Blackstar: A Burlesque Tribute to David Bowie was a charity event that I produced from the ground up with the help of Austin’s talented burlesque community. The event itself successfully raised $1,800 for Out Youth, an organization dedicated to supporting LBGTQ youth in the Austin area.
Growing up, I had an intense love for David Bowie and his entire body of work. Upon hearing the news of his death the Monday morning following January 10th, I was beyond devastated. I immediately went to the record store to purchase his latest and final album Blackstar and took some time to listen to the release in its entirety. In the midst of my sorrows that were swirling through my head that day, I felt inspired to throw an event that would celebrate Bowie’s life and provide an opportunity for creative solace for those who experienced solidarity in the pain of his loss.
In addition to producing the event, I also did the branding work for the flyers and digital promotional material, as well as created an event website that contained information on ticket sales, the performer lineup, and of course our humble beneficiaries at Out Youth. This project ended up being very rewarding for me, both cathartically and professionally as it allowed me to truly explore the needs of an event producer as well as the importance of a well-branded marketing plan to ensure the success of a production.
