Fri 9/26 – Sun 9/28
Art and technology meet again at IngenuityFest, now going on ten years strong.
Starting in 2004 as a collaboration between James Levin and CoolCleveland’s Thomas Mulready, the fest has grown from a quirky but inspired smorgasbord of fresh thinking into one of the city’s can’t-miss showcases of innovation and, well, ingenuity. And this year it’s bigger and better than ever.
For 2014, IngenuityFest is back on Dock 32 just north of First Energy Stadium on the lakefront but this year it’s expanding to include programming at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum and the Great Lakes Science Center. View our Cool Cleveland video with Executive Director Paula Grooms here.
“The long-term goal of IngenuityFest has always been to create a multi-venue, multi-week celebration of creativity and innovation, culminating with a festival in the city — something that entices people from out of town to come into Cleveland, stay for a couple of days, check out the festival and what our city has to offer,” saying marketing coordinator Annie Weiss. “This year we take a major step in the realization of that goal as we collaborate with the Science Center and Rock Hall.”
Here’s a taste of what to expect:
Engines of Ingenuity Summit
What defines ingenuity in the 21st century? What can startups and established companies learn from one another?
What are the regional challenges and assets for businesses? Seek answers to these questions at the first-ever Engines of Ingenuity Summit, happening on the 2nd day of the fest. Hosted by former “tech czar” Michael DeAloia, the summit will delve into topics such as Intellectual Property vs. Open Source, Defining Audience in the 21st Century, Hacking Health, Monetizing Game Play, Adaptive Innovation, and the Art of Pitch.
Have some ideas to show off? Join the dialogue by becoming part of Pitch-A-Thon and receive valuable feedback from a diverse, knowledgeable audience.
Installations
Pedal and give life to the Kinetic Bonfire, a people-powered interactive sculpture. Ride stationary bikes to generate power to illuminate the central flames. Or view how 3D printing applies to architecture in the Solar Bytes Pavilion. Become a missing puzzle piece in Illumination or travel back to 2005 and experience the sights and sounds of Hurricane Rita.
Rockathon
It’s Ohio’s first hackathon. Teams made up of the region’s most talented software developers, designers, musicians and music industry leaders are looking to take music technology to the next level. Teams will have 24 hours to create a new, innovative application showcasing next level music technology. Held Fri 9/26 – Sat 9/27.
Performances
The ever-popular Tesla Orchestra will return to make music from giant coils and light up the lakefront with an unforgettable lighting display; Iron Composer will be an Iron Chef for composers; Voix de Ville will bring old-school vaudeville acts to the masses; sewing machines will make patterns to vocalizations; and more. Much more.
Something for the Kiddos
There will be no shortage of family programming at this year’s Ingenuity.
Says Weiss, “Families have a lot to choose from at the Festival! The Science Center is housing our Make Space this year — an area of DIY projects, 3D printing demonstrations, games & the like. The Voix de Ville, a miniature, pop-up, 60-seat circus tent will be hosting some kid-friendly shows. The VdV was created by a Cleveland vaudeville duo, Pinch and Squeal, and features performers from around the Midwest like Will Oltman (juggler), Titano — the World’s Laziest Strongman, and much much more!”
Plus…
There will be an onslaught of good, interesting bands to fill the space with live music.
Looking Ahead
Since IngenuityFest likes to move around, where will it go next year? Weiss hints at Burke Lakefront Airport.
“Next year as the Warehouses face demolition, we’d like to continue our relationships with the Rock Hall and Science Center but perhaps we’ll expand eastward toward Burke Lakefront Airport and maybe even include some programming along E 9th Street,” says Weiss.
“This year Ingenuity, in collaboration with LAND Studio, was the recipient of a $100,000 matching grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to provide pop-up programming and semi-permanent installations and improvements along the E 9th Street corridor to create a sense of community in this area from Spring 2015-Spring 2016. This creates an opportunity for us to align some of that programming with the 2015 Festival.”
Get ready to innovate and be wowed, Cle.
Cool Cleveland editor Sarah Valek studied art and writing at Ithaca College. After graduation, she came back to Cle and served two years as an AmeriCorps*VISTA with the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. She can be found on all sides of the city in pursuit of homeschooling activities for her son and the perfect soy latte. Contact her at CoolEditor@CoolCleveland.com or via Twitter.
Cleveland, OH 44114