Blixt, Nebraska Community Foundation and Valley County Community Foundation Fund are asking community members to “turn up their dream switch” at a free public performance on Monday, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. at The Golden Husk. “The Dream Switch” is an original community concert event featuring live music, performed by Nebraska’s own rising star, Andrea von Kampen, and a band of seven outstanding musicians. A candid, post-show conversation will center on welcoming, belonging, and how Valley County can further efforts to attract Greater Nebraska returners and newcomers, as well as retain those who currently call it home.
“The Dream Switch” is a live original song cycle (an album that tells a story consecutively through the composition and order of songs) written by the award-winning, Nebraska-based musical theatre team Becky Boesen and David von Kampen. The story revolves around a young woman from the sandhills who decides after her first year of college in Nebraska, that her happiness awaits elsewhere. “The Dream Switch” follows her journey as she leaves home, explores the world beyond, and then comes to her own understanding that “everything I needed to be me, was around me.”
Following the performance, all audience members are invited to stay for a post-show community conversation reflecting on the show’s themes and how they apply to the Valley County community.
“We see ‘The Dream Switch’ not only as a chance to enrich lives through a quality arts experience, but as an entry point and opportunity to have critical conversations about the future of our hometowns,” said Jeff Yost, president and CEO of Nebraska Community Foundation. “The performance will serve as a catalyst for honest dialogue about what makes Greater Nebraska special, what are our challenges and opportunities to grow, and how we can make our communities more inviting and welcoming places for those who have yet to discover them. We see ‘The Dream Switch’ not simply as a performance, but a platform for community development.”
In addition to the evening performance, Sept. 23 will be a day of community celebration with outdoor games, food, music, and an art exhibition at The Golden Husk featuring the work of local students.
In the weeks leading up to the performance, collaborators in Valley County are coming together to facilitate community engagement with the production’s themes. On Sept. 20, members of the Valley County community will host a “Dream Switch Day” which will offer a variety of workshops and activities for area students, including homeschoolers. Workshops will be led by artists affiliated with “The Dream Switch” and local educators, many of whom are integrating the show’s themes into curriculum through art, writing, photography and music projects.
Numerous local organizations and groups are embracing “The Dream Switch” and its message to “bloom where you are planted.” Ord Township Library has even developed a special Dream Switch reading list featuring a dozen titles focused on belonging, building sense of place, and community. The list can be found at http://www.ordnebraska.com/your-story-right-here-at-home/.
Co-producers Blixt and Nebraska Community Foundation invite other communities to present “The Dream Switch” and host similar conversations in the future. Individuals, organizations and communities who share a passion for the future of Greater Nebraska and wish to get involved or support the project should contact Petra Wahlqvist at petra@blixt.space or Kristine Gale at kgale@nebcommfound.org.
“The Dream Switch” was co-produced by BLIXT and Nebraska Community Foundation. The Sept. 23 performance in Ord is supported by Valley County Community Foundation Fund in partnership with Valley County Economic Development and The Golden Husk.
Event Details
What: “The Dream Switch”
When: Monday, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m.
Where: The Golden Husk | 129 S 16th St, Ord, NE 68862
NOTE: The event is free but ticketed. Tickets may be obtained at The Golden Husk (308.730.8133) or the Ord Area Chamber Office (308.728.7875).
