Connections between the names of One SPARK and the SPARK District?

[thelakelander]

UPDATE: This thread contains a number of posts that have been split from the linked forum discussion:

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,22592.msg390410/topicseen.html#quickreply

For better reader clarification, here is the quote from the original topic that has led to this conversation of connections between the names of One SPARK and the SPARK District.

The name stuck, and in fact the One Spark Festival was named after the district, not the other way around.

Hmm.  From my recollection of things, Be One Spark was around before this study and the Spark District. The Epoch art festival concept was rebranded One Spark after those involved with Be One Spark took over the organizing of event. Be One Spark was around at least a year or two before Epoch fell through in 2012.  I remember them doing a video promotion during an Art Walk, years ago as a part of their launch.  I also believe their focus was more tech/business related than art.

[thelakelander]

Yes, I was present in some of the initial meetings concerning the Epoch project being handed off. I could be wrong, due to the number of years that have passed, but I don't remember the original Be One Spark group's ideas being confined to a specific location.  Perhaps I'll just ask Elton, Vince or one of the guys one of these days. Btw, that's not the video I was talking about.  It was a "Be One Spark" promotion.

[thelakelander]

Yes, I'm aware of the dates of the festival and the planning for the arts district. However, I'm also aware of the group that had been created before Epoch's failure and what some of their intentions were.  So I'm not questioning what Killingsworth was doing or SPARK.  I'm just not sure they were completely related with one another as described a few posts earlier.

[thelakelander]

Yes, I'm aware of the dates of the festival and the planning for the arts district. However, I'm also aware of the group that had been created before Epoch's failure and what some of their intentions were.  So I'm not questioning what Killingsworth was doing or SPARK.  I'm just not sure they were completely related with one another as described a few posts earlier.

what are you talking about?

There was a group called Be One Spark that was formed several months before there was an Epoch festival idea or the One Spark festival that grew out of Epoch. The guys now credited for One Spark were the guys that formed Be One Spark several months earlier. That initial Be One Spark group they formed was not focusing on creating a festival.

Later, in mid 2012, I personally sat in a meeting with several members of that Be One Spark group at CoWork Jax when they pondered taking over the planning of Epoch, changing the format, and seeing if any of us attending that specific meeting was interested in joining.  I happened to be at the meeting because most of us in attendance were selected to attend a few Civic Council meetings and help with some initiatives they were interested with at the time.

So my point in this thread was that I'm not sure the "One Spark" name was totally related to the SPARKS District or Killingsworth's study.  For all I know, the Be One Spark guys could have just dropped the "Be" and morphed what they were doing into the festival when Epoch was handed off. I'll ask one of the guys when I get a chance to confirm or deny.

[fieldafm]

I have to agree with Ennis.
The Spark District and One Spark were separate from each other.

[thelakelander]

I was just responding to this quote in this thread, which I believe is inaccurate.

The name stuck, and in fact the One Spark Festival was named after the district, not the other way around.

I believe it to be inaccurate due to my personal experience of sitting in some of the initial Epoch/One Spark meetings and working with Killingsworth on the Mobility Plan around the same time he was putting together this study.

[thelakelander]

Umm ok. No need to go back and forth on this anymore. I believe they are unrelated in the way the original poster described in the SPARK District thread. But I have a few things to take care of today. So we'll agree to disagree and everyone else can make up their own mind.