Oh, Detroit! With your sprouting art scene, amazing yet abandoned mansions, eerie industrial sites but perhaps the most importantly– with your atmosphere of new beginnings, hope and community. How can a Brooklynite even begin to start approaching the Motor City and finding out about its creative community?
Well, one way is to get on the bus with organization Playground Detroit and enjoy the long fall weekend (September 25-29), experience Detroit Design Festival and DLECTRICITY, and whole slew of other creative events; and hang out with cool locals and learn what’s really happening in Detroit.
Playground Detroit is now accepting applications to bring 10-12 creative individuals from NYC (and particularly from Brooklyn) to hop on the #NYC2DET Creative Caravan in the evening of September 24 and to return on Monday morning on the 29th. One roundtrip ticket to #NYC2Detroit costs $500 and it includes a bus roundtrip from New York to Detroit, accommodation at Hostel Detroit, one group meal per day, and a weekend full of local cultural immersion, networking opportunities, and most importantly attendance of awesome events including Detroit Design Festival.
“Fall is a really great time to visit to Detroit,” told us Paulina Petkoski, the founder and executive director of Playground Detroit who is a Detroit native, currently living in Bushwick and as she mentioned, in the process of moving back to Detroit. “The purpose of our organization is to bring creative communities of both cities together, to expose New Yorkers to local talent in Detroit,” she explained. “You don’t necessarily have to move to Detroit but you can still be in the know about what’s happening there.”
This year Playground Detroit has been invited to to present a PechaKucha speech about ‘community’ at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) during Eastern Market After Dark, and the #NYC2DET visitors share that experience with them. Eastern Market After Dark is Detroit’s premiere annual open house tour of historic Eastern Market’s creative venues featuring over 30+ studios, shops and other venues opening their doors to 3,000+ patrons. (For the full schedule of #NYC2DET events, check out the flyer below.)
We know what you’re thinking now. This all sounds fabulous. But how can you get involved? Well, make sure to fill out this application right away because the spaces are limited and the trip is only two weeks away. Wait to hear back from Paulina, and if you’re selected start packing and getting excited! See you there!
More info on Playground Detroit website & Facebook event.
