There’s something very special taking place in Austin right now, and you’ve probably never heard of it. It’s called the ArtSpark Festival, and it brings together creative people from different disciplines to develop team projects in a workshop environment. The annual festival began on March 20th and continues through mid-June, when teams will present their projects to the public. The two disciplines showcased this year are video game development and theatre arts, though other creative fields may be added in future festivals.

Anyone 18 years or older, regardless of experience level, is free to submit a team application for the ArtSpark Festival during its application period; it is not a program limited to students, nor is it off-limits to those who have already worked in game development or theatre. After the application deadline, participating teams are then carefully selected through an essay and interview process. Other than a small application fee for each team -- and a willingness to invest substantial amounts of time, effort and creativity -- there is no cost to participate. The ArtSpark Festival is sponsored by the HBMG Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose official mission is “to promote the creative process and explore synergies among the Arts, Technology, and Industry.” As HBMG founder Manuel Zarate said at our first meeting, “Here is an opportunity where all we are asking you to do—the only thing we are asking you to do—is create. How many opportunities are you going to get like that?”

Participating teams are given twelve weeks to create an original work inspired by a creative “spark” they are provided at the start of the festival. This year’s festival consists of five theatre teams and two game development teams; during the festival, each team is given a private office space, as well as computer equipment and a rehearsal area. Each team also receives a modest budget to spend on whatever they might need to develop their project, such as promotional materials. By the end of the festival, each game team is expected to have a detailed game concept with some kind of playable demo (created using either Unreal Tournament 2004 or Neverwinter Nights), as well as a preliminary design document and a strategy for marketing the game.

The game teams will present their projects at the Fielding-Lecht Gallery in downtown Austin on Wednesday, June 7th. The projects will be judged in various categories, including gameplay, visual design and creativity. One game team will be chosen to receive a $2000 award; in addition, $4000 will be awarded to the one team (game or theatre) that best embodies the ideals of the festival. However, it’s important to note that the ArtSpark Festival is more of a showcase than a traditional competition; teams are encouraged to work together and interact across their respective disciplines.