The Grand Project Launch, or How Procrastination on Facebook can Bear Fruit

So, I am now officially recruiting free labor for my pet project. I began by creating a Facebook group, the text of which is as follows:

Valparaíso is an historic port town in the central zone of Chile. It is an entirely unique city, crazily jumbled together over time, painted in bright colors, covered in murals, and electrified with a sense of life and culture in the atmosphere.

It is also a city with major economic issues, including some of the poorest urban areas in Chile. It also has a major tourism industry which is incredibly underutilized. Thousands of tourists pass through, walk through one or two hills, go to three or four cafés, visit La Sebastiana, and head on to the next destination.

There is an incredibly rich cultural life in Valparaíso, though--if you happen to stumble across it. In Spanish, there is adequate information, but spread across different blogs, email newsletters, fliers, magazines, and street posters. In English, there is just about nothing. As such, it is very easy for tourists--and even people who live here--to miss out on fabulous events of every type happening right here in the metro region. The city misses out on a better tourism industry, one that might help support a wider range of enterprises. Local artists, musicians, performers and more miss out on larger audiences for their work.

I want to start a bilingual publication of events, both as a paper magazine and as a website: Atenea Valparaíso. (Side note: the oldest Chilean newspaper is the Mercurio--the messenger god. Atenea, or Athena, is the goddess of arts and wisdom. A nice pairing--that's the logic. She was the goddess of war too, I know, but let's just leave that be.)

It is absolutely impossible for me to do this alone. So I'm recruiting anyone who would like to contribute to this project in one way or another. I cannot offer any monetary compensation (clearly....I'll be lucky to break even). I can, though, offer you full credit for your work and a "good experience," aka nice thing to put on your resume if it turns out well. Some of these functions can be fulfilled over the internet, so even if you're on another continent, you're welcome to get involved if you'd like.

I need:
1. Translators, Spanish to English and vice-versa, both for the actual event listings and for any columns/reviews we might include.
2. Writers, either in Spanish or in English, for the same as above.
3. Researchers: people who will find locations, groups, and people who put on events, and keep in contact with them about upcoming events.
4. Web designer: one or more people who can set up a blog/website that is idiot-proof enough that the rest of the as-yet-imaginary team can use it.
5. Development: People who can search out advertisers and other potential investors.
6. Layout designers for the print edition.
7. Artists who can provide interesting drawings, photographs, etc, to bring Atenea to life.

Essentially, I don't want just a bland, corporate style "Time Out"-esque publication. If I can make this happen, I want it to carry some of the individuality, texture, and frankness that characterize the city itself. So I want an artistic composition, a strong contact with the underground as well as the established scene, good writing, frank opinions, and above all else a clear dedication to making the cultural scene in Valparaíso stronger than ever.So, if you are still reading, and you think that you can contribute somehow, please get in touch. The project is pending until I can assemble enough interested contributors, but hopefully we can get in underway in the next few months.

After all, as is often noted....this city is "crawling with gringos"....let's make ourselves useful.And please--if you know people who might be interested in this project, please pass this along!

I created this group yesterday. By last night, the Incredible Chad Kulig had begun figuring out the website angle, and several other equally amazing people expressed interest in translating, content, layout design, and general help.

There are several factors to consider here:

1. I love my US network. I didn't even know I had a network....I just knew I was friends with a lot of people who like to do back-breaking artistic and civic projects for no or little compensation.

2. I am full of gratitude to the people who want to get involved in this without even having seen the city. Altruists are wonderful. I've been talking about this project in Chile for weeks, with the result (with the exception of my long-suffering close friends, who are forever having translations, ideas, and information demanded of them) of one interested party (to whom I am also very grateful). Then all of a sudden I get all this interest from people who have nothing, really, to gain from this. Love, folks, love.

3. If you are familiar with Facebook, then you are aware that by putting this on Facebook I have essentially told every person I have ever met that I am going to make this happen. So, well, I better make it happen, eh?

If you want to help, the email is atenea.valparaiso at gmail dot com. At the moment this email just goes to me, but hopefully soon it will be a team email.

Go Team! Go Valpo! Let's culture attack.