Cheeky Fest

  • Rupert Cheek

Cheeky Fest is an arts festival & community. https://cheekyfest.live

WHY? To help people through the arts;
Social, Economic & Mental Health
Cheeky Fest helps humans, including people who are artists, creatives, curators, entrepreneurs, lighting & sound designers, performers, stage crew & technicians, to feel connected, heard & valued - by listening, sharing, supporting, donating, funding, paying for your work / services / products, experience, knowledge & skills.

Be part of something bigger than yourself Achieve bigger goals that you couldn't achieve on your own Replace fear with knowing that you have a supportive community Navigate your challenges together with vulnerability Build new skills & habits

Cheeky Fest is for people who
empower, encourage & inspire others by connecting, engaging, listening & sharing stories
are still finding how they coexist with the rest of society,
haven’t had the opportunity to develop & apply their skills & passions
aren’t earning enough money through their passion to support themselves
have mental and/or physical health challenges
Brexit & Coronavirus

Brexit has drastically cut or completely devoured earnings for many creatives who rely on work in Europe.  15 months since Covid broke, much of the world continues to struggle with the social, economic impact of the pandemic. Artists, creatives & performers, tech / backstage workers and others employed by venues need to be able to pay rents / mortgages, feed themselves & their families and maintain their wellbeing.  A number of groups and platforms / businesses are already enabling, curating and promoting online / livestream events*.   The creative & performing arts continue to struggle with the economic, social & mental health impacts of Covid19.  Many people in the creative sector have had little or no financial support from the government through the pandemic.  We need to empower, encourage, enable & inspire collaboration, communication & community, provide affordable education and opportunities.  ( * https://cheekyfest.live/livestreaming-1 )

Mental Health

In our shared experience here at Cheeky Fest, we have come to recognise that there's often a correlation between creativity and mental health.  We aim to raise awareness of and provide resources to manage mental health; a number of famous musicians have committed suicide as a result of mental health issues. In late May 2019, I was saddened to hear that someone I played music with between 2004-2012 had taken his life after struggling with bipolar disorder. I’ve struggled with depression at various points in my life.

We are committed to active listening, advocating, educating, and supporting people through the arts. We remain focused on ensuring that help is at the ready for people struggling with their mental health. We want to approach any stigma attached to & raise awareness of and provide resources to manage mental health; a number of famous musicians have committed suicide as a result of mental health issues.
What?

I set up Cheeky Promo in 2013 to help musicians. Since then, Cheeky has grown into an international arts community. Cheeky Fest will help people through the arts; art, dance, film, music, opera, performance, photography, poetry, sound, theatre and/or video.

Cheeky Fest will be a beautiful, bold, bright, collaborative, colourful, creative, daring, dramatic, dynamic, educational, empowering, encouraging, engaging, enthralling, ear/eye opening, expressive, inspiring, international, invigorating, joyous, participatory, public, progressive, reciprocal, reflective, social, thought-provoking annual Festival.

Conventional definitions and rules within the creative & performing arts are tested and challenged and multiple approaches to arts practices are celebrated. Audience members can intermingle with artists / creatives & performers - blurring the boundaries between audience and artists.

We will offer & provide fairly paid work & opportunities to connect with, learn from, collaborate with other humans & have your work featured on the Cheeky Fest website & social media channels & opportunities to curate part of Cheeky Fest.

We will empower, enable & encourage you to communicate with people on & offline and facilitate networking through in-person, live, real world events and our online community
Education
With 3 year Degrees costing £30K+ and MAs costing around £10K & expenses in the UK, many feel unable to Study or do so and take on huge debt.  Cheeky Education will provide education in the creative & performing arts for MUCH less than the £10k/year you'd pay at a traditional university by facilitating skills sessions & workshops across all aspects of the creative & performing arts lead by other members of our community.

Funding for Performers
The Cheeky Foundation will support artists, creatives through grants, enabling them to share their work at Cheeky Fest. (Facebook / LinkedIn / Twitter).

Funding for Entrepreneurs
Share your arts startups and connect with clients, customers & partners.
Platform for & access to invest in human centred arts startups;
Cheeky Ventures / @CheekyStartups, Facebook & LinkedIn.

Venue + Workspace
Arts venue for Cheeky Fest & WAKTM
Home of Cheeky; Foundation, Ventures, Education & Fest
For entrepreneurs to build creative & performing arts startups
Inspiration; Sister Midnight (London), Roundhouse (Camden),  Basilica Hudson (USA), National Sawdust (NYC)