by Universal harmony: it is the global dream many kindergartners, pageant participants, and activists wish for. It appears to be a tough goal to reach without much collaborative support. However, with non-profit organizations like Creative Migration, communities are urged to come together and make a change regarding the many ongoing misfortunes on our much-loved planet. CM stands out as a proactive channel because it utilizes the creative work of emerging artists for the purpose of producing social change. CM’s interactive projects spur awareness and revolutionary spirit by featuring documentaries that reveal the potential every person is capable of providing for our communities. With each helping hand, a larger impact can be made to improve present conditions ubiquitously.
As it is always said, actions speak louder than words, and CM is certainly a motivational outlet for changing the world. We had the honor of interviewing CM’s creator, Susannah Tantemsapya, about the inspiration behind CM.
Q: When did you first have the idea for Creative Migration? How has the project’s goals, scale, and style changed (if at all) since conceiving it?
ST: I first had the idea for Creative Migration in the summer of 2004. I was overseas, traveling all over Australia and then living in Bangkok for a few months. I met so many amazing artists and wanted to be able to work with people who inspire me to expand my perspective of the world.
We started filming our web series on GREEN PATRIOT POSTERS in December, and this project has evolved into the most ambitious endeavor I have ever attempted. The area of sustainable travel has not been thoroughly explored yet, so this is our opportunity to really make a difference in a significant way.
Q: How do you go about raising funds for your projects? What have you learned about raising money that you could share with our community of ‘emerging creatives’?
ST: We have applied to several grants, received private donations, and did have a successful Kickstarter campaign last year.
We have partnered and will continue to work with sponsors who have similar ethos to our mission. We are currently looking into partnering with an innovative car company for THE GREEN AMERICAN ROAD TRIP.
We just presented a panel on our work at Open Engagement last month at Portland State University. It ended in a heated debate about artist funding, what it means to “sell out” and there were a lot of opinions. It’s such difficult terrain to navigate. I’m open to exploring as many options as available, but I do believe that artists need more support in the United States.
We’re competing for a grant this Saturday at Artist Bailout in Atwater Village. It’s a new, democrat way to fund projects through dinner and voting! The grant funds will go towards buying Sennheiser lavaliers (microphones) for interviews and additional external hard drives. If you can, please come out, support and help us win!!
Q: What projects are you working on right now?
ST: I’m working on so many different projects at the moment. My primary focus is expanding our documentary web series on GREEN PATRIOT POSTERS — a project that uses dynamic graphic design to educate the public about global climate change—into a full-length feature.
There’s also steidle+tantemsapya with Christopher Steidle. We are an ever-evolving creative team working with brands, editorial and cultural projects primarily through making short films.
Q: Who is making really exciting art/community based projects right now that we might not know of?
ST: IntoTheWoods is the best thing coming out of Portland, Oregon since the Ace Hotel, Stumptown Coffee and of course, Portlandia.
They intimately document bands playing in unorthodox settings like caves, kitchens and cabins in the forest. Plus, they are brilliant with sound/lighting/cameras, and have exceedingly good taste! There’s a great video of this band MillionYoung performing an early morning session of the song “Sentimental,” and you can download the track for free: http://intothewoods.tv/#!/far-from-home/episode-11
Q: Who’s inspiring you at the moment?
ST: I just discovered this Russian photographer, Sergey Bratkov. It was the most striking work I saw at the Art Los Angeles Contemporary this past January. I actually met him there, but assumed he was the gallerist. No wonder he was stoked that I was super into his photographs! He captures amazing landscapes of the Ukrainian countryside and striking portraits that leave me wanting more.
To learn more about Creative Migration, check out their website or join them on Facebook and impact the world today!
