Wakeville
Our mission
With this project, our goal is to better integrate the campus with the arts, both inside and out, by highlighting existing arts-related events and projects on campus. Additionally, we aimed to provide a platform for student artists to showcase new works and workshop new ideas that wouldn't have otherwise been seen. We envisioned an interdisciplinary festival with numerous collaborative projects that bridged different domains across campus.
Our vision
Organize an interdisciplinary arts festival utilizing all our arts spaces on one day, united as one community with one purpose: celebration.
Our Story
Here's the story to Wake Forest's newest annual tradition
Commencing
I had been working in the Music Department for 3 years in 2022. For years, I felt the arts were siloed internally and from the rest of campus. Dance students knew dance students, music students knew music students, and visual artists knew visual artists. But we didn't know each other. This epiphany led me to speak with faculty and staff on all sides of the table, and the excitement for this possibility was electric.
My first task was to build a team of passionate and like-minded students. I was blessed to have a group of exceptional friends who were early adopters of this project. I am grateful for their remarkable leadership skills that led them to become the inaugural committee chairs, as seen below.
From left to right, top to bottom, we have: Gretchen Castelloe, Jessy Ren, Dianna LaTerra, Kaylin Henderson, Zhané Waye, Kevin McNerney, Liam Kimbro, Dean Wahle, and me.
Vision Development
Once the ball was rolling, there was no stopping it.
-Liam Kimbro (Marketing Chair)
From the very beginning, our vision was to create a long, immersive event featuring multiple performances spread across various venues. This design ensures that attendees have ample opportunities to experience a diverse range of artistic expressions, all in one event. Much like the sample taste testing at Sam's Club, our goal was to introduce people, particularly those not typically exposed to the arts, to a rich array of performances.
Here is the layout of the actual event that showcases our vision to utilize multiple venues.
In the early planning stages, we faced a crucial decision about the event's location. While the campus main quad seemed an obvious choice, we realized that to truly fulfill our mission of bringing people to the arts, we needed to immerse them in the spaces where art predominantly happens on campus. This led us to Scales Fine Arts Center. By choosing Scales as our primary venue, we weren't just selecting a location; we were making a statement about the importance of experiencing art in its natural habitat; where the art is created and where it's performed. We swiftly booked our venues within Scales, setting the stage for the next vital step: recruiting the artists who would bring our vision to life.
Community Outreach
"With vision and mission front of mind, the students will flock"
-Roscoe Bell
With our vision firmly in place, we turned our focus to the lifeblood of any arts festival: the artists themselves. Our recruitment drive was nothing short of a whirlwind. We crafted eye-catching marketing materials, distributed sign-up forms, and even took to the classrooms to spread the word. The response was overwhelming—over 100 student artists eagerly joined our ranks. This groundswell of creative talent allowed us to craft a dynamic schedule and run of show, which in turn caught the attention of funding bodies. Our efforts were rewarded with over $12,000 in grants from SAF and IAC, a testament to the project's potential. As the event drew nearer, our marketing efforts intensified. Riding the wave of excitement, we set up tables around campus, offering Wakeville merchandise and stickers. Our message was simple yet powerful: Wakeville was more than just an event—it was a party, and everyone was invited. We encouraged everyone to spread the good news, turning our festival into a true community celebration.
Event Vault
Here are some of our marketing
Never "fully" released video in my bedroom with the help of the talented Liam Kimbro. This was intended to recruit artists.
Wakeville Ad 1
Team
Couldn't have done it without our structure and people.
Committees
We came to the realization that in order to bring this vision to life, a solid organizational structure and a significantly expanded team would be essential.
Event Coordination
Organize volunteers, ensure the schedule runs smoothly during the event and rehearsals, and collaborate with Artist Management until March.
Logistics
Coordinating with various departments to ensure activities are permitted and staffed, reserving venues for dress rehearsals, and organizing the use of sound and display equipment.
Artist Management
Coordinate with participating artists, create a schedule of performances for the event, and schedule rehearsals with performing artists.
Marketing
Creating posters and social media designs, managing the Instagram account, and developing promotional social media content for the festival.
Budgeting
Was responsible for acquiring funding from IAC and SAF, purchasing necessary festival items, funding food trucks, and efficiently managing communication and organization.
Recruitment Materials
Committee Recruitment Video
More publicly seen on Instagram and recorded in thanks to the talented Liam Kimbro, this video was intended to recruit committee members that landed over 30 applications.
We Need You Campaign!
In an effort to recruit volunteers, we campaigned with our mission in mind to our student body and partnered with various service groups. In the end, we had 40 volunteers, bringing our total team on game day to 70+ students. In retrospect, I wish we had used the likeness of the Demon Deacon lol.
One of two volunteer information sessions. At both, I spoke to our many wonderful volunteers, thanking them for their service and clarifying roles and logistics. These sessions were only days before the big event.
Volunteer Info Session
A shoutout to...
Gretchen Castelloe
When fall rolled around my senior year, I was suffocating under the weight of Wakeville. I had made a promise to the arts faculty and staff — an event I hoped would come to fruition — but the thought of leading it alone was paralyzing. Little did I know that sitting in the audience that day was someone who would become my saving grace.
Dr. Christina Soriano introduced Gretchen Castelloe to me by what could only be described as divine intervention. From the very first conversation, her passion and dedication radiated off of her like sunbeams. Every interaction we had showed me how incredibly organized and intentional she was, while still remaining true to herself and her values. Seeing this fire within her, I took a leap of faith and asked her to co-direct Wakeville alongside me; I will never forget pacing back and forth in an empty practice room while waiting for her answer over the phone.
Bringing Gretchen on board changed everything. Logistics were her domain — a perfect fit for her meticulous nature — but she brought so much more than that to our planning. Coming from an environmental studies background, she naturally added a sustainable touch to our work where it had been missing before; if there were any gaps or holes in my ideas or spreadsheets, you better believe she found them with those sharp eyes and filled them with even sharper detail.
Our partnership went beyond just working together. We spent countless late nights finalizing run-of-shows or volunteer obligations, delirious with laughter asking ourselves how we got here; in a Subway at 1am finally with a finished schedule in hand (the sandwiches hit at that time). Her multifaceted self—witty brain mixed with quick feet and stellar dance moves— made not only for an incredible co-director, but also one hell of a friend. And don’t even get me started on how good of one: always knowing when to push and when to pull back, sharing her own worries but never losing sight of mine too, being strong in every sense of the word while still managing to be gentle. She was everything I could have asked for in a teammate and more.
Wakeville would have been nothing short of a pipe dream without Gretchen, that I know for certain. Her contributions were invaluable, yes — but even more than that, her friendship was irreplaceable. Looking back on it all now, I can’t help but feel lucky to have had the chance to work alongside such an incredible person.
So thank you, Gretchen — for making what seemed impossible become unforgettable.