Hartford, CT, July 22, 2022 — The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts hosted the Hartford’s Got Talent! (HGT!). The Kick-off was Monday, July 25, 2022, in the Autorino Great Hall.
HGT! is being officially launched with the goal of providing an opportunity for Hartford-area residents of all ages, and for youth in particular, to develop and showcase their performing arts talents as a way of building pride in our community.
HGT! began with a conversation in January of 2022 between local philanthropist and community activist Bob Patricelli and arts producer Joe Young. They have known each other for 40 years. Patricelli asked Young how best to constructively engage young people in order to avoid gang violence, and Young responded— “through the performing arts”. Patricelli responded that he had been considering a Hartford version of “American’s Got Talent” for years, and together with Yolande Spears of the Bushnell and local media producer Donna Collins, they developed the concept for Hartford’s Got Talent! and have formed its initial board of directors
HGT! is now a non-profit corporation, with Young as president and CEO. The Robert and Margaret Patricelli Family Foundation has already provided $200,000 in seed money to launch the activity, and funding support will be sought from other local philanthropists and businesses.
The current plan is to launch HGT! with workshops, auditions, and community showcases this summer for kids between 8-18. Community partners are a critical element in HGT!, with the Boys and Girls Club of Hartford, Charter Oak Cultural Center, and the Wilson-Gray YMCA already hosting auditions and showcases for youth. Additional auditions and showcases for all ages will take place at various locations around the city in the Fall, and may include residents of nearby towns. The Bushnell will provide professional talent development, mentoring and Master Classes for participants, leading up to a live performance on the main stage of the Bushnell in the Spring of 2023. Young said that “our hope is for Bushnell LIVE to be a full theatrical performance, televised and streamed, and with video back-stories of performers and national entertainers helping to host.”
“The Bushnell is proud to host Hartford’s Got Talent! LIVE in the Spring of 2023; showcasing the best and brightest of Hartford will shine a light on the amazing talent just waiting to be discovered in the City,” stated David Fay, President & CEO of the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts.
“We would hope to repeat the effort annually for as long as the community will support it,” Patricelli said.
Hartford’s Got Talent!
Initial concept development and funding for Hartford’s Got Talent! comes from The Robert & Margaret Patricelli Family Foundation. Artist, educator, animator, and producer Joe Young is president & CEO of Hartford’s Got Talent. HGT! is working with the City of Hartford and other arts and community-based organizations as well. For more information contact Robenia McKinley at Robenia@Hartfordsgottalent.com. See also hartfordsgottalent.org for more information and enrollment materials.
