CRE8NW: Live Online Music & Arts Festival

Coronavirus quarantine around the world brought life as we knew it to a halt. But at the same time, it inspired creativity like never before. Amazing new creations filled our social media feeds every day. Like many businesses, Bellevue’s Samena Swim & Recreation Club closed due to the pandemic. But while our doors were closed, we launched a raft of virtual products and services including a unique online community event—CRE8NW: A Facebook Live Music & Arts Festival. "All are welcome. And yes, this means you!" Building community is not about deciding who's in and who's out. It's about drawing a bigger circle and saying, "Yes. You are welcome here." We are bringing the global creative spirit together for an online celebration of music, performance, arts & crafts, food, film, games, and more! The CRE8NW Festival was a family-friendly, free online festival, featuring talent from near and far, of all genres and art forms. The Festival raised funds for the Seattle Foundation's, COVID-19 Response Fund [https://bit.ly/2yp0RoY] which provides flexible resources to organizations working with communities who are disproportionately impacted by coronavirus and the economic consequences of the outbreak. The CRE8NW Festival motto was #bettertogether, celebrating the strength found in the free exchange of creativity and ideas between friends and neighbors, both here and around the world. We were all struggling with isolation and looking for connection. With so much out of our control during the Coronavirus pandemic, this online festival was a simple way to come together to celebrate the spirit of creativity and community. Our club strives to connect and enrich our community through wellness, education, and fun, and that includes finding creative solutions and programs like this to keep us connected and healthy during this difficult time. EVENT INFO: https://www.facebook.com/events/801768200348297/ LIVESTREAM HUB: https://www.facebook.com/Cre8nw/ CLOSING NIGHT RECORDING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP3zTD1HtGY Samena Swim & Recreation Club is a member-based, family recreation club located in the Lake Hills neighborhood of east Bellevue since 1958.