If revelers were wowed by Cardi’s fireworks display, they’ll be awed by what’s in store for the millennium.
The arrival of the Third Millennium at midnight on December 31, 1999, will be a defining moment for every Rhode Islander. Tens of thousands of us will be in downtown Providence for First Night 2000, and everything that happens will be indelibly etched in our collective memory. In anticipation of the interest that corporations will have in this unique marketing opportunity, First Night’s Millennium Committee has compiled a list of extraordinary ideas from artists interested in creating millennium-related programs and performances. The committee has also established six special sponsorship categories, ranging from $500 to more than $25,000, offering businesses fun and ambitious ways to ensure that First Night 2000 is bigger and more memorable than ever.
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“One thing that happens when you’re dealing with the arts is that artists are very creative,” so there is no shortage of wonderful ideas just waiting for sponsors, says committee co-chair Diana Johnson.
These include proposals with the enduring impact of “Waterfire,” which originated as a First Night commission, and suggestions that have exciting educational or statewide ramifications. Among the propositions awaiting backers are singer-actress Rose Weaver’s Jazz Project, which would trace the roots of the idiom’s development in Rhode Island throughout the past century, and nationally known hip hop dancer Rene Harris’s plan to work with schools and community groups on a year-long endeavor that culminates in a presentation at First Night 2000. Also on the drawing boards is the 1910 Project, an interactive sound and video installation alive with the memory and wisdom of elderly Rhode Islanders.
Among the other ideas are an interactive chime installation, an outdoor midnight sight and sound spectacle, a tap dance retrospective by popular hoofer Brian Jones, and 2000 Stories, a chronicle of first-person recollections gathered from Rhode Island’s diverse communities.
“We want to give the best possible event to the citizens of Rhode Island. In order to do that we have to ask the corporate community to reach deeper than they normally do,” says committee co-chair Deming Sherman. “This First Night will be unique. There will be no second chance.”
The state legislature and the Governor of Rhode Island have also recognized the importance of this passage of time and are supporting a number of millennium projects with a legislative grant to First Night, the Rhode Island Committee for the Humanities and the Rhode Island Council on the Arts.
For specifics on the various proposals or to tailor-make your own sponsorship, contact First Night Providence at 521-1166.
