Searching For Help With FCCA Site

   In theatre and in life we weave a tapestry of adventures, an arc wherein characters and events collude and collide to effect change; sometimes happy, sometime not.

   Fairfield Center for the Creative Arts (FCCA has an arc to complete. However, this jewel in the crown of Fairfield has gems yet to be set.

   The arts are among the pillars of faith, family, education and fitness that support the sacred canopy under which man both huddles and ventures forth into a challenging and capricious world. They are a barometer of man’s civility and a testimony to his creative powers. Arts engage heart, head and souls providing an E ticket multisensory ride as they entertain, educate, enthrall and enlighten and enlarge our lives.

   For over twenty five years, FCCA has supported dancers, divas and dreamers, singers and symphonies, actors and fine artists. However, it is 2008 and FCCA does not have a web site; a standalone, brilliant and beautiful and bountiful internet presence that would bring patrons and purchasers to this city. Worse, we have no ability to buy tickets on line.

   The Artys Theme Song Contest, New Playwright Contest and Arts Gone Wild Gala were forward moves in the arc. Private enterprise, theaters, the Daily Republic, KUIC, regular folks, local wineries and eateries all showed what partnership along an arc of talent and joy can do.

   Economic times are toughening. The council will rack and stack vital priorities that must be sustained and struggle diligently to save jobs. Thus we must finish FCCA’s arc now with actions that can increase the self sufficiency of the artists and delight the community.

   I bought the best domain names for FCCA to give them away. As with the Arts Gone Wild Gala, we partner city staff from redevelopment, marketing, and FCCA and those with business smarts with a number of the artists to build the FCCA web site. The city advises and consults and the artists use gala funds to pay for, own and maintain it. They meet mostly in cyberspace through email as the web designer iteratively constructs it under their guidance. The city, the media and arts venues appeal to all to “blog in” with their two cents for the combined group to vet as we all see it built.

   It can be an E ticket ride with multimedia delights, performance footage and photos, calendars, retails coupons, links to venues sites, educational material and an endless list. We join the 21st century and put third party, state of the art, no upfront cost web-based on line ticketing on the site for the FCCA and any venue’s site, for them and the FCCA.

   All the “But what about” questions have long ago been answered by these platforms. Remember also, every ticket is advertising, coupon and possible revenue space.

   From Oxnard to Chattanooga, the train is down the tracks and we’re not aboard. These ticketing solutions are rife with audience development and marketing fodder.

   I have talked to our talented City Manager, Sean Quinn and true to form, he is “ok with staff participating in a meeting and seeing what we can do to partner with the artists”. So now we reach out to the artists.

   Will our arc be a story of progress and promise or just another tragedy launched from the fruits of apathy and indecision? The call is going out to all the groups and artists. I know we can build and maintain a killer site. We have the designers, the domain names and the funds and I have web based best of breed vendors pounding on the doors to work with us

   You have a chance to do something that benefits all. When called, remember; the sound of silence is deafening. Watch for more in the Daily Republic and look for the email. Kevin of Arc says, we can do this

©Kevin Ryan 2008