Madison Ballet Announces 2019-2020 Performance Season

CONTACT: GRETCHEN BOURG
(608) 278-7990
gretchen@madisonballet.org

Madison Ballet Announces 2019-2020 Performance Season

The Nutcracker: Overture Hall, Overture Center, December 20 – December 28

Inside Out – New Works with the Repertory Company: Bartell Theater, January 17-18, 24-25

A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Capitol Theater, Overture Center, April 11-12

(Madison, WI – October 15, 2019) Madison Ballet is pleased to announce its 2019-2020 season, highlighting the joy and power of dance, sure to captivate audiences with large scale classic productions as well as intimate, innovative contemporary works.

A beloved celebration of the local holiday season for well over 50 years, The Nutcracker will once again light up the stage with lavish sets and costumes and Tchaikovsky’s familiar score performed live by the Madison Chamber Orchestra. Over 110 local ballet students and community members will join Madison Ballet’s own professional dancers to bring to life the magical tale of Clara and her Nutcracker prince.

In January, Inside Out will present premieres of works featuring the Madison Ballet’s dynamic company artists. Choreographers Sara Schumann, Rachelle Butler, and Malachi Squires have created original pieces to be performed to the music of Antonio Vivaldi, Nina Simone and Asto Piazzola.  “We are thrilled to celebrate our brilliant community of artists and their creative processes through this innovative winter reparatory.” says the Ballet’s new CEO, Jonathan Solari.

April will see the return of the enchanting A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a favorite of Madison Ballet’s permanent repertoire. The production is a rich story ballet inspired by one of William Shakespeare’s most popular plays, with music composed by Felix Mendelssohn in the 1800’s (audiences will surely recognize the triumphant strains of the wedding march in Act II). American choreographer Peter Anastos has created a romantic ballet fantasy that features our professional dancers and fifty young students from the School of Madison Ballet. Enjoyed by audiences of all ages, the story includes humor, love, magic and, of course, fairies!

Ticket Information

Group and single tickets are on sale now.

Tickets may be purchased online at madisonballet.org or by calling the Overture Center Box Office at (608) 258-4141. (Valid for all ticket sales including Bartell Theater performances.)

For nearly 40 years Madison Ballet has been an integral part of the vibrant South Central Wisconsin arts community. Professional ballet education and training with the School of Ballet assures that students of all ages and skill levels gain the poise, confidence, discipline, and fundamental life skills intrinsic to the study of classical ballet. Full scale productions and intimate contemporary performances by the professional repertory company reach more than 15,000 people each year, while scholarships and neighborhood outreach programs connect hundreds of families and young people with the joy of dance.                      

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Solar for Good Program Opens Fifth Donation Round to Assist More Wisconsin Nonprofits in “Going Solar”

RENEW Wisconsin’s Solar for Good program has opened its fifth round of donations to help Wisconsin nonprofits install solar power. Since 2017, Solar for Good has helped 62 Wisconsin nonprofit organizations “go solar.” When completed, these organizations will install a total of 2,727 kilowatts of solar electricity, enough to power over 500 households.

The Solar for Good program is administered through RENEW Wisconsin, a statewide renewable energy advocacy and education organization. Through a generous donation from the Couillard Solar Foundation, Solar for Good supplies winning nonprofits with solar modules to reduce the overall cost of installing solar power.

This is Solar for Good’s fifth award cycle, and the program has assisted nonprofits of all types and sizes across Wisconsin. Grantees include houses of worship, animal shelters, schools, veterans’ services, nature retreats, and affordable housing providers.

By accepting a Solar for Good award, nonprofits agree to promote the environmental and economic benefits of solar power to the community. Winning organizations educate their members about solar power and are able to showcase their projects’ benefits. To date, Solar for Good has issued over $750,000 worth of donations to nonprofit organizations, which will result in a nearly $7 million investment in Wisconsin solar power when all projects are completed.

Solar for Good applications must be received by Wednesday, October 30^th 2019 at 5:00pm. Decisions and award announcements will be made on or before Friday, November 15^th, 2019.

How to Apply

Organizations can learn more and apply at www.renewwisconsin.org/solarforgood/. In order to be eligible, the organization must be a registered nonprofit organization located in Wisconsin, be in good financial standing, be ready to install solar, and agree to participate in educating community members about the benefits of solar energy. If approved for a solar panel award, all fundraising, design and installation for the solar project must be completed within 12 months.

Applications for the Fall 2019 round of solar panel donations must be received by Wednesday, October 30^th 2019 at 5:00pm. Decisions and award announcements will be made on or before Friday, November 15^th, 2018.

For organizations looking at solar power for the first time, technical assistance grants are available to fund a solar site assessment (up to $250) or engineering review (up to $500) for their solar array. These applications will be reviewed separately from the applications for solar panel awards and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

About Solar for Good

RENEW Wisconsin’s Solar for Good initiative fosters the expansion of solar power among mission-based nonprofits in Wisconsin. Through a generous partnership with Couillard Solar Foundation, RENEW Wisconsin awards solar panels to nonprofit organizations, helping them switch to clean, renewable, solar energy. More information can be found at www.renewwisconsin.org/solarforgood/.

About RENEW Wisconsin

RENEW Wisconsin is a nonprofit organization which promotes renewable energy in Wisconsin. We work on policies and programs that support solar power, wind power, biogas, local hydropower, geothermal energy, and electric vehicles. More information on RENEW’s website: www.renewwisconsin.org. 

Social Justice Hub Will Provide Facilitator Training

Contact Information: Shauna Breneman, Communications Director
Office: (608) 262-8862
Email: sbreneman@wisc.edu

SOCIAL JUSTICE HUB WILL PROVIDE FACILITATOR TRAINING

MADISON  –  The Wisconsin Union’s Social Justice Hub will offer free facilitator training for University of Wisconsin-Madison students, staff and faculty interested in moderating the Hub’s dialogue-based workshops on Oct. 21 and 28, 5-7 p.m. at Union South. 

The two-part training is designed for members of the campus community with an interest in helping facilitate the Social Justice Hub’s series of dialogue-based educational workshops in a variety of social justice issues. The training will emphasize the principles of facilitation of learning through dialogue and is provided by Jay Ekleberry, a long-time UW-Madison campus facilitator.

“The dialogue-based workshops provide opportunities to learn and discuss social justice-related issues in small groups,” Social Hub Dialogue-Based Workshops Coordinator and University of Wisconsin-Madison junior Julia Gutman said. “These trainings allow people to reflect on their own personal experiences and to learn from others.”

With these workshops, the Hub team aims for participants to learn social justice critical thinking skills and strategies for leading equity-focused dialogue in their communities and beyond.

Established in 2019, the Social Justice Hub provides purposeful, out-of-classroom education for students seeking resources and skill-building opportunities related to social justice. The Hub creates opportunities for skill development in teamwork, strategic thinking, creative problem-solving, setting goals, communication, leadership and in being an effective member of society. The non-partisan Social Justice Hub is funded by Wisconsin Union operating revenue and private donations. No taxpayer dollars are used in the Hub’s operations, staffing or programming.

To register for the two-session training, please visit go.wisc.edu/SocialJusticeFacilitationInterest. In addition, to learn more about the Hub, visit union.wisc.edu/socialjusticehub.

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About the Wisconsin Union

The Wisconsin Union enhances the lives of members and visitors through recreational, cultural, educational and social opportunities. Formed in 1907, the Wisconsin Union is a membership organization that blends study and leisure to create unique out-of-classroom opportunities. Learn more about the Union and its tradition of providing experiences for a lifetime: union.wisc.edu.

[Note to the editor: Click here to download a photo of the Social Justice Hub. Photo provided by the Wisconsin Union.]

To read this release online, visit union.wisc.edu/about/news/facilitator-trainings.

Ideas That Evoke Launches Public Affairs Division, Adding to Agency Offerings

IDEAS THAT EVOKE LAUNCHES PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIVISION, ADDING TO AGENCY OFFERINGS

Madison-Based Agency Expands To Offer Scalable Branding, Digital and Public Relations Services

MADISON, WI (September 25, 2019) –– Ideas That Evoke, a nationally recognized leader in branding, public relations and digital services, is launching a public affairs division to service clients in the political, nonprofit and advocacy sectors. Since the company’s inception in 2009, Ideas That Evoke has devoted substantial efforts to statewide nonprofits, advocacy groups and changemakers utilizing our time and expertise to move important issues forward.

The Ideas That Evoke team has over a decade of experience crafting campaigns that amplify messages and accelerate change across market segments. The launch of the public affairs division derives from the desire to continue to support local changemakers and drive results where earned media, digital and social media intersect.

“I started Ideas That Evoke in 2009 because I saw a gap in the marketplace, the formal launch of our public affairs division represents a void, close to home, where we can make a difference. I have no doubt that our Madison team can deliver world-class work for local, regional and state organizations,” said Kelly Ehlers, CEO & Founder of Ideas That Evoke.

Ideas That Evoke works with national and international clients and has been named among Inc 500 and Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Company in the US and Wisconsin four years running as well as one of the Top Entrepreneurial Companies in America by Entrepreneur Magazine, two year running. The firm’s founder, Kelly Ehlers, also serves on both Forbes and AdAge Councils where she is a contributor in thought leadership and best practices for marketers around the country.

“Having a deep understanding and experience in digital and public relations strategies that change the narrative, our team offers a local solution for organizations to partner with an award-winning company rooted in- and dedicated to- making a positive impact in Wisconsin,” said Ehlers.

If interested in learning more or working with the advocacy division, please contact Kelly Ehlers kehlers@evokebrands.com or go to: https://www.theevokeagency.com/advocacy.

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About Ideas That Evoke

Ideas That Evoke is a marketing agency headquartered in Madison, WI, with locations in Chicago and Los Angeles. The agency, founded by Kelly Ehlers in 2009, is rooted in solving business challenges through the innovative use of social media, influencer marketing, public relations and disruptive creative. To learn more about the agency offerings, visit: www.TheEvokeAgency.com.

Broker-Led Investor Group Launches BrokerTech Ventures

Contact: Kacie Conroy, Director of Information Technology, M3 Insurance
kacie.conroy@m3ins.com, 608-288-2795

M3 Insurance, along with Holmes Murphy, PayneWest Insurance, ABD Insurance & Financial Services, and Conner Strong & Buckelew, are pleased to announce the launch of BrokerTech Ventures, the first program specifically for investors and innovators building the next generation of tech solutions for insurance agencies and brokerages.

BrokerTech Ventures will deploy a highly intentional accelerator curriculum, as well as a veteran mentoring network, seed funding for a portion of the chosen startups’ research and testing, and a distribution platform to deploy the technologies. Startup companies can apply for a spot in the first BrokerTech Ventures cohort starting in late October 2019, with program launch planned for February 2020.

“The idea behind the alignment of BrokerTech Ventures as both an accelerator and an investment vehicle is that we have an opportunity to shape a product or solution alongside the startup,” said Mike Victorson, president and CEO of M3 Insurance and co-founder of BrokerTech Ventures alongside Holmes Murphy. “We intend on being active participants in the insurance technology space and offering a testing ground to benefit our clients.”

Dan Keough, chairman and CEO of Holmes Murphy added, “BrokerTech Ventures will alleviate some technology-related pain points by creating an ‘innovation hub’ for startups to test broker-centric ideas and products while bringing new and innovative ideas and solutions to our customers.”

In further building the resources available through BrokerTech Ventures, the owner agencies plan to partner with additional privately held, like-minded, and geographically-diverse insurance agencies and brokerages. A targeted, executive search is in progress for the organization’s first managing director, and Brian Hemesath, former managing director of the Global Insurance Accelerator (GIA) and a noted InsurTech leader, will provide guidance and counseling on the initiative as the architecture and curriculum for BrokerTech Ventures are built.

About M3
M3 is the largest insurance broker and risk management firm in the state of Wisconsin. As a top 50 broker in America, we’re leaders in the products we represent and the industries we serve. M3’s people are an extension of your team, providing world-class resources to help you manage risk, purchase insurance, and provide employee benefits. And our focus on community builds better places to live and work. For more information on M3, visit www.m3ins.com.

About BrokerTech Ventures
Based in the insurance nucleus of Des Moines, Iowa, BrokerTech Ventures is the first broker-led investor group and accelerator program focused on delivering innovation to the insurance agent-broker industry. Founded in 2019, BrokerTech Ventures provides a venue for the best minds in insurance and technology to collaborate and bring to market leading-edge ideas and solutions. BrokerTech Ventures invests in the research and testing for each of the chosen startups, provides access to veteran industry mentors, and helps scale the technology to market through broker distribution channels.