The Beijing Olympic & Paralympic Games
This chapter in the IPAFA journey depicts one of the most challenging moments in its history. The following is a story of perseverance as an Olympic & Paralympic sport.
About us
Marriage of Excellence Artists Weigh in.
Artists who participated were truly moved by this experience and have remained a supportive force behind this initiative.
Tackling the 2008 Games
This initiative tested the dedication of the producers of IPAFA. Self-financing any initiative until sponsorship can be secured is always a challenge. This team used every possible resource to develop the project, and as it ran out of options, Mr. Pound once again did what he could.
He contacted the President of Samsung in Korea. He followed through with a letter, which opened the door for IPAFA to make a last-minute presentation to Samsung.
On a chance connection, a woman from Arizona named Deb Soucek was on a call with IPAFA president Sylvia Sweeney. She was so intrigued by the dedication of this team that she flew to Toronto, Ontario, and spent days shaping and shepherding the approach to Samsung. She had worked for them previously and with some of the top marketing companies in the world. Her creative eye and quiet but supportive encouragement was timely.
It was just three months before the tour was to begin that the team closed the sponsorship agreement. IPAFA was to stage a concert in Beijing and then tour China during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Together, Soucek and Sweeney met with the VP of marketing for Samsung International. The meeting was a success. The team would be sponsored to stage the demonstration shows with three months to make it happen.
Although by then they had been back and forth to China from Canada five times to button down the logistics, none could have prepared for what lay ahead. A Chinese partner was enlisted to ensure that permits to stage the shows would be secured. Booking accommodations, finalizing the artists, prepping the documentary crews were a few of the myriad tasks this team took on.
But the key objective, was to secure a meeting with the titans of three major organizations, the IOC president, the IPC president and the VP of marketing at Samsung during the Olympics to discuss the viability of a third Games: The ArtsGames.
First hand Experiences
IPAFA flew artists from diverse countries and cultures to Beijing. Many experienced for the first time what it was like to perform on the same stage with artists living with physical challenges.
Most of what they had heard about one another and about China, they had never experienced first hand. It was a life-changing experience for all.
Prime among the IPAFA team’s objectives was the launch of the show, of course, but also securing the meeting with the IOC, IPC and a major sponsor.
But the team was about to encounter an Olympic hurdle. We were travelling with 40 artists, some living with physical impairments who had special needs. Late we learned the team’s Chinese partners could not secure the permits that were promised. This would prove to be one of the most challenging experiences the team had ever encountered.
China embraces the concept of a Marriage of Excellence in this CCTV half hour television special, This is an interview with IPAFA President Sylvia Sweeney and coproducer Rick Garson.
Other projects were underway during the Marriage of Excellence tour. This documentary was one of the myriad of activities that were being produced by the IPAFA team.
Quest for Excellence documentary was shot during the Beijing tour. Both Justin and Kevin worked on the production.
The frustration of being without a permit or place to stage the shows was palpable. World-class artists had travelled from around the world for this tour. To see what happened next, screen the documentary below.
Gatekeepers of Truth chronicles the Beijing journey and the trials the team faced.
