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stART on the Street Returning, Restructuring for 2022

  • Posted by SHOWTIME ! February 3, 2022 - Filed in Arts & Culture - 2,945 views

    Worcester’s largest arts, music, and cultural festival will host its 18th street event in September in partnership with Creative Hub Worcester

    WORCESTER - On hiatus since March 2020, the popular stART on the Street festival plans to resume hosting events in 2022. The time off has allowed festival organizers to reevaluate the festival’s operations, and when stART returns, it will be as a program of the nonprofit arts organization Creative Hub Worcester.

    stART on the Street has hosted annual festivals on Worcester’s Park Avenue each September since 2005, attracting tens of thousands of people to engage with hundreds of local artists and small businesses. stART planned to host its 18th September festival in 2020, but that festival was put on hold due to COVID-19.

    However, nearly two years off have not gone to waste for stART’s volunteer organizers. “We’ve each taken time to recharge and rethink stART - from what we love and how we each contribute, to what stART’s place is in the ‘new normal,’ and how stART needs to evolve,” said stART Director Tina Zlody. 

    A part of that evolution is accommodating the festival’s growth. “Over nearly two decades, the festival grew exponentially - in popularity and size, as well as demand on the coordinating team,” said stART Director Nikki Erskine. “This opportunity to partner with the Creative Hub presented an opportunity to reduce pressure on stART coordinators, and to preserve stART’s operations and legacy.”

    Zlody and Erskine agree that existing relationships made the Creative Hub a natural partner. Founded in 2015 by Stacy Lord and Laura Marotta, the Creative Hub provides arts and cultural programming for children and the public, with a focus on accessibility and empowerment. “Before focusing their efforts on starting the Creative Hub, Stacy was a co-founder and a director of stART for over a decade, and Laura has assisted with stART’s artist management for years as well. They have both remained part of the stART family, even after they made the decision to focus their efforts on building the Creative Hub,” Zlody noted. 

    “We’ve been hosting events and fundraisers for the Creative Hub for years, and at every turn, members of the stART team have been there to help, donating their time and money because they believe in our vision,” said Creative Hub Co-Founder and Executive Director Laura Marotta. “Each of our teams have been supporting artists and celebrating creativity for years. Supporting stART festivals through this merger is an exciting development for both stART and Creative Hub Worcester, and will strengthen the vibrancy and celebrations of arts and culture in our city.”

    Going forward, the directors of stART on the Street, a program of Creative Hub Worcester, will be Nikki Erskine, Stacy Lord, Laura Marotta, and Tina Zlody. Announcements on stART events for 2022 are in development, and those interested are encouraged to sign up for the email list at stARTontheStreet.org.

    “stART joining forces with the Creative Hub will allow Team stART to focus on what we do best - hosting festivals and celebrating community,” noted Erskine.

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