planners are looking for creatives from Charlotte and the surrounding area to take center stage at SHOUT! 2021. An all-new program called “Made in CLT” will cultivate performances and activations by artists who are local to the Charlotte region. Artists from all disciplines are encouraged to submit their work in application for a spot in the 2021 festival.
“In addition to talent from around the world, we’re actively searching for local artists from all areas of Charlotte’s vibrant creative community to participate in this year’s festival,” said Robert Krumbine, chief creative officer at Center City Partners. “Whether you’re a local musician, a playwright, an acrobat, a master chef or a graffiti artist, there could be a spot for you in our lineup.”
Artist submissions are being accepted through May 15 at CharlotteShout.com.
"Of Earth and Sky" by artist Luke Jerram was first presented in Gloucester, England, in 2020.
Photo by Jon Craig
'Of Earth and Sky'
'Of Earth and Sky'
Local wordsmiths will be highlighted in “Of Earth and Sky,” a large-scale poetry installation by artist Luke Jerram that was first presented across Gloucester, England, in 2020.
Experienced and amateur poets are encouraged to submit poems that will be used to create public art pieces throughout the city during SHOUT! Throughout April and May, poets can attend weekly workshops, either in person or virtually, hosted by award-winning poet and Blumenthal Director of Creative Engagement Boris “Bluz” Rogers. The free workshops allow poets to learn more about the “Of Earth and Sky” vision and receive writing prompts to guide their work.
“The goal for the 'Of Earth and Sky' project is to poetically amplify the voices of Charlotte residents ...”
Boris "Bluz" Rogers
Blumenthal Director of Creative Engagement
“The goal for the 'Of Earth and Sky' project is to poetically amplify the voices of Charlotte residents, with the workshops functioning as a way to help (them) edit and fine tune their work before submitting,” said Rogers. “The curation team will simply be looking for honesty and creativity, so whether you have been writing for 40 years or four minutes, we will be accepting submissions from everyone with a poem in their heart.”
Winning poets will be selected and announced in early June. For information, visit BlumenthalArts.org/OfEarthandSky.
A 2019 fan favorite at The Green uptown, "Intrude" by Parer Studio features inflatable and very photogenic bunnies.
Photo by Alexander South NC
HOPPING BACK TO TOWN
HOPPING BACK TO TOWN
A fan favorite in 2019, Parer Studio’s “Intrude” will make a triumphant return to SHOUT! in 2021. This large-scale public art installation by artist Amanda Parer that features illuminated bunnies drew thousands of spectators of all ages to uptown Charlotte during the 2019 festival. This year, festival organizers promise the giant glowing bunnies will be even bigger and better as they “intrude” upon an uptown hotspot, which will be announced at a later date.
The full lineup of musical acts, art installations, performances and conversations will be announced this summer. To sign up for updates and learn more about Charlotte SHOUT!, visit CharlotteShout.com. ◼
"Intrude XXL," the largest and newest installation from Parer Studio, will make its North American debut at Charlotte SHOUT!