Entrepreneurs Eugenia Loukian and Mishka Balilty launched BLACKOUT FEST to build an inclusive artist community in Toronto, and help artists establish and manage themselves as a business. Find out their inspiration behind the project and where they hope to be in five years in today’s YEDaily…
Elevator Pitch: Describe your business in a nutshell.
BLACKOUT FEST is an Interactive Art Festival open to every form of art. The mission is to build an inclusive artist community in Toronto, and help artists establish and manage themselves as a business. We want to provide them with the tools necessary to succeed while doing what they love: creating art! Each season artists are tied together by a central theme, which they express through their art and present in an interactive way for the audience to experience and become a part of.
Why did you start your business, what was the inspiration?
Mishka had just come back from New York, after studying and working in theatre and film. She wanted to join the Toronto artist community but felt there was a lack of one in the city. She had written a multi-media theatre production that she hoped to put up, however didn’t know how to begin the process.
I (Eugenia) was working in my field, doing business consulting and didn’t enjoy it. I was frustrated with not loving what I was doing and Mishka really wanted to put on the play she wrote. I had previously worked with the FDCC to put on, what was then, LG Fashion Week, and loved it. One day, we were trying to come up with business ideas that we would enjoy being a part of and the public would find interesting. That’s when the idea of BLACKOUT FEST formed. We thought we could put on an event that was different from anything else Torontonians had experienced. We tried to create something that we really want to attend ourselves. That’s where the interactive part came in. I never really liked going to galleries where I was just looking at art without really understanding what the artists were trying to say through their work. I always had questions but no one was there to answer them. The idea has developed a lot over the months. Even the name; it was originally a name that was not approved, so we crossed it out on our already ordered business card, headed to meetings and found a positive response. Our friends suggested simply calling it BLACKOUT. So we thought, why not? We added FEST to it and BLACKOUT FEST it was!
We know the public is going to be captivated when they walk through the curtained entrance. This season we’ve teamed up with the Center Stage AV who have been doing an amazing job at taking our vision and transforming the space into something Toronto has yet to experience.
What is the best part of what you do on a day-to-day basis? The most challenging part?
Mishka: The best part of what I do is getting to review all of the artist submissions. The most challenging part of my day is not getting overwhelmed by the crazy amount of things that need to get done.
Eugenia: The best part of my day is getting things done and seeing it all come together. The most challenging is being talkative the whole day. I’m an introvert; I’d rather observe and reflect.
Where do you see your business going in 5 years?
In five years we see BLACKOUT FEST having created a community of artists, inclusive of every form, collaborating and producing spectacular art for the public. We see the organization having a permanent location where artists can rent workspace to work out of and where we can offer workshops that give them the right tools needed to succeed as a business. But then again, December 21, 2012, is right around the corner.
What does success look like to you?
Eugenia: Success is me overhearing random people talking about this cool festival they were at, called BLACKOUT FEST.
Mishka: Success will be when I see the BLACKOUT FEST logo tattooed on people.
Both: Not being grilled at meetings or having to prove anything to anyone.
Do you have any advice for other young professionals?
Eugenia: Not to sound like a Nike commercial, but JUST DO IT! Stop analyzing and just go for it. Take advantage of every opportunity that comes along. Mishka helps me with the leaps, but I’m still trying to perfect that last point.
Mishka: Take advantage of all the things the city has to offer. There are so many free lectures, workshops, cool things going on. I believe that things only begin to happen when you make them happen. So get out there!
Do you support any charities? If so, which one(s) and why is that important to you?
Eugenia: There are so many great causes out there which are all worthy. I personally support The Canadian Cancer Society, specifically skin cancer research. I had a stage one melanoma in 2004 and although I was very lucky it wasn’t worse, many can’t say the same. Everyone these days is somehow affected by cancer, it’s a tragedy.
Mishka: I have worked a great deal with children of all ages, some who have come from dysfunctional homes. I would like to give back to any charity that allows children to grow in a healthy way. I personally would love to start some type of program to give children the right tools to be confident and love themselves. It’s sometimes scary being a kid!
What is Notable to you?
Mishka: To believe in yourself, to do what you love, to do what scares you.
Eugenia: Being confident and strutting your stuff every day no matter what anyone thinks. Having the ability to turn the shittiest situation into something great.
Blackberry, iPhone, Android, or Other?
Mishka: iPhone, it’s an addiction.
Eugenia: Blackberry, solely for the emailing.
How do you keep active, energetic, and vibrant?
Eugenia: I would love to keep active by doing yoga, meditating, rock climbing, or trekking a mountain in Nepal. However, these days I stay active by speed walking everywhere (there’s just not enough time to walk slow during work). I keep energetic and vibrant by keeping positive people around me, especially on those days everything seems to be going wrong. Oh, and coconut oil! My goal is to go fully organic in a year.
Mishka: I keep active by running occasionally, yoga and meditating here and there, but really, I keep active by dancing in front of my mirror in a solo spectacular performance. I keep vibrant by making people laugh and laughing at myself.
Photo courtesy Sylvia Pereira