PORTLAND

Fostering creativity will be focus of forum at USM

Public and private organizations are collaborating to present a forum “From Imagination to Innovation: Maine Participates in the Lincoln Center Institute’s Imaginat- ion Conversation,” from 4 to 8 p.m. April 5 in the Hannaford Lecture Hall at the University of Southern Maine on Bedford Street, Portland. To register, go to bit.ly/aAdRV4.

Tickets are $20 for the public and $5 for students.

The Maine Center for Creativity and the University of Southern Maine are presenting the event. Collaborators include the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance, the Maine Arts Commission, the Creative Portland Corporation, the Farnsworth Art Museum, the Maine Department of Education, Wright Express, the Maine Alliance for Arts Education, the Maine Humanities Council and Maine Public Broadcasting.

Through a keynote address and a series of discussions, the event will encourage the integration of imagination into schools, workplaces and communities.

To help focus the discussions, participants will be asked to respond to the following three questions:

How does imagination function in your field/work/sector? How do you cultivate and sustain imagination in your work? What will it take for us to foster these practices in Maine?

Conversations from each of the 50 states are being documented and compiled for presentation at a national “Imagination Summit” in New York in July.

The Portland event will feature artist Eric Hopkins of North Haven, who will offer the keynote address.

Other speakers include University of Maine professor of civil and structural engineering Habib Dagher; dancer Karen Montanaro; Aaron Frederick, entrepreneur and a founder of Rippleffect, a non-profit group that exposes teens to the coastal Maine experience; and Carol Farrell, co-director of Figures of Speech Theatre. Veteran Maine journalist and public affairs consultant Patsy Wiggins will moderate. 

‘Design in Media’ seminar will be presented June 10

AIGA Maine has announced plans for ABSTRACT: The Future of Design in Media Conference, which will be June 10 in Portland.

The conference will bring together graphic designers and innovators to share views on the changing media landscape, to inspire and challenge, and to help shape the future of visual design for the converging television, print and digital media platforms.

“Design is power, and no organization understands that principle like the AIGA,” Scott Dadich, executive director of Cond?ast Editorial Development, said in a statement. He is a speaker at the conference.

Other speakers include Alice Twemlow, chair of the Design Criticism MFA Program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City; Florian Bachleda, creative director of Fast Company; Dirk Barnett, creative director of Newsweek and the Daily Beast; Arem Duplessis, director of the New York Times Magazine Group; Luke Hayman, partner at Pentagram; and Gael Towey, chief creative and editorial director of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

The daylong event will be at the Hannaford Lecture Hall at the University of Southern Maine. Registration costs $250 before Friday and $350 after. Student registration is $75.

AIGA is a professional association for design. 

Lyman Moore students to display art on bullying

Lyman Moore Middle School will hold an opening reception for a student photography exhibit with anti-bullying images at 6 p.m. Monday at the school, 171 Auburn St.

Students will display their work from an eight-week mini-course in photography. Some of the images address ways to stop bullying.

For more information, contact Sue Ellen Hayman at haymas@portlandschools.org or 874-8150.

BERWICK

Hackmatack Playhouse holding auditions April 9

Auditions for the 40th anniversary season at Hackmatack Playhouse will be April 9 at Berwick Town Hall, with callbacks on April 10.

The 2011 schedule includes “Ten Nights in a Barroom,” “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “Singin’ In the Rain” and “The 39 Steps.”

Actors should bring a headshot and resume. For details, call 698-1807 or 251-9276.

The first show of this anniversary season, “Ten Nights in a Barroom,” is to be cast with veteran Hackmatack actors. Participants from Hackmatack’s 39 seasons are encouraged to audition. In addition, all male roles for “The 39 Steps” have been cast, but the female role is available.

Tickets and more information are available at Hackmatack.org or by phone at 698-1807.

FREEPORT

Auditions for Gershwin show held today, Monday

Freeport Factory Stage has announced auditions for “S’Wonderful: Celebrating the Music of the Gershwins.” The company is seeking four singers — two men, two women — and one narrator. Auditions are at 2 p.m. today and 6:30 p.m. Monday.

Singers should prepare an up-tempo and a ballad, one of which should be a Gershwin song. For information, email freeportfactory@gmail.com or call 865-5505 or 865-9299.