Detroit SOUP FAQ
What date is Detroit SOUP?
2013: Dates are Subject to Change
April 14
May 5
June 2
July 14
August 11
September 22
November 3
December 8
What is Detroit SOUP?
SOUP is¦
a collaborative situation
a public dinner
a platform for connection
a theatrical environment
a democratic experiment in micro-funding
a relational hub bringing together various creative communities
a forum for critical but accessible discussion
an opportunity to support creative people in Detroit
Where is Detroit SOUP located?
2900 E. Grand Blvd. Detroit, Mi 48202
There is street parking on E. Grand Blvd or on Horton Street, behind the Jam Handy
How much does the dinner cost?
$5 get you soup, salad, bread, and a vote.
Do I need to RSVP for the event?
SOUP does not take reservations for the dinner. It is first come first seated.
Do I need to buy a ticket?
Nope! You pay at the door!
What is the dinner seating arrangement like?
Our dinners happen around boards converted into tables that sit low on the ground. We also have some tables with chairs, but they are limited. Feel free to bring a pillow to sit on or something more comfortable for your booty, most likely you will be on the floor.
Are children allowed at SOUP?
Of course! We hope that we have created a safe environment that children feel like they can listen and participate. You don’t have to be 18 to vote in our voting booth!
What is the schedule for the evening?
We open the doors about 5:30 and start hearing proposals at 6:30 (give or take a minute or two but it really does begin at 6:30) The proposals last anywhere between 25-40 minutes. We eat when the proposals are finished and the diners are able to vote on what project would best benefit from the collected money. Around 9:00 voting closes, ballots are counted, we hear from a past project winner’s update and the winner is announced.
What will I expect to hear from the proposers/grant seekers?
You will hear a presentation no longer than 4 minutes from each grantee. The floor is then opened for 3-4 questions from diners.
I have an amazing idea that I think could really benefit from the Detroit community, how can I submit my idea?
Click here to go to our Submit page and fill out fill out the submission form.
My idea works really well on power point, do you have the capabilities to be able to use this presentation device?
While technology is helpful in many of our daily lives those involved in SOUP believe you can share your proposal without it. We do make exceptions every once in a while (like showing a movie trailer) but we highly encourage you to leave the laptop at home. You are more than welcome to bring in visuals to enhance your idea.
My idea is a work in progress, should I submit?
Think through what kind of project you are submitting. About 300 people show up each month to share ideas and resources with one another. The last few months we have had about 8-10 proposals from the community. If you don’t think you can pull together the idea, be able to implement this with the community, or be able to share (whether it succeeds or not) how the progress of the idea is coming along, than please wait a few months. We don’t like telling some groups yes and then having them drop out at the last minute. It’s a fairness thing. The idea doesn’t need to be super polished ether. The money is enough to see if your idea works. We just want to make sure that you are available to present after submitting.
How many proposals do you accept for the dinner each month?
We only have time for four proposals per dinner. Much more than that it is hard to have a constructive dialogue about each proposal as we are eating, as well as having short attention spans!
What if there are more than four proposals submitted for the dinner?
We have the deadline a week before the dinner to ensure that the executive SOUP committee votes on the project. This is a small group of active participants who help put on the dinner. There are about 13 people who get to read the proposals and vote through the online survey collection program Survey Monkey. Whatever proposals have the most votes get the stage to share at the SOUP dinner. If you don’t make it the first time we ask that you submit again, usually every idea gets a chance eventually!
Where do I send my proposal?
You can fill out the submission form here, on our Submit page.
When are the proposals due?
The Sunday before the date of SOUP.
I want to make a soup or a salad, what do I need to do?
Awesome! Thank you so much for thinking about this. Please email detroit.soup@gmail.com and let us know what you want to do. We ask that the soup be vegan or vegetarian so that all can enjoy. Each soup/salad needs to serve about 75 people and so we ask for four volunteers each month. We hope that your soup or salad making abilities would be donated but if you would like to be reimbursed at the dinner, we can do that up to $50. Individuals, restaurants or businesses are welcome to share.
I am a local artist and I would love to share my work, can I?
Please inform info@detroitsoup.com that you are interested in sharing. We are often looking for local artisans to share their work. Painters, sculptors, designers (interior and graphic), writers, poets, etc. are encouraged to share. We do not have a budget at this time for materials but we could talk about what that means after inquiry.
I want to volunteer with setting up before the dinner, can I?
Booyah! Awesome! YES YES YES!!! Please email info@detroitsoup.com and let Amy know you have some time beforehand to lift some tables onto crates and help with set up!
Can I donate money to Detroit SOUP?
Yes please! We are always accepting donations to help Detroit SOUP run it’s dinner and get more money into the hands of local projects. All money raised through paypal goes to help pay for the cost of putting on the dinner, paying local artists to share or perform at soup, pay overhead costs, etc.
