When, Where, but more importantly, Who?!

This summer, we are kicking off the first ever Tree River Circus!
The Tree River Circus is an event that is meant to pull together local artists, writers and activists to celebrate Pittsburgh's unique history, culture and environmental struggle.

It will be happening in the Allegheny Commons in the North Side on Sunday, July 24th.

At this time, we are looking for a variety of people to join us:

Artists: The Circus is putting together a gallery of local artwork depicting Pittsburgh in her various forms and the environment she calls home. For information on how to submit artwork to our gallery, visit the 'Submitting Artwork' page.

Vendors: Tree River Circus has partnered with Sundae Market, an urban flea market. They offer local crafters, artists, and anyone looking to sell things a space to set up booths. While any vendor is welcome to join Sundae Market, we at the Circus are looking for local crafters and businesses that have an environmental or Pittsburgh theme to their merchandise. These vendors will be specially listed as Circus Vendors on the website and in the Circus' event brochure.
To learn how to set up a vendor booth, visit the 'Becoming a Vendor' page.

Environmental know-hows: Because this event is about Pittsburgh and the environment, we want to make sure that we offer space for learning about our local environment. It is our hope to include information booths about the environment that Pittsburgh is surrounded by. This is not meant to be a place for protest or advocacy, but rather a place where knowledge can be shared others. We want to inspire love and a sense of wonder for this fantastic city, and we are looking for people to help us do just that.
If you, or someone you know, would like to set up an environmental information booth, please e-mail Athena KitchenFlint. 

Clowns and Circus Acts: Environmental issues often become hot topics that can be quite overwhelming and emotionally exhausting. We at the Circus want to ensure that our event is in no way a doom and gloom occasion, but rather a celebration. We want to be a circus, and what is a circus without a few clowns and fun for all? We are looking for fun clowns, balloon artists, jugglers, etc to join our circus. If you are interested in showing off your skills at clowning around, e-mail Athena KitchenFlint

Volunteers: Are you looking for a fun project this summer, but don't feel like you have any of the skills listed so far to offer? Well, we'd like you to join us anyway! The Circus is going to need plenty of helping hands to get off the ground this year. We will need help with a multitude of tasks: anything from hanging up posters around town to setting up and tearing down tents the day of the circus. If you are interested in joining our team of volunteers, please e-mail Athena KitchenFlint.

If you would like to know more about the Circus, please keep up with us via Facebook or Twitter!
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Steel-City-Presents-The-Tree-River-Circus/114744615274181
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/TreeRiverCircus

Sundae Market Partnership

We are pleased to announce that we have partnered with the Sundae Market!

The Sundae Market is a contemporary flea market that was founded with the intention of giving local artists and creators a space to sell their work. In previous years, it has taken place in the center of Oakland, pulling in hundreds of local artists and crafters to sell their wares. This year, the Market will be taking place in the North Side, in the Allegheny Commons.  

We at the Circus are very excited about this partnership. Not only is the Sundae Market a cool and hip way for people to come together and show off their creativity, but it is clear that the founders of the Market are just as concerned about the need for community as we are. They have been working to bring people together and to revitalize the North Side and its park. While they have a different way of showing it then we do in the Circus, it is clear that this event embodies a love of the city of Pittsburgh, and a call to bring people together.

On July 24^th, Sundae Market and The Tree River Circus will be sharing space in the Allegheny Commons Park. Make sure to mark your calendars, bring your wallets and come enjoy the fun for all.

The Sundae Market is looking for people who are interested in selling their artwork and crafts to others.  If you are interested in setting up a vendor table, please visit the Sundae Market website and sign up.

http://sundaemarket.com

Our Dreams for the Circus

Over the past few weeks, we have been rallying together local artists, writers, musicians and actors who want to take part in this event. They have offered us poems, music, monologues, artwork and all kinds of creativity inspired by the Steel City.

However, we want to make sure that our event also explores local environmental issues. We are looking for local scientists and environmental activists to join us. They would be given the opportunity to set up booths and learning stations about the local ecosystems and the challenges they may be facing. This would be the perfect opportunity for people passionate about the environment to share their knowledge with others, and to spread awareness about issues such as fracking, river pollution, park restoration, invasive species, and so much more.

We are also looking bring together local environmentally conscious vendors. The crowd drawn to the circus will be full of people who are interested in exploring new ways to buy environmentally friendly products and foods. This would be the perfect opportunity for businesses to spread the word about themselves and their missions.

Of course, no circus would be complete without a few clowns. We are looking for variety acts to join us: clowns, jugglers, balloons, face painting and so much more! We want to make sure that this event is fun for all.  Talking about environmental issues can sometimes be overwhelming, and we know that it is important to emphasize joy and wonder, rather then the doom and gloom that so often goes hand in hand with this topic.

All together, we want this event will be full of people who are passionate about their love for this city and all it holds. It is meant to be a celebration, as well as an opportunity for learning. It is our hope that everyone attending this event would feel their love for this city grow ever deeper, and that would be instilled with a sense of wonder about this fantastic city and all of the nature within it.

Guidelines for Submissions

Submissions should be e-mailed to Athena KitchenFlint at aakitchenflint@gmail.com 

Steel City Presents: The Tree River Circus is meant to be a festival celebrating Pittsburgh’s unique history, culture and environmental struggle. We want to give the city a voice, allowing her to speak through your creativity.  In order to achieve this, we want to hear what you have to say about the city of Pittsburgh, about local history and communities, and about the trees, parks, rivers and all nature within the city.  Your work could be part of a new and upcoming festival right in the heart of Pittsburgh!

Prizes:

-Select entries will be showcased in the July event.

-A board of local theater professionals will choose a first, second and third place winner in each category. Winners will be awarded prizes of merit. (More details to come!)

Please keep in mind:

-Submissions must be your own original work.

-Each entry must include a brief bio with a cover page that includes your full name, phone number, e-mail address and mailing address.

-You will retain copyright power for your submissions

-There is no limit on the number of submission that each individual sends. 

-All submissions will be reviewed by a board of local theater professionals, and chosen on their content, length and connection to the theme. Selected entries will be part of the event in early July.

-Submissions should be sent via e-mail to Athena KitchenFlint at aakitchenflint@gmail.com

What to Submit:

All submissions should be accompanied by a brief bio, including a cover page with the person's name, phone number, e-mail address and mailing address.

Creative Writing: Submit your short stories, poetry or creative essays. Maximum length is three pages for each entry. All files should be sent in .doc or .docx form.

Monologues or plays: Submit your written monologues or short one act plays. Plays should be no longer than 10 minutes. Files should be in .doc or .docx format.

Art:  Submit images of your paintings, drawings, sculptures, prints, photography or cartoons. Include a brief description of the piece. The description should include the materials used, if applicable.  Send .jpg, .png, .gif, or .bmp files.

Music Submissions: Submit your music videos or songs. Include written lyrics, if applicable. Send .avi, .mp3, .aiff .aif or .wav files no more than 40MB each. Lyrics should be in .doc or .docx form.

Other Submissions: Do you have something else you think might be perfect for the Tree River Circus? Contact Athena KitchenFlint to discuss requirements.

There is NO LIMIT on the number of submissions per person. 

Submissions should be e-mailed to Athena KitchenFlint at aakitchenflint@gmail.com

Interested in Finding out more?

Find us on Facebook or on Twitter!

POST EDIT:
While the official deadline is over, we will still accept submissions of art, performance, music and short creative writing. Please e-mail Athena for more information.

About the Circus

Our Mission:
To bring awareness to local environmental issues by building a community voice through the use of Theater and festivity.

Environmental injustice comes in a variety of forms. No matter what shape it takes, it causes isolation among victims. Victims initially find themselves without a voice and powerless to stop the degradation of the environment around them. They not only feel isolated, but their health is often compromised, further stripping them of their dignity as a human being, further isolating them, and making them feel even more helpless.

One of the most effective ways to combat and prevent suffering is to create community. Community allows each individual to be supported by others that are experiencing the same feelings of helplessness and anger. Through a process of sharing their angers and frustrations with others who feel similarly, they can begin to build a community voice, which is crucial in the process of beginning to fight for their rights.

In this day and age of private lives, the need for community has increased greatly.
Just as a public garden can bring people together, we believe a festival for Pittsburgh and the environment will be very effective at building community and giving a voice to beings, human and non, that are often unable to speak out about the issues they are facing. It is our hope that The Tree River Circus will gather together a community of people who love this city and want to celebrate it in whatever way they are able.

Pittsburgh is a city with a very dirty history. These skies were once full of endless smog, and the night sky glowed red. Over the past few generations, we've managed to make this city into a great green giant.

Now that this city is has regained much of her green, it's easy to forget about the dirty history behind us. We often take our parks for granted, and we've forgotten our past.

The Tree River Circus is meant to be a tribute to the past, present and future of Pittsburgh and her relationship to the environment. It is a celebration for the parks, rivers, animals and humans that call this city home.