Fremont Creates

Fremont Creates

Information Session January 21

In case you missed it…

Our Information Session was held on Tuesday, January 21, at 6:30 pm at Artist Walk in Centerville. About 35 enthusiastic attendees learned more about what we have planned for April, and had the opportunity to sign up for volunteer tasks.

View slides

Below are summarized speaker notes.

Welcome and Introduction

What is Arts, Culture, and Creativity Month, abbreviated as ”ACCM”?

ACCM is a month-long, statewide effort organized by Californians for the Arts. In 2019, Californians for the Arts (CFTA) successfully campaigned for the state to recognize and celebrate the arts by declaring April as Arts, Culture & Creativity Month (ACCM) through a resolution passed by the California Senate.

In 2021, an additional resolution was declared to recognize artists as second responders.
CFTA directs this annual month-long spotlight on the arts to raise visibility and awareness about the value of the arts sector, to empower arts advocates to take action, and to spur greater investments in the arts industry and workforce.

Fremont started recognizing April as Arts, Culture & Creativity Month in 2022 with a City proclamation. Due to COVID, that’s all we were able to do.

In 2023, a consortium of Fremont arts leaders came together to ‘brand’ the effort as Fremont Creates. In addition to the City proclamation, we created the website FremontCreates.com, saw many of the arts organizations schedule events specifically in April as part of the month’s celebration, and promoted these events on the FC’s online calendar of events , which linked to the presenting organizations’ website event info as well as publicity in local media. We also instituted an aggressive and ultimately successful fundraising effort. This allowed us to expand Fremont Creates efforts in 2024, including a successful, free event at the Fremont Downtown Event Center.

Benefits for the City and Participants

More than just a celebration of arts and culture, Fremont Creates is an investment in community well-being and enrichment. 

  • This is a great FREE opportunity to increase your audience for these and future events.
  • You can receive additional advertising and exposure through our comprehensive April calendar, website, Facebook, Instagram, and ongoing TCV articles.
  • Be sure to submit April events on our website.
  • You can even be planning events for April 2026 if you’ve got regular ones that happen in March or May this year, and they can be adjusted for next year.

In addition, benefits across the City include:

  • Exposing all community members to diverse forms of art.
  • Broadening understanding and appreciation of different cultural expressions.
  • Encouraging Fremont residents to participate in local events.
  • Strengthening community bonds and local identity.
  • Facilitating networking.
  • Providing platforms to showcase work, gain recognition, exchange ideas and experiences.
  • Opening doors to new opportunities and collaborations.
  • Stimulating local economies through ticket fees and donations.
  • Educating about services and opportunities through workshops, lectures, and interactive sessions.
  • Highlighting the diverse cultural background of our community,
  • Promoting inclusivity and mutual respect.
  • And finally… engagement with the arts and culture can improve the overall quality of life, offering relaxation, entertainment, and an escape from the daily grind.

Grand Finale Event April 27

We are very pleased that the City of Fremont is supporting ACCM with a grant to host the Grand Finale on Sunday, April 27, at the beautiful Downtown Event Center. We are working with Prime Time Entertainment, the production company that has produced multiple events for the City of Fremont, including the 4th of July parade and last year’s Grand Finale. They will help with scheduling, AV equipment, day-of oversight, etc. We are looking forward to showcasing our city’s diversity of talent and culture at this event.

There are four venues at DTEC; each one will host a different series of activities.

  • The State Room is the largest space, with a stage, AV equipment, and seating for up to 300.
  • The Liberty Room is perfect for film, video, spoken word, and solo performances, with seating is up to 80.
  • We are expanding our immensely popular MakerSpace with hands-on children’s activities. It will be in the Capitol Room, the 2nd largest space.
  • The Plaza has an outdoor space with a stage, which will be expanded to accommodate performing groups. It will have audio equipment available.

Additionally:

  • There are two large monitors in the lobby where we can have looped virtual art exhibits.
  • There will be 10 tents in the plaza for organizations to engage the public with information and some activity. A few of these tents are already spoken for, but if you would like one, please let us know right away by submitting your proposal on the submittal form on the Fremont Creates website.
  • Our sponsors, performers, and community cultural organizations will have informational space for flyers, brochures, etc., either in the performing space or the lobby.

So please consider participating in this grand celebration of arts and culture on Sunday, April 27, as a performer, volunteer, or attendee, and bring friends!

Volunteer Opportunities

Outreach to Artists: Do you know of any arts organizations that would like to host an exhibit or performance during April? Can you speak to them and have them fill out our participant form so we can promote them? Are you an artist or performer? Our goal is to have a robust roster of exhibits and performances throughout April, especially at the Finale.

Sponsors & Donors: While this is an all-volunteer effort, it costs money. We are looking for sponsors and donors, large and small, funds and in-kind. Do you have Rotary or other service club connections? Businesses that might help underwrite a small part of ACCM? There are benefits to sponsoring. Our website lists all the levels and benefits.

Publicity: In order for ACCM to be a success, our community needs to know about it! We have a series of articles slated for the Tri-City Voice, but we also need both other print and virtual media to reach a wide swath of residents. Can you help?

Volunteer: This is primarily for the Grande Finale. We need to organize tasks, shifts, and have a team in charge to answer questions that come up, point volunteers to their posts, etc. And before the event, we need volunteers to distribute flyers and posters, as well as pick up items/donations that have been pre-arranged by the Steering Committee. Note that for high school students, we can certify service hours.

The Steering Committee is here to help you with all of these tasks.

What can you do next?

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Photos: Muirgheal Forro