Not Just A Container: FinalistDonna Zimmerman: BBox Radio

DekalbMarket.com

Dekalb Market — with BBox Radio at its heart — will keep the beat of the neighborhood, where Brooklyn’s myriad cultures, lifestyles, and tastes collide and coalesce. This junction is a place of profound history in the midst of great change. The Fulton Mall’s old-school legacies will be remixed with an eclectic new vision.

A public radio station will become a forum and tool for local residents and businesses to share their inspirations, showcase skills, promote entrepreneurship, cultivate creativity, and celebrate community. BBox Radio will be the catalyst, collective voice and aural archive of the energetic new culture of cultures evolving in downtown Brooklyn. Tucked inside this box are radio broadcasts, street-journalists, listening stations, workshops, open-air performances, and programming that embraces audience interaction. BBox Radio will kick it live while showcasing Brooklyn’s finest. As Brooklyn knows best - it only takes one boombox to make an instant block party! And in the spirit of that iconic machine, BBox keeps it simple:plug it in, turn it up, and keep it real. See you there!

WHY HERE?

DeKalb Market is at a unique cultural crossroads, where change is constant.

Here, the borough’s longest roads — and its diverse residents — convene.

Here, diverse global traditions and subcultures come together, each with unique histories.

Here, the roots of Brooklyn culture dig deep — from pioneering businesses to hiphop legacies.

WHY NOW?

Now, is an opportunity to nurture a rich new culture grown from the overlap of people, music, fashion, food, commerce and community.

Now, we have the chance to help define and celebrate Brooklyn’s unique and ever-evolving identity.

OUR MISSION• Celebrate Brooklyn’s downtown

culture — past, present, future

• Be advocates for independent media, and offer a creative venue to youth and local people

• Create the highest quality creative content — thought-provoking, educational, inspiring and entertaining —driven by community life

• Provide a common ground between the established and incoming local communities

• Create an audio archive of this critical moment in downtown Brooklyn’s transformation

• Promote Dekalb Market and its vendors, through on-air and online promo spots and features

• Showcase fresh, homegrown talent from every music genre

SUSTAINABILITY• Socially sustainable: new skills

provided to the community within a structured training program

• Economically sustainable: retail revenue pays for core staffperson

• Physically sustainable: low-impact, flexible design systems, techniques and treatments support the container’s life-cycle; repurposed materials, like construction fence plywood, are sourced from the site

ENTREPRENEURSHIP• Training opportunities promote new skills

• Radio platform within the Market aims to connect diverse vendors• Programming opportunities

encourage local leaders to discuss entrepreneurial values and opportunities with the public

• Retail component offers featured musical artists custom commission-based packages

POP-UP RADIO FRESH FROM DEKALB MARKET

Listen up! BBox Radio is ready to broadcast fresh sounds, common grounds, and an ethos of all things Brooklyn.

willoughby

flatbush

bond

gold

fulton

dekalb

PA

RK

SL

OP

E » JA

MA

ICA

BA

Y

CA

RR

OL

GA

RD

ENS

» G

OW

AN

US

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS

FORT GREENE » WILLIAMSBURG

CLINTON HILL » BUSHWICK

BED STUY » CYPRESS HILLS

DU

MB

O

MA

NH

AT

TA

N

Sample Broadcasts

LOCAL LEGENDSIn-depth interviews celebrate the locals — luminaries and unknown heroes — who make this neighborhood what it is

MIXTAPE ESCAPELocal DJs uncover their favorite demos, mixtapes and rare cuts of yesterday; rediscovering the lost sounds of Brooklyn hiphop from the 70s, 80s, and 90s

HUMAN BEATBOX LIVE Beatboxers of all kinds meet at the Market to compete for the title of “Brooklyn’s Best Beat Boxer” — get ready for unreal talent!

RHYMES WITH THYMETrue freestylists — urban gardeners, local farmers, and chefs from the Market — share secrets for freshness and flavor

FRESH PERSPECTIVESPartner programs give voice to the local youth, with a focus on democratic journalism in downtown Brooklyn

SEED STARTERSLocal leaders and entrepreneurs describe their adventures, offer insights and get down with the

Dekalb Market

SOUNDMAPA summer-long series catalogs downtown street soundscapes, with an anthropological twist; each neighborhood features a distinct orchestra of language, music, and everyday street sounds

BROOKLYNITES RADIO GALLERYThe borough’s top talent is showcased live from the BBox every weekend. Come see live shows and DJ sets that you can’t hear anywhere else.

PROGRAMMING APPROACH: Hyper-Local RadioBroadcasting to the block, BBox creates a market-wide PA system that draws visitors. DJs, musical artists, vendor broadcasts, urban journalism and radio documentary hit the streets to reflect the sounds of the community — past and present.

• Documents the area’s cultural past, present, and future, with anthropological audio archives

• Offers a fun, empowering public platform for all ages, to stimulate community engagement

• Contracts local artists, students and volunteers for skill-building operational work

• Provides airtime for local businesses and market vendors

• High-quality creative content will be free and accessible to the public online and on-site

• Locally-sourced gift items will be curated and sold; all inspired by Brooklyn pride and culture

QUALITY PROGRAMS FOSTER COMMUNITY

Live, home-grown entertainment

A social gathering space and lounge

Vendor promos and hosted broadcasts

Announcements for daily programs and events at the Market

Thought-provoking podcasts and listening stations

Fold-away stage for special live performances

Music programs that cut across genres

A range of thematic programming elevates the Dekalb Market experience:

Contests and music requests

Downloadable walking tours that begin and end at the Market

Workshops and special talks by local experts

Live interviews in the studio

Locally-made Brooklyn-themed items in the gift-shop

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION APPROACH Inspired by the borough’s celebrated icon — the boombox — visitors will be delighted by this fun platform rich in programming and personality.

ABOUT OUR TEAM: PrimaryProjects.org

Donna Zimmermanprogram developer + producerHelene Kenny industrial + exhibit designerRosanna Vitiello public space scholar + designerThimali Kodikara marketing + branding strategistDaniel Meredith Interior designer

POTENTIAL PARTNERS AND COLLABORATORS

People’s Production House +BRIC Community MediaEquipment loans and technical support can be reciprocated with live airtime for students.

Urban Arts Partnership BBox can host program opportunities for summer student workshops.

3rd Ward Technical workshops at BBox can be hosted by 3rdWard.

Brooklyn Museum BBox hopes to donate audio/sound archives.

Brooklyn Academy of Music Limitless opportunities can link resources and music community.

Brooklyn Historical Society Research resources can support program and content development.

Downtown Brooklyn Partnership Collaboration can support BBox services and outreach to local business.

BrooklynRadio.net Guest DJs, producers and established radio programs can be featured at BBox.

East Village RadioVeteran community radio station can source trained volunteers and serve as technical advisor.

OperationsA core setup will kickoff a season focusing on producing and delivering the highest quality content for and by the community.

A rotation of core volunteer professional staff — local djs, journalists, technical assistants and managers — are supported by student volunteers trained by local public media partners.

Funding and RevenuePrimary sources of revenue include a retail gift shop, and on-air advertising for vendors and local businesses. Live DJ salary is streamed from retail revenue.

BBox Radio will pursue partnerships and sponsorships that further the mission to support community media and serve local residents high-quality, relevant content. This approach ensures

an economically and socially sustainable platform that gives back to the community.

Broadcast ScheduleBBox will broadcast during Market hours, in addition to live evening performances. Initially, 15 shows will air 20 hours per week, with the aim of streaming all day, every day in the future. Programs will be configured based on community consultation and feedback.

EquipmentRequired studio equipment will be acquired via donation, partnerships, rental and second-hand options. DJs may bring own equipment. Core components include:

• (1) mixing desk• (2) laptops• (2) turntables + CD/Tape decks• (2) headphones + mics +stands• (2) hi quality speakers +amps

Operational Considerations

“ON AIR” MODE

Repurposed constuction site plywood fence