Pittsfield, MA – 10X10 Upstreet Arts Festival is seeking submissions for the 2013 festival which will be held February 14-24. The inaugural festival – named 10X10 On North – was held in downtown Pittsfield in February 2012 and was Pittsfield’s first-ever winter contemporary arts festival. Now in its second year, the festival is expanding in size and geography to include more programming in venues throughout the city’s newly designated Upstreet Cultural District and has been renamed the 10X10 Upstreet Arts Festival.

Last winter’s inaugural 10X10 festival creatively enlivened downtown Pittsfield for 11 days from February 16-26, 2012 with 44 performances featuring more than 120 new works including plays, songwriters, poets, visual art, film and dance and attracted more than 3,000 visitors. 10X10 2013 will feature signature programming such as the 10X10 New Play Festival at Barrington Stage Company, the Ten Spot art show at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, a short film festival at the Beacon Cinema, and more. The committee is also looking for new and out-of-the-box programming and partners.

10X10 Upstreet has issued a call for submissions to encourage artists, performers and cultural organizations to propose programming for inclusion in the festival. All programming must occur within the Upstreet Cultural District during the festival dates and must relate to the festival’s theme of “ten.” The deadline for submission is Friday, November 16.

“It is truly exciting to bring so much cultural and creative vibrancy to the winter months here in the Berkshires,” said Pittsfield’s Cultural Development Director Megan Whilden. “Last year we were delighted with the terrific attendance and the wide variety of creative events and exhibitions. We look forward to expanding both in 2013.”

For more information on submitting a proposal for consideration for the 2013 10X10 Upstreet Arts Festival, visit discoverpittsfield.com/10X10 or call 413-499-9348.