Projects

The GATE Seal is a recommendation honoring creative works that embody and express the transformational spirit.

“Since transformational entertainment and media is a relatively new, though burgeoning, genre, we think it’s important to help people identify which creative works fit there, those that are of a transformational nature,” says John Raatz, founder and chairman of GATE, the Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment, the nonprofit trade group representing artists working in the field. “Of course, in any genre, there are terrific examples, and others that aren’t so great. So our Seal acknowledges works that are exemplary.”

The Seal will be awarded to entertainment and media properties that meet selection criteria developed and administered by the GATE Seal Editorial Board. All forms of entertainment and media content are eligible, e.g. movies, short films, TV shows, music, photography, radio programs, podcasts, books, art, theatrical stage productions, websites and other forms that are deemed to be transformationally oriented.

“We think this effort will help consumers learn about and understand what transformation and the transformational genre is, what it represents and points to,” comments Raatz. “It’s also a way for people to become more comfortable with the transformational process, and further appreciate how it’s occurring in their own lives. As more people become familiar with it, we imagine that we’ll be receiving suggestions from the public of transformational works that they’ve discovered that we might not even be aware of.

“The GATE Seal will also support commercial enterprises – distributors, marketers and advertisers – who are promoting these creative works to the public,” notes Raatz. “whether they’re targeting the larger mainstream audience or the smaller, niche Cultural Creatives audience, their natural market. Cultural Creatives represent about thirty percent of the American population and are identified by their particular lifestyle characteristics and preferences.” See culturalcreatives.

The GATE Seal Editorial Board is comprised of entertainment and media industry professionals, as well as professionals and thought leaders in the transformational healing arts fields. Full details on the evaluation process and criteria will appear on the permanent GATE website at www.GATEcommunity.org, planned to go live first quarter, 2011.

Every property receiving the GATE Seal will automatically be entered in the GATE Imaginal Awards competition. Imaginal means “of or relating to an image.” Also, an imaginal cell is the unique biological entity that appears in a cocoon after the caterpillar disappears, and before the butterfly exists; it is the mysterious material that becomes the butterfly. And we extend our definition to include “of or relating to the imagination.”

Clearly, all creative works are products of the artist’s imagination, and all of those that are not strictly aural also have a visual image associated with them. “Even works of aural, or sound, art often cause an image to appear to the listener,” notes Raatz, “so imaginal is kind of creatively all-inclusive.” Thus, the GATE Imaginal Awards.

All entries will be categorized. GATE judges will narrow the entries in each category, then the professional membership of GATE will vote to determine the winners, similar to the Oscars™. The Imaginal Award will be given to the work judged Best in each category.

A distinguished professional artist is being commissioned to design the Imaginal Award. Award winners will be honored at a celebratory dinner and ceremony Fall, 2011.