NPN Annual Report & Directory 2006-2007

National Performance Network

2007 Directory

831 Elysian Fields Avenue, Box 305, New Orleans, Louisiana 70117 866.297.8890 504.595.8008 fax 504.595.8006 info@npnweb.org www.npnweb.org The National Performance Network (NPN) has received generous support from: Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Ford Foundation National Endowment for the Arts (a federal agency) Nathan Cummings Foundation Rockefeller Foundation Altria Group, Inc. Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation Baton Rouge Area Foundation – Higher Ground Fund William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Arts Council of New Orleans Brian J. Worley Fund for the Performing Arts Altorfer, Inc. Fund Leveraging Investments in Creativity Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and WESTAF This project supported in part by a grant from the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.

Š 2006 National Performance Network. Reproduction by permission only.

National Performance Network

2007 Directory

NPN Info NPN Staff / 2 Board of Directors / 3 Mission / 4 A Brief History of NPN / 5 The Structure of NPN / 6

Contents

NPN Programs NPN Partner Programs / 8 Performance Residency Program / 10 Creation Fund / 12 Community Fund / 14 Special Projects / 16 Convenings / 17 Strategic Partnerships / 18 New Project Development / 21

NPN Partners

By Region / 23

By Alphabet / 24

Credits / Inside Back Cover

Shenanigans ODC/Dance Pictured: Private Freeman, Anne Zivolich PHOTO : RJ MUNA

1

NPN Staff

MK Wegmann PRESIDENT/ CEO June Wilson CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

M. Claudia Garofalo DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Stephanie Atkins EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Thérèse Wegmann OPERATIONS / DATA SPECIALIST Maisha Joshua

NPN Info

BOOKKEEPER

Stanlyn Brevé PROGRAM SPECIALIST

– NATIONAL PROGRAMS

Mimi Zarsky PROGRAM SPECIALIST

– CONVENINGS

Alec De León PROGRAM ASSISTANT

– NATIONAL PROGRAMS

Sarah Lemoine PROGRAM ASSISTANT

– CONVENINGS

Renata Petroni PROJECT DIRECTOR

– PERFORMING AMERICAS

Elizabeth Doud PROJECT COORDINATOR

– PERFORMING AMERICAS

Bryan Jeffrey Graham IT/ DESIGNER Michelle Doan Warner PUBLICATIONS EDITOR

Nut/Cracked David Parker & The Bang Group The Theater Offensive NPN Performance Residency Pictured: David Parker PHOTO : NICHOLAS BURNHAM

2

NPN Board of Directors

CHAIR: F. John Herbert

Tamara Alvarado

Maria-Rosario Jackson

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

DIRECTOR FOR ARTS, CULTURE & COMMUNITY

Legion Arts 1103 Third Street SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 319.364.1580 fax 319.362.9156 john@legionarts.org

MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana 510 South First Street, San Jose, CA 95113 408.287.7174 fax 408.998.2817 tamara@maclaarte.org

Urban Institute 2100 M Street NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20012 202.261.5689 mjackson@ui.urban.org

DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING

Juan Berumen

Cynthia Oliver

International Festival of Arts and Ideas 195 Church Street, 12th Floor New Haven, CT 06510 203.498.3722 fax 203.498.2220 cedwards@artidea.org

INDEPENDENT PRODUCER

INDEPENDENT ARTIST & PROFESSOR

3936 West Woodmere Way Bloomington, IN 47403 415.377.2374 jberumen@indiana.edu

University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana 205 West Illinois Street, Urbana IL 61801 217.244.3154 cell 217.649.0853 coliver@uiuc.edu

TREASURER: Tanya Mote

Brian Freeman

Julie Simpson

DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

INDEPENDENT ARTIST

INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT

El Centro Su Teatro 4725 High Street, Denver, CO 90216 303.296.0219 fax 303.296.4614 tanya@suteatro.org

1367 McDuff Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 213.481.2006 cell 213.712.1045 brian.freeman@mac.com

1422 Ashland Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201 312.550.7084 fax 847.328.9774 julie.simpson@comcast.net

Nicole Garneau SECRETARY: Jordan Peimer

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Columbia College Chicago Center for Community Arts Partnerships 600 South Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL 60605 312.344.8856 fax 312.344.8015 ngarneau@colum.edu

V. Dianne Pledger PRESIDENT/ CEO St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. Hayti Heritage Center 804 Old Fayetteville Street Durham, NC 27701 919.683.1709 fax 919.682.5869 vdpledger@hayti.org

Gayle Isa

Tony Tapia

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Asian Arts Initiative 1315 Cherry Street, 2nd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 215.557.0455 fax 215.557.0457 gayle@asianartsinitiative

First Data Western Union Foundation 6200 South Quebec Street, 370AU Greenwood Village, CO 80111 303.967.6506 tony.tapia@firstdata.com

Skirball Cultural Center 2701 North Sepulveda Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90049 310.440.4646 fax 310.440.4695 jpeimer@skirball.org NPN PRESIDENT/CEO: MK Wegmann National Performance Network 831 Elysian Fields Avenue, Box 305 New Orleans, LA 70117 504.595.8008 fax 504.595.8006 mkw@npnweb.org

Wesley V. Montgomery

Jay Weigel

MANAGING DIRECTOR

EXECUTIVE /ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

New WORLD Theater University of Massachusetts 16 Curry Hicks, 100 Hicks Way Amherst, MA 01003 413.545.1972 fax 413.545.4414 wmontgomery@admin.umass.edu

Contemporary Arts Center 900 Camp Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 504.210.0224 fax 504.528.3828 jweigel@cacno.org

NPN Info

VICE CHAIR: Cathy Edwards

3

Mission

The National Performance Network (NPN) is a group of diverse cultural organizers, including artists, working to create meaningful partnerships and to provide leadership that enables the practice and public experience of the performing arts in the United States.

Values

Vision

The National Performance Network is committed to fostering diversity and artistic experimentation through its support of artists and partners. As a visible leader and example of best practices in the field, NPN integrates the arts into public experience, furthers artistic pluralism, and acts as an advocate for cultural equity and social justice by supporting artistic activities that demonstrate our values. We value:

The National Performance Network serves artists, arts organizers, and a diverse range of audiences and communities across the country through activities such as artists’ commissions, performance residencies, community engaged cultural projects, and convenings. NPN actively engages in cultural policy and serves as an Intermediary to move towards our vision of a world where:

partnerships among artists, communities, arts organizers, and organizations that create opportunities for artistic expression and deepen the general public’s relationship with artists.

independent artists and companies are recognized as valid and important participants in a healthy and thriving community.

freedom of expression—the unhindered flow of ideas, words, and images basic to a free society. critical dialogue that fosters appreciation for the creative process and the role of arts and culture in our society. life-long learning through exposure to, and participation in, the arts. diversity—points of view and experiences that are shaped by each individual’s unique background, and art that celebrates that diversity.

arts organizers and cultural workers are actively engaged across economic sectors and business industries providing creative approaches toward a healthy, just, and sustainable world. communities—collections of people who share cultural heritages, philosophies, or geographic locations—have broad access to art that is reflective of themselves and others. public and private supporters advocate for, and invest in, living artists and the organizations that support them.

public funding support that recognizes the arts as integral to a healthy society.

El Rufian Castrucho GALA Hispanic Theatre Pictured: Monalisa Arias, Ernesto Concepción PHOTO : DANIEL CIMA

4

A Brief History of NPN

In 1985, David R. White, then Executive Director of New York’s Dance Theater Workshop, called together a group of 14 artist-centered

The Tale: Npinpee Nckutchie and the Tail of the Golden Dek Reggie Wilson/Fist & Heel Performance Group Dance Theater Workshop PHOTO : JULIETA CERVANTES

NPN Info

presenting organizations to discuss a national dilemma—independent artists and cultural organizers throughout the United States are limited by artistic isolation and economic constraints, affecting the sharing of creative ideas within and among communities. The result was the creation of a network of adventurous, dedicated presenters and a centralized source of national funds for the presentation of work and for extended artist residencies in communities.

In 1998, after a year-long planning process, NPN separated from Dance Theater Workshop, and under the leadership of San San Wong became an independently incorporated notfor-profit organization. In 2000, MK Wegmann was appointed President and CEO, and the National Office moved to New Orleans. Today, NPN is comprised of 62 arts organizations, called NPN Partners, in every region of the country.

Throughout its history, NPN has provided unprecedented vision and support for the independent artist community. NPN’s Partner Programs leverage over one million dollars each year in national and local resources toward supporting the work of living artists.

NPN has nurtured a generation of imaginative, progressive leaders—artists and presenters—who are committed to sustaining ongoing, pragmatic relationships that place cultural identity at the center of a community’s daily life. By serving as a forum for peer-to-peer communication among artists and leaders in the performing arts, NPN plays a vital role in developing, shaping, and disseminating cultural policy.

Over the last twenty years NPN’s programs have had significant impact on the formation of other similar networks and touring models, nationally and internationally.

5

The Structure of NPN

As an artist-centered, field-generated network, NPN is unique in its origins and structure.

It exists as an interconnected web of relationships among diverse communities, artists, and NPN Partners. Unlike other national service organizations, NPN does not have an open membership. Rather, the overall size of the Network is kept small—limited to a maximum number of 75 NPN Partners—in order to facilitate good communication, active participation, and sustainable relationships that have measurable impact over time. Currently, NPN resources can support 62 NPN Partners. For these organizations, NPN is an invaluable mechanism for sharing resources, ideas, and plans across race, region, and budget size.

NPN values long-term relationships, so NPN Partners remain on the Network as long as their work and their commitment to NPN’s mission and values remains active. Of course, organizations do change, close, and evolve, which allows the Network to also evolve and stay dynamic, as well as bring new NPN Partners to the table.

6

After reviewing this directory, particularly the NPN Partner descriptions, we suggest that interested artists initiate direct contact with Partners that seem wellmatched with their work.

NPN Partners NPN Partners are selected through a rigorous process involving the NPN staff, board, and current NPN Partners. The process deliberately focuses on diversity. One third of NPN Partners are organizations of color, and range in size from one-person offices, and the most grassroots of operations, to multi-million dollar performing arts centers.

Regardless of size, all NPN Partners support a healthy mix of programs designed to create, produce, present, and provide training in the arts. NPN Partners are distinguished from other presenters by their dual nature: (1) actively working with local artists to help them reach a national audience; and (2) bringing in artists from the national arena to enrich their own communities.

Based in rural, suburban, and urban communities across the United States, NPN Partners collaborate with a wide range of community agencies, including other arts organizations, churches, social service agencies, and community development corporations, in order to reach new and underserved audiences. NPN Partners share information about trends in the field, best practices, and the performing artists whose works circulate within, between, and beyond their communities.

Together, the NPN Partners constitute a network through which new ideas, techniques, and art move around the country. More than simply a service organization, the National Performance Network is an applied learning community of cultural centers dedicated to improving society through independent, innovative creative expression.

Artists on the Network As a decentralized nationwide network, NPN does not directly make curatorial choices or maintain a roster of artists. Artists gain access to NPN programs and resources directly through the NPN Partners, who select individual artists and artist companies based on their own curatorial visions and community needs. However, as an artistcentered organization committed to the needs and equity of artists, NPN designs its programs with input from artists obtained through the various NPN convenings. Like most successful organizations, NPN cannot be all things to all people, so artists who most benefit from NPN’s groundbreaking programming are emerging artists, artists whose work is most often not supported by other systems and structures, artists taking new directions in their work, and artists with a strong interest in engaging other people (artists, audiences, organizations) in both their home communities and when on tour.

In many parts of the country, contemporary independent artists work in isolation and are not able to gain recognition beyond the local level. Through the NPN network, locally-based artists become known to NPN Partners who would otherwise be unaware of them—and then tour with NPN support. Since NPN leaves curatorial decisions up to the NPN Partners, relationships between artists and presenters are more meaningful and sustained over time.

For touring artists, NPN is a source of funding and support. It provides access to bookings, commissions, professional development, and peer networking. NPN’s touring structure creates extended opportunities for artists to interact with audiences, schools, social service agencies, and other community groups far beyond the stage. For artists new to touring, NPN can provide an important first opportunity to be recognized and promoted beyond regional boundaries. The NPN Standard Contract and Fee Structure also assures artists that all the terms and conditions of their bookings will be understood and in keeping with professional standards and fair compensation to artists.

NPN Info

iLand Jennifer Monson PICA/Portland Institute for Contemporary Art PHOTO : SERENA DAVIDSON

7

NPN Partner Programs

NPN Programs

Moopim LeeSaar The Company PS 122/Performance Space 122 Pictured: Rachel Okimo, Ellen Cremer, Rossella Fusco, Lee Sher PHOTO : RACHEL ROBERTS

8

As an artist-centered network, NPN structures its programs and services to create positive changes in the conditions artists face while creating and touring their work. NPN is deliberate in crafting its programs to reflect basic principles of equitable standards for artists. As a result, NPN has established NPN Partner Programs that reflect its mission and add value to the ongoing work of NPN Partners, artists, audience and community constituencies.

Unlike traditional touring models, NPN’s programs are designed to ensure interaction between touring artists and communities.

NPN’s commissioning program guarantees that the commissioned work will tour to at least two places. NPN’s professional development and artist access workshops are free to artists, and designed to support artists in viewing themselves as selfemployed professionals, or small businesses, rather than as supplicants. Within the arts community, artists are often not at meetings where decisions that affect them are made.

NPN therefore makes a point of having artists represented at all levels of its organization, and sets aside resources for artists’ travel so that they can participate in the NPN Annual Meeting and meet other like-minded artists.

NPN brings to national attention some of the most exciting and stimulating new work in dance, theater, music, and multidisciplinary art being created today in the United States.

Through both direct and indirect support to touring artists, NPN encourages social creativity and artistic excellence. NPN’s advocacy efforts on behalf of longer residencies, better pay, and more equitable agreements have made the organization a leader in the performing arts community.

Performance Residency Program (p. 10) This program provides subsidies to NPN Partners to present performing artists from other communities within the United States for one- or two-week residencies.

Creation Fund (p. 12) This program provides NPN Partners with commissioning and touring support for local or out-of-town artists toward the creation of new work.

Community Fund (p. 14) This program enhances the connections between an NPN Partner’s local community and the national artists participating in Performance Residency or Creation Fund programs.

Special Projects (p. 16) These projects supplement and support the NPN Partner Programs.

Convenings (p. 17) This program allows for face-to-face meetings of NPN Partners, artists, and colleagues.

NPN Programs

home land security Terra Moto Inc. Center for Cultural Exchange NPN Creation Fund Pictured: Lucien Mathieu, Heather Augustine PHOTO : MARTY POTTENGER

9

Performance Residency Program

The NPN Performance Residency Program directly fosters community engagement between touring artists and the community. The program is based on a residency model that breaks down previous models for touring: arrive, load in, tech, perform, load out, and travel; with no other interaction between the artist and the community, other than the work on the stage.

Central to this program is NPN’s carefully crafted Standard Contract and Fee Structure. This structure was established to: (1) take money off the table, enabling artists and presenters to focus on the work and ways to engage the community; and (2) to set a minimum standard for touring fees which guarantees that artists receive fees appropriate to the cost of touring while remaining manageable to NPN Partners. Residency activities take place in a wide array of settings and bring artists, and their creative tools, to new constituencies and audiences.

NPN subsidizes 40 percent (up to $5,000 per week, $10,000 for two weeks) of the cost of a one- or two-week residency engagement, enabling NPN Partners to leverage additional funds and make innovative curatorial choices. NPN Partners match the remaining 60 percent. As a result, NPN subsidies generate well over one million dollars in touring artists’ fees annually.

Note: Each NPN Partner is guaranteed at least two Performance Residency subsidies each year and decides, based on their own curatorial processes, who to present. NPN does not make curatorial decisions or have a roster of artists.

Fleeting Thoughts Jane Comfort & Company Bates Dance Festival NPN Performance Residency Pictured: Lisa Niedermeyer PHOTO : ARTHUR ELGORT

* These Performance Residencies received additional transportation support through the NPN Freight Fund (p. 16).

Performance Residencies, FY 2006

10

NPN Presenting Partner

Artists

NPN Presenting Partner

Artists

651 Arts

Divine Dime Entertainment

Dance Theater Workshop

7 Stages

Double Edge Theatre Production

Alverno Presents

Ben Munisteri Dance Projects

Bebe Miller Company; Miguel Gutierrez; Jennifer Monson; Reggie Wilson/ Fist & Heel Performance Group

Appalshop

Angelyn DeBord; Ren Smith

Dance Umbrella

Wideman/Davis Dance

Ashé Cultural Center/ Efforts of Grace

Neg Diaspora

DiverseWorks

Aaron Landsman; Donna Uchizono; Miguel Gutierrez

Asian Arts Initiative

Mango Tribe

El Centro Su Teatro

Dr. Loco’s Rockin’ Jalapeno Band; Chicano Messengers

Bates Dance Festival

Keigwin + Company; Jane Comfort & Company

Elia Arce

The Carpetbag Theater, Inc.

Jose Torres Tama; Cultural Odyssey

International Theater Art Institute; Yosvany Terry Quartet

Everett Dance Theatre

The Civilians, Inc.

Center for Cultural Exchange

Kate Rigg; Marty Pottenger

Florida Dance Association

Nugent + Matteson Dance; Gotham Arts Exchange

Contemporary Arts Center

Olive Dance Theatre, Inc.; Mark Feldman Ensemble

Flynn Center for the Performing Arts

Contemporary Dance Theater, Inc.

Art Bridgman/Myrna Packer; Ben Munisteri Dance Projects; Risa Jaroslow & Dancers

Roxanne Dance Foundation, Inc; Marc Bamuthi Joseph; Double Edge Theatre Production; Susan Sgorbati; Myra Melford

GALA Hispanic Theatre

Universes; Joe Ray Sandoval

Cultural Odyssey

Venus Opal Reese Art Bridgman/Myrna Packer; Oberlin Dance Collective of California; Donna Uchizono*; Youth Speaks; NY2 Dance; Giovanni Luquini

Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center

Borderplex Electronica

Dance Place*

Highways, Inc.

Jose Torres Tama

Jump-Start Performance Co.

Scott Turner Schofield; Kaotic Good Productions

The King Arts Complex

Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn

Geography of Artist Companies West, 19

Disciplines Engaged

Midwest, 4 Theatre, 24

Dance, 40

Northeast, 8

Spoken Word, 7 South, 16 Performance Art, 8

Standard Contract and Fee Structure

Music, 8

Fringe Benefits: $125 per week per artist or technician on salary (vs. contract) with the company.

Transportation: The most economical roundtrip transportation for all artistic or technical personnel in residence who are traveling from another community.

Performance Residency Program Specifics, FY 2006 • Involved 450 artists, 80 artist companies • 51% of the artists involved were first time NPN Residency participants • 38% of the artist companies involved are artists of color • Involved over 650 community partners and reached over 60,000 individuals • Provided over 600 Residency activities—workshops, classes, etc.

• NPN Partners participated in 115 residency weeks • NPN re-granted over $396,189 in NPN Performance Residency Subsidies, which leveraged over $637,000 in matches

Housing: $60 per night ($75 in New York and San Francisco), based on double occupancy, for all artists or technicians in residence who travel from another community.

Per Diem: $35 per day for all artists or technicians in residence who travel from another community.

Administrative Allowance: A fixed amount ($1,500 for a one-week residency or $1,700 for a two-week residency) is provided for the non-personnel expenses of the artist/ company in residence.

Artistic Director Contingency Fund: A fixed amount of $250 per residency, is provided for the Artistic Director to use for any additional residency costs.

NPN Presenting Partner

Artists

NPN Presenting Partner

Artists

Kuumba House, Inc.

N’KAFU Traditional African Dance Company; Millicent Johnnie & Company

On The Boards

Allen Johnson; Sarah Michelson

Out North*

Legion Arts

Mikel Rouse

Michelle Ellsworth*; Kaotic Good Productions

Links Hall

Wookey Works

Painted Bride Art Center

Teo Castellanos; Tania Isaac; Sara Felder

Liz Lerman Dance Exchange

Chris Aiken/Angie Hauser

Pat Graney Company

Scott Turner Schofield

Kate Rigg; Butchlalis De Panochtitlan

PICA/Portland Institute for Contemporary Art

Sarah Rudinoff; Locust; Allen Johnson

MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana

Pregones Theater

Junebug Productions; John Santos

Miami-Dade College, Cultural Affairs

Nejla Yatkin

South Dallas Cultural Center

Kalamu ya Salaam

MECA/Multicultural Education and Counseling Through the Arts

Curt Warren; Jarina Carvalho

Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center

David Parker & the Bang Group; Teo Castellanos

The Theater Offensive

Paul Bonin-Rodriguez; Bradford Louryk

Tigertail Productions, Inc.*

iLAND, Inc*; Marc Bamuthi Joseph

Museum of Contemporary Art

Marc Bamuthi Joseph; Jon Langford

Walker Art Center

Jon Langford; Sarah Michelson Providence Productions Intl, Inc

Myrna Loy Center/ Helena Presents

Project Bandaloop; iLAND, Inc.; Minh Tran & Company; Headwaters Dance Co/Jane Comfort & Co.

Wexner Center for the Arts*

Cynthia Hopkins*

New WORLD Theater

Kate Rigg; Junebug Productions

Women & Their Work*

Natasha Tsakos*

Xicanindio Artes, Inc.

Ruby Nelda Perez

Youth Speaks, Inc.

Cristal Chanelle Truscott; Jerry Quickley

NPN Programs

Salaries: $625 per week per artist or technician in residence.

Multi-discipline, 17

NYC Area, 33

All NPN artist residencies are governed by a Standard Contract and Fee Structure jointly signed by the NPN Partner, the artist, and the NPN National Office. This ensures that NPN’s concerns and values are maintained throughout the planning, implementation, and evaluation of each residency; and that both artists and NPN Partners recognize NPN’s role as a facilitator in the process. Artists who are engaged in discussions with NPN Partners must adhere to the fee structure set in this contract. This fee structure includes:

11

Creation Fund

Support for the research and development of new performances is rare, and too often artists and presenters are compelled to define new work before engaging in a research process. The Creation Fund was established to provide direct and unencumbered assistance to the process of creation and to encourage others to do the same.

The Creation Fund contributes at least $9,000 directly to artists toward the commissioning of new work. NPN Partners apply for Creation Fund support for projects by artists who live either outside or inside the initiating NPN Partner’s community. This flexibility encourages NPN Partners to work with emerging artists in their own communities while introducing and promoting these artists’ work to the NPN Partners at large. In addition, non-NPN Partners are welcome to participate as Commissioners.

NPN grants over $180,000 of Creation Fund Subsidies per year. There are two Creation Fund Rounds per year (summer and winter).

There are two Creation Fund elements:

A. Commissioning Creation Fund projects begin with an artist or company, at least two presenting organizations (one of which is a NPN Partner) in different communities (at least 100 miles apart), and a vision of a new work. Each presenting organization (Commissioner) agrees to contribute at least $2,000 to commission the artist to create the new work. NPN provides a $5,000 subsidy to leverage commissioners’ resources.

Creation Fund Awards, FY 2006

12

NPN Partner / Co-Commissioners

Artist / Title

Project Description

Alverno Presents Museum of Contemporary Art

Carla Kilhstedt Imaginary Beings: A Song Cycle

Carla Kilhstedt will compose a song cycle inspired by Jorge Luis Borges’ collection, The Book of Imaginary Beings. The song cycle will premiere at Alverno Presents in a concert version, March 2007. After this premiere, the piece will be further developed into a theatre performance with collaborators Paul Bargetto and Allen Willner. This expanded version will premiere at the Museum of Contemporary Art, January/February 2008.

Asian Arts Initiative La Peña Cultural Center

Kristina Sheryl Wong Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a serio-comic, partly autobiographical, multidisciplinary solo performance art work exploring the remarkably high incidence of mental illness among Asian Americans (particularly young women); as a metaphor for humanity’s immeasurable losses and the rapidly shifting global political climate.

Bates Dance Festival Flynn Center for the Performing Arts

Art Bridgman/ Myrna Packer Memory Bank

Memory Bank, a dance and video work by choreographer/performers Art Bridgman and Myrna Packer, is the third piece in a trilogy with Seductive Reasoning, 2003 and Under the Skin, 2005. Memory Bank is a collaboration with Grammy Award-winning composer/ percussionist Glen Velez and videographers Peter Bobrow and Jim Monroe. Bridgman and Packer’s trilogy examines the intricacies of identity, gender intimacy, and perception via unique concept of “video partnering.”

Contemporary Arts Center Dance Place

Pearson/Widrig Dance Theater Sayonara, Martha

Pearson/Widrig Dance Theater proposes to create Sayonara, Martha (working title), a full evening dance/theater/video work with their company of 6 dancers, and with videos shot and edited by Mr. Widrig on locations with local participants throughout the world.

Dance Place Dance Umbrella

Sylvia Soumah Destiny

A full evening work of African dance, music, spoken word, and videography which depicts the hardships, inspiration, and triumphs of growing up in a single parent home in the projects of Cincinnati, Ohio; building a life as a dancer/choreographer and being a single African American parent in America.

DiverseWorks Asia Society

Keo Wolford Island/I Land

Hawaiian artist Keo Wolford is creating I Land, which brings together dramatic narrative and comedy, hula and hip-hop to tell of another Hawaii, beyond the ‘lil grass shack. Expanding the Hawaiian tradition of ‘talk story’ Wolford tells his American story of unromantic realties growing up in ‘paradise.’ It is a search for heritage in a post-modern world. Collaborators are hula master Robert Cazimero, hip-hop choreographer Rocafella and director Roberta Uno.

Flynn Center for the Performing Arts World Music/CRASH Arts

Maureen Fleming At the Hawk’s Well

To support the creation of a new evening length work by choreographer Maureen Fleming, At the Hawk’s Well—a multi-disciplinary work, inspired by the symbolism found in the writings of William Butler Yeats.

Jump-Start Performance Co. Scottsdale Center for the Arts Alternate ROOTS

Junebug Productions UPROOTED

The project brings together Alternate ROOTS member-artists directly affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to collaborate in the creation of a multi-disciplinary performance piece. This full length performance piece will consist of a broad spectrum of styles and forms, ranging from performance art to contemporary hip-hop, dance, experimental theater to storytelling and traditional tales. The project will also provide critical work for artists from the affected region.

La Peña Cultural Center UC Merced Center Without Walls Asian Improv Arts

Shailja Patel Migritude

Migritude, created and performed by Shailja Patel, is a spoken word theater production that uses the sari trousseau of a 3rd generation Kenyan Indian woman to unfold hidden histories of Empire in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, from the late 19th century to present.

Geography of Artist Companies

Disciplines Engaged

South, 2

Theatre, 1

Midwest, 2 Spoken Word, 3

Coyaba Dance Theater Dance Place NPN Creation Fund PHOTO : PHILIPPE LIMET DEWZ

West, 6

Performance Art, 4

Dance, 10

Northeast, 8

B. Performance Residency Creation Fund Specifics, FY 2006 • 18 Awards, 14 artists were first time Creation Fund Recipients • Approximately 1/3 are artists of color • Majority of artists are from the West and Northeast • Involved 40 Commissioners, 10 of which were non-NPN Partners • 3 NPN Partners served as first time commissioners • NPN re-granted over $162,000 in NPN Creation Fund Subsidies, which leveraged over $427,000 in matches

NPN Partner / Co-Commissioners

Artist / Title

Project Description

Links Hall Denison University

Chris Aiken/ Angie Hauser Dwell

Dwell is a collaborative performance project created by the dancers Angie Hauser and Chris Aiken. The project revolves around ideas and questions of creating place. It is an interactive improvisational performance of dance, lighting, and live music in a space that has been designed and constructed by the performers.

Myrna Loy Center/Helena Presents Dance Theater Workshop

Wally Cardona Quartet/ WCV, Inc. Site

Choreographer Wally Cardone, in collaboration with composer Phil Kline and lighting designer Roderick Murray, will create a new evening length work for three dancers, three non-dancers, and approximately 30 musicians from a local high school marching band.

Myrna Loy Center/Helena Presents Whitefish Theater Company

Headwaters Dance Co/Jane Comfort Boulder Batholith

Commissioned by the Myrna Loy Center and Headwaters Dance, Jane Comfort is developing a new work entitled Boulder Batholith, to be set on the Headwaters Company, one of two professional dance companies in Montana.

On The Boards PICA/Portland Institute for Contemporary Art

Deborah Hay Mountain

Mountain is a new project by visionary choreographer Deborah Hay. During a fourweek residency, Hay will collaborate with some of Seattle’s emerging dancers and choreographers, including Peggy Piacenza, Amelia Reeber, and Gaelen Hansen, to create the piece. The process will result in three solos and one trio that will be performed by various dancers in different configurations to form an evening length work that will tour to select venues in the western states.

Painted Bride Art Center Flynn Center for the Performing Arts

Sara Felder Out of Sight!

Solo theater artist Sara Felder employs juggling moves, shadow puppets, comic clowning, and a queer sensibility in a bold new play about the art of seeing. Based on the story of a mother and her daughter who yearn to “see” each other, Felder’s solo play, Out of Sight! confronts questions of family loyalty, faith, and middle-east politics.

Pangea World Theater Asian Arts Initiative

Robert Karimi Cooking con Karimi and the Quest for the Secret Ingredient

A cooking show/improvisation performance about a leftist public-access chef who cooks live for a studio audience but gets stopped by the station owners. The chef, with the help of the audience and his fellow public-access hosts, tries to create a recipe that will save his show and his community. Created by Open Source Performance, this show has a framework provided

by Karimi but constantly changes with the contributions of community collaborators.

Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center The Southern Theater

Shawn McConneloug & her Orchestra SHE Captains

SHE Captains is an alternative-venue performance combining live performance and film.

Shawn McConneloug, and her Orchestra, creates a pirate world that serves as a metaphor for non-conformity in an investigation of adolescent females and the point at which they begin to acknowledge power in terms of masculine/feminine; probing the depths of those who take on traditional, submissive roles and those who fearlessly forge ahead in spite of cultural expectations.

Walker Art Center PICA/Portland Institute of Contemporary Art Museum of Contemporary Art

Elevator Repair Service GATZ

The final stage of Elevator Repair Service’s GATZ: a six-hour theatrical/performance adaptation of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic American novel of class, power, and the loss of innocence. The audacious performance involves every word of the novel being read and workers in a low-rent office slowly assuming the roles of the Gatsby characters.

Youth Speaks MACLA/Movmiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana DiverseWorks

The Suicide Kings In Spite of Everything

In Spite of Everything is the directorial debut of Marc Bamuthi Joseph and features the Bay Area’s most dynamic spoken word trio, Rupert Estinislao, Jamie Kennedy, and Geoff Trenchard. In Spite has been conceived and will be performed by the collective known as The Suicide Kings and theatrically documents their unlikely movement away from the precipice of their own lives, to the center of the public school system in Northern California.

NPN Programs

The commissioners have a two-year period within which they are required to present the commissioned artist for a one- or two-week Performance Residency. Creative control remains with the artist. In the event that the piece is deemed “untourable” or the work has changed drastically from the original vision, the commissioner is still obliged to present the artist, but may present another piece of work.

13

Community Fund

The Community Fund provides subsidies of up to $5,000 to NPN Partners for activities that expand upon a Performance Residency or Creation Fund—activities that deepen relationships between NPN Partners, artists, and communities. The Community Fund is designed to help NPN Partners take risks, implement new programs, forge new relationships, and/or diversify their connections.

Community Fund projects can occur before, during, and after Performance Residencies or Creation Fund activities. Subsidies can be applied for planning, follow-up, documentation, or evaluation of Performance Residencies or Creation Funds. Funds may be used to pay local artists or community organizations involved in Performance Residencies or Creation Funds.

Guidelines are flexible by design, allowing NPN Partners and artists to exercise their creativity in structuring projects.

NPN grants $80,000 of Community Fund Subsidies per year. There are two Community Fund Rounds per year (summer and winter). The Community Fund is a competitive NPN Partner Program; decisions are made by a rotating panel of NPN Partners, board members, and staff.

* These NPN Partners received Community Fund support through the Mentorship and Leadership Initiative (p. 16).

Community Fund Awards, FY 2006

651 ARTS Expansion of Rha Goddess Residency 651 ARTS will host a series of events engaging the medical and mental health communities in the creation and presentation of Meditations with the Goddess, by Rha Goddess. The events, research, and writing, which will occur during several months this spring, will augment the development of the work and the residency surrounding the stage presentation in June 2006.

Dance Place* NPN Partner Mentorship Exchange Founding Director, Carla Perlo will work with Ilana Silverstein, a promising young woman who is currently an intern at Dance Place in an intense mentorship program. This project will include Carla Perlo mentoring Ms. Silverstein in every aspect of Arts Management and Presenting, as well as an exchange with young administrators from Pittsburg, PA, New York, NY, and another partnering organization.

La Peña Cultural Center* INTERCAMBIO La Peña seeks to engage in dialogue with peer organizations, which are similar in the diversity of their programming, to discuss issues of program development, marketing, and the continuum between audience and donor development. This will be done through peer to peer meetings and by involving additional staff members in the annual NPN conference.

Contemporary Arts Center* NPN Partner Marketing Mentorship Exchange Melissa Weber, CAC Marketing Director, will cultivate a mentorship with Malcolm Ehrhardt, president and founder of The Ehrhardt Group.

Mr. Ehrhardt is a marketing and public relations expert, who will guide Ms. Weber in developing an appropriate marketing and PR strategy to support the CAC’s post-Katrina recovery.

Elia Arce Expansion of International Theater Art Institute Residency (Latino Theater Co.) The International Theater Art Institute will teach 3 workshops in 3 different “at-risk” youth centers in Los Angeles. They will also perform a special evening of work for all the participants at the Ford Theater. This process will be documented and evaluated for future fundraising and implementation of similar projects.

Myrna Loy Center/Helena Presents Flight of Mind Flight of Mind is a movement installation that brings the audience into a theatrical space where they experience the action of life for birds in an altered landscape. Drawn from Jennifer Monson’s experience with the Bird Brain project, the dance occurs in the whole space that is altered to suggest local bird habitat and plants that threaten it.

Cultural Odyssey Wilson’s Women Community Residency Cultural Odyssey proposes an expansion of the residency of Venus Opal Reese to enable her to collaborate with ex-inmates of the Medea Project, “atrisk” female youth at the African American Cultural Center, female students from Stanford University, and female professional performers from the community. Wilson’s Women will excavate the writings of August Wilson to peruse the Black women’s role in his work.

14

Jump-Start Performance Co. Words Can’t Describe The project is an eight-day residency with transgendered artist Scott Turner Schofield that includes a series of workshops and activities to help develop the transgender/gender-queer community in San Antonio and the surrounding area, culminating in a late-night performance at Jump-Start.

New WORLD Theater Junebug Residency New WORLD Theater will organize multiple residency activities around December performances by Junebug Productions. Led by John O’Neal and the Junebug Company, they will build on a summer 2005 Creation Fund Residency and a recent local antiracism conference. Activities will include Story Circles and dialogues on race and racism, and an introduction to Story Circle methodology for local youth.

Geography of Award Distribution South, 3

West, 6 Midwest, 1

Northeast, 5

Community Fund Specifics, FY 2006 • 30 applications, 15 awards • Awards were distributed equally among large and small organizations • NPN re-granted over $60,000 in NPN Community Fund Subsidies, which leveraged over $119,000 in matches

Out North Mixed-Race/Mixed-Ability (teen workshop & performance) Through a 2-week follow-up residency to the 1week NPN residency of Kaotic Good, Robert Karimi will work with mixed-race teens with disabilities to create a multi-media production expressing who they are. Like Karimi, a mixed-race artist with a learning disability, most of the teens will have learning disabilities; some will have emotional/ behavioral or physical disabilities.

Tigertail Productions, Inc. WordSpeak for Teens Tigertail seeks to expand WordSpeak, a spoken word teen project for immigrant teens, to a year round program. Begun by Paul Flores in 2004, continued July 2005 in a NPN 2-week residency

by Marc Bamuthi Joseph, it will include Miami artists Teo Castellanos, Jan Sebon, Roberto Poveda, Jesse Jackson and teens from East Little Havana, and partner with Miami-Dade Public Library, Miami Senior, and Abriendo Puertas.

Painted Bride Art Center Standpipe Tania Issac, in creating a new choreographic work Standpipe, will host a series discussions and workshops that present and explore Caribbean culture and politics. Our goal is to create a sense of community among the region’s various Caribbean organizations and expose the Bride’s constituency to the region’s diverse Caribbean community.

Walker Art Center Knock on the Sky The Walker will expand its NPN Creation Fund Project and NPN residency with artists Myra Melford, Dawn Saito, Oguri, and collaborators including a planning site visit in March 2006 by four US and European collaborators, extensive production expenses, and extended residency activities offered as part of Walker’s Open Ended artist-inresidence exhibition, May 2006.

The Theater Offensive How to Tap into New Intergenerational Audiences The Theater Offensive will create a template for arts presenters on how to inspire vibrant participation among intergenerational new audiences in conjunction with the touring play Queer Theory: an Academic Travesty; through outreach to colleges and universities, hosting a dialogue of community activists and queer theorist academics, and completing professional evaluation of the activities.

Youth Speaks, Inc. Audience Development for Chicano Messengers Creation Fund Residency Youth Speaks will conduct audience development for the debut of Fear of a Brown Planet, the Chicano Messengers of Spoken Word Creation Fund Project, through extended target marketing and coordinated outreach to the Bay Area Latino youth arts community.

NPN Programs

Flight of Mind iLand, Inc. Dance Theater Workshop, PICA, Myrna Loy Center/Helena Presents NPN Creation/Community Fund PHOTO : JULIETA CERVANTES

15

Special Projects

National Performance Network is dedicated to the advancement of the performing arts field by strengthening NPN Partners. NPN responds to the direct needs of NPN Partners by subsidizing special project initiatives. These Initiatives fluctuate depending on the needs of NPN Partners, the current state of the field, and available funding resources; past initiatives have included a Documentation and Evaluation Initiative and a Technology Initiative.

Freight Fund The NPN Freight Fund expands NPN Partners’ presenting capacity and enhances the work of artists. The fund can be accessed to offset artists’ freight costs for an NPN Performance Residency. Monies may be used to rent equipment, cover excess baggage charges, or ship sets, props, costumes, etc. Money may also be used to purchase equipment that increases NPN Partners’ technical capacity to present the work.

NPN Partners can apply for up to $500 per NPN Residency, NPN Partners can only receive one Freight Fund per Fiscal Year, and funds are distributed on a first-come/first-served basis.

Freight Fund Specifics, FY 2006 • 5 awards • NPN re-granted $2,500 in NPN Freight Fund Subsidies, which leveraged over $3,440 in matches

Mentorship and Leadership Initiative (MLI) During the next five years over 50% of non-profit executive directors plan on retiring; mentorship and leadership development is a critical need for staff members in arts organizations. In Fiscal Year 2006 NPN created the MLI to respond to these needs by supporting the personal development of NPN Partner staff, as developing and future arts leaders.

The MLI gives artist-centered organizations time and space for personal renewal, resources to support leadership development and succession in a planned and strategic way, and the ability to create a mechanism for quick and easy access to the intellectual capital inherent in artist centered organizations. Support is not for institutional infrastructure, but focuses on individual leadership within the institution. Funds, up to $5,000 per project, may be used for staff mentorship through staff exchanges, convening multiple staff members from NPN Partner or non-Partner organizations in a workshop setting, or attending conferences. Monies may also be used for travel expenses related to the mentorship opportunity, workshop costs, or to pay a mentor.

Mentorship and Leadership Initiative (MLI) Specifics, FY 2006 • 3 awards • NPN re-granted $15,000 in NPN MLI Subsidies, which leveraged over $16,000 in matches Shift H.T. Chen & Dancers Dance Theater Workshop Pictured: Enrique Guzman, Maria Garvey, Dito Sudito, Sarah Godbehere, Kayan Lam, Dionysios Mitsios PHOTO : CAROLYN ROSEGG

16

Face-to-face meetings of NPN Partners, artists, and colleagues are an essential part of building relationships and keeping in place the “network” aspect of NPN’s structure. Annual and Regional Meetings enable issues to be identified, best practices to be shared, and collaborative projects to be planned that cross cultures, generate multi-state partnerships, and disseminate knowledge gained by our practice.

Cultural Equity Conversation NPN Annual Meeting, Miami NPN Convenings Pictured: Wesley V. Montgomery, Abe Rybeck, Arnie Malina, Judith Smith, Gayle Isa, Carla Perlo PHOTO : MONDO BIZARRO

Annual Meeting

Regional Desks/Meetings

The National Performance Network’s Annual Meeting is a national forum for peer-to-peer communication among NPN Partners, artists, and key stakeholders. Invited leaders come to articulate issues, debate alternative models, and examine policies that shape the local and national presenting arenas. Unlike other performing arts gatherings, this meeting is deliberately designed to create a place at the table for artists. This reinforces the most important premise of NPN’s structure: building long-term relationships among presenters, artists, and communities. In an effort to actualize this vision, NPN invites artists to the meeting who have been commissioned through NPN’s Creation Fund or participated in a Performance Residency during the previous three years. An equal ratio of artists to NPN Partners participating in the meeting ensures that artists and presenters have an equal voice. This focus fosters better understanding between people who sign the same contracts and serve the same audiences, but don’t always approach issues of equity and responsibility from the same perspective.

The Annual Meeting is held in a different city each year, increasing the visibility of the performing arts in diverse communities across the country. The meeting lasts three and a half days, and involves a range of activities.

These activities provide artists and leaders in the performing arts field with a forum for support and discovery, time for peer networking and professional development that provides nuts-and-bolts information about the field, and opportunities to see work created by artists given NPN support and artists local to the host city. Time is also available to actively engage in information sharing and exchange about policy issues and decisions that impact the field, facilitated discussions and panels that examine commissioning and touring best practices, and an NPN Partners business meeting that focuses on the dissemination of information about NPN’s programs and operations.

NPN divides the country into four regions (Midwest, Northeast, South, West), each served by an elected “Regional Desk.” The primary role of the Regional Desk is to maintain communication within the region while serving as a liaison between the NPN National Office and NPN Partners.

NPN hosts Regional Meetings annually.

Each year the meetings are held in different cities where NPN Partners reside, and convene not only the Partners but others as well, including artists, presenters, community representatives, and funders.

Regional Meetings provide an opportunity to convene in smaller groups than at NPN’s Annual Meeting. They foster regional project development and provide opportunities to share strategies for social change. Regional Meeting discussions focus on topics such as cultural policy, organizational development, and professional development for both artists and administrators. In an effort to inform and engage artists within the local communities, NPN uses the Regional Meetings as an opportunity to gather and host workshops for artists, answer artists’ questions about NPN, and share ideas and tools that can help artists move their work around the country.

Annual Meeting (Miami Beach, FL) Showcased Artists, FY 2006 Octavio Campos Teo Castellanos/D-Projects Chicano Messengers of the Spoken Word Elana Lanczi and John Beauregard John Langford Giovanni Luquini

Jan Sebon!

Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak Tania Isaac Dance Helena Thevenot Natasha Tsakos

NPN staff does due diligence when considering the national showcase performances, and uses stringent criteria during the selection process. Artists who are selected to perform at the Annual Meeting received an NPN Creation Fund Subsidy within the previous 3 years, premiered their Creation Fund work by the end of the previous fiscal year (June 30), and never showcased their work at a previous Annual Meeting. NPN Partners and Lead Commissioners are polled for detailed critical input about the Creation Fund commissioned work, which must also be: representative of geographic, cultural, and racial diversity, feasible within the proposed venue’s capacity, feasible within the Annual Meeting budget, and tourable within the NPN.

NPN Programs

Convenings

17

Strategic Partnerships

NPN’s Strategic Partnerships play an integral role in addressing cultural diversity.

NPN recognizes that, given finite resources, its capacity to add NPN Partners to the Network is limited. NPN therefore actively explores and develops strategic partnerships with other likeminded organizations in order to leverage additional resources and extend opportunities to artists. These partnerships draw on NPN’s expertise and advance its role as Intermediary.

Currently NPN’s Strategic Partnerships support the following programs:

Asian American Initiative

Hispanic Initiative

NPN is partnering with an informal network of Asian American theater companies to support the development of their 2006 conference and 2007 festival. Through this partnership NPN seeks to increase Asian American presenters and opportunities for the touring of Asian American artists.

The Hispanic Initiative is a new partnership with Hispanics in Philanthropy. Currently the program is investigating ways to create the greatest impact for Hispanic artists and communities through artistic programmatic engagement and the leveraging of resources.

NPN/NCCC Artist of Color Performance Residency The NPN/NCCC partnership uses the NPN performance residency model to support the touring of work by artists of color across the US. The program is intended to expand the pool of artists of color who are presented in the US and enable artists to reach out to new communities through performance residencies.

NPN/NCCC Artist of Color Performance Residency, FY 2006

Migritude Shailja Patel La Peña Cultural Center NPN Creation Fund PHOTO : D. ROSS CAMERON

18

Presenter

Artist

Cultural Development Foundation of Memphis*

Philadanco

Alabama Dance Council*

Rennie Harris Pure Movement

AM Entertainment Services*

Ballethnic Dance Company

Buffalo State College Performing Arts Center*

Ritz Chamber Players

Cindy Edwards/Sitka, AK

Paula Larke

Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh & Co.*

Courtyard Dancers

Out North

Kate Rigg

Tigertail Productions, Inc.

Paul Flores

Oneida Nation Arts Program*

Wade Fernandez and the Black Wolf Group

* Member of the Network of Cultural Centers of Color (NCCC)

“Your funding and support is vital to performing/presenting centers of color; as we are competing with longer established mainstream modern dance and ballet companies, your support is crucial to help us meet our goals.”

Daniel Singh, Dakshina, Washington, DC

Performing Americas Project

Under the Radar

The Performing Americas Project is a continuing partnership with La Red (Red de Promotores Culturales de Latinoamerica y el Caribe) that has created a systematic exchange for the touring of contemporary performing arts and towards the building of knowledge between artists and curators in the US and Latin America.

Performing Americas is a hemispheric exchange program which subsidizes reciprocal tours through NPN Performance Residencies and, in FY 2007, supports a new developmental residency model.

NPN provided support for two international companies to participate in the Under the Radar Festival 2006. This program, instrumental in supporting the work of Latino and Asian artists, also increased the visibility of NPN’s commitment to supporting culturally and internationally diverse artists.

Performing Americas Project, FY 2006

Under the Radar, FY 2006

US Artists

Presenters

Danny Hoch

Santiago: Teatro A Mil Buenos Aires: Teatro del Sur

The Wax Factory

Caracas: Festival Internacional de Teatro de Caracas

Latin American Artists

Presenters

Omstrab Theater Company

Myrna Loy Center/Helena Presents Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center Legion Arts

Mabel Dai Chee Chang/Arnica Danza Teatro

Flynn Center for the Performing Arts The Carver Cultural Community Center DiverseWorks

Support provided to the following international companies: Cia dos Atores, Brazil, presenting Rehearsal Hamlet William Yang, Australia, presenting Shadows

NPN Programs

with additional support provided by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council

19

20

New Project Development

NPN develops new projects in an effort to strengthen and diversify the performance arts ecology locally, nationally, and internationally. By drawing on its experiences and knowledge of a myriad of programmatic models, NPN is able to offer structures that are transferable between individual artists and across artistic disciplines.

National

Local

Visual Artists Network (VAN) While principally known for supporting touring performing artists and in spite of our name, NPN has expanded its scope of programs to include visual artists and the organizations that exhibit them. Over the course of the last two years, NPN organized several focus groups to consult with our field about the need for a Visual Artists Network. About 1/3 of current NPN Partners are multi-disciplinary organizations with strong visual arts programs such as DiverseWorks in Houston, Out North in Anchorage, Xicanindio Artes in Mesa, Legion Arts in Cedar Rapids, Asian Arts Initiative in Philadelphia, and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Two of the three New Orleans NPN Partners, the Contemporary Arts Center and Ashé Cultural Arts Center, also have visual arts programs.

Overwhelmingly, the response from the field to the idea of VAN has been positive.

This is an important project because there are a number of programs that support visual artists traveling to different sites, but there is no comprehensive system of support for them, such as provided in the performing arts.

The next iterations of NPN’s program growth are within NPN’s home community. Upon moving NPN’s National Office to Louisiana, a commitment was made to create and sustain programs based in Louisiana, sharing NPN resources with its home community and the organizations and artists here. NPN’s commitment to developing a local program grows out of its expectation that NPN Partners engage locally while participating nationally. In response to the tragic events of the hurricanes, NPN has re-affirmed and clarified its local involvement.

NPN’s local projects for the current year include: • hosting roundtables for artists and arts organizations, • engaging in a LINC (Leveraging Investments in Creativity) planning process, • researching the feasibility of a shared business environment with transitional housing, and • acting as a fiscal sponsor.

NPN Programs

De/Reconstructing Mata Hari Nejla Y. Yatkin/NY2dance Dance Place, Miami Dade College, Cultural Affairs PHOTO : ASTRID RIECKEN

21

NPN Partners

Emergent Improvisation Emergent Improvisation Project Flynn Center for the Performing Arts NPN Creation Fund Pictured: Katie Martin, Zornitsa Stoyonova, Jaamil Kosoko, Carson EďŹ rd PHOTO : PAUL KYLE

22

NPN Partners by Region

Northeastern Region

Southern Region

DC

Washington

Dance Place

FL

Miami

Miami Dade College,

DC

Washington

GALA Hispanic Theatre

MA

Amherst

New WORLD Theater

FL

Miami

Tigertail Productions, Inc.

MA

Cambridge

The Theater Offensive

FL

Miami Beach

Florida Dance Association

MD

Takoma Park

Liz Lerman Dance

FL

Tampa

Tampa Bay Performing

Cultural Affairs

Exchange

Arts Center

ME

Lewiston

Bates Dance Festival

GA

Atlanta

ME

Portland

Center for Cultural

KY

Whitesburg

Appalshop

Exchange

LA

New Orleans

Ashé Cultural Arts Center

LA

New Orleans

Contemporary Arts Junebug Productions

NY

Bronx

Pregones Theater

NY

Brooklyn

651 ARTS

NY

New York

Dance Theater Workshop

LA

New Orleans

NY

New York

PS 122/Performance

NC

Durham

7 Stages

Center St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc.

Space 122 PA

Philadelphia

Asian Arts Initiative

PA

Philadelphia

Painted Bride Art Center

RI

Providence

Everett Dance Theatre

TX

Austin

VT

Burlington

Flynn Center for the

TX

Austin

Women & Their Work

Performing Arts

TX

Dallas

South Dallas Cultural

TX

Houston

DiverseWorks

TX

Houston

Kuumba House, Inc.

TX

Houston

Putney

Knoxville

IA

Cedar Rapids

Legion Arts

IL

Chicago

Columbia College

IL

Chicago

Links Hall

IL

Chicago

Museum of

MECA/Multicultural Education and Counseling through

Chicago/OCAP

Contemporary Art

Dance Umbrella

Center

Sandglass Theater

Midwestern Region

The Carpetbag Theatre, Inc.

the Arts TX

San Antonio

The Carver Community

TX

San Antonio

Guadalupe Cultural Arts

TX

San Antonio

Jump-Start

Cultural Center Center

MN

Minneapolis

Intermedia Arts

MN

Minneapolis

Pangea World Theater

MN

Minneapolis

Walker Art Center

OH

Cincinnati

Contemporary Dance

Western Region

Theater, Inc.

AK

Anchorage

Out North

OH

Columbus

The King Arts Complex

AZ

Mesa

Xicanindio Artes, Inc.

OH

Columbus

Wexner Center

CA

Berkeley

La Peña Cultural Center

for the Arts

CA

Los Angeles

WI

Milwaukee

Performance Co.

FITLA/International Latino Theater Festival of Los Angeles

Alverno Presents CA

Los Angeles

REDCAT/Roy and Edna Disney, CalArts Theater

CA

Los Angeles

Skirball Cultural Center

CA

San Francisco

Cultural Odyssey

CA

San Francisco

Youth Speaks, Inc.

CA

San Jose

MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana

CA

Santa Monica

Highways, Inc.

CO

Denver

El Centro Su Teatro

MT

Helena

Myrna Loy Center/ Helena Presents

OR

Portland

PICA/Portland Institute

WA

Seattle

On The Boards

WA

Seattle

Pat Graney Company

for Contemporary Art

NPN Partners

VT

TN

23

NPN Partners by Alphabet

24

651 ARTS

7 Stages

651 Fulton Street Brooklyn, NY 11217 718.636.4181 fax 718.636.4166 gpickett@651arts.org www.651arts.org

1105 Euclid Avenue, NE Atlanta, GA 30307 404.522.0911 fax 404.522.0913 melissa@7stages.org www.7stages.org

Georgiana Pickett, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Melissa Foulger, ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

gpickett@651arts.org Anna Glass, MANAGING DIRECTOR aglass@651arts.org

melissa@7stages.org Del Hamilton, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR delsbells@7stages.org

Founded in 1989, 651 ARTS develops, produces, and presents contemporary performing arts representing the full spectrum of the African Diaspora. Through public events, including mainstage performances and humanities activities, and our Artist Development Initiative, we serve local, national, and international audiences from our home in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

651 ARTS is committed to presenting a high level of excellence in the contemporary performing arts of the African Diaspora. Our presentations, humanities events, and artist development activities seek to further quality cultural programming by and for people representing the full breadth of the Black and African Diasporic experience.

7 Stages is a professional theatre organization that engages artists and audiences by focusing on social, spiritual, and artistic values in contemporary culture. Primary emphasis is given to the support and development of new plays, new playwrights, and new methods of collaboration.

We are committed to bringing international plays and theatre artists to our community to share in their wisdom and to bring different cultures into intimate contact. We also maintain a multidisciplinary performance space that is a facility for other arts groups based in Atlanta. Looking specifically at physical movement and theatre companies, 7 Stages travels nationally and internationally to identify new companies in whom we are interested and to foster relationships with innovative companies.

Through live encounters, videotapes, and meetings, we identify companies that fit the mission of the organization.

Bent Mason/Rhynes Productions 651 ARTS, Dance Place NPN Performance Residency Pictured: Gesel Mason PHOTO : PAUL EMERSON

Krapp’s Last Tape Del Hamilton 7 Stages PHOTO : JOE GFALLER

Appalshop, Inc.

Ashé Cultural Arts Center/ Efforts of Grace, Inc.

3400 South 43rd Street / PO Box 3433922 Milwaukee, WI 53234-3922 414.382.6150 fax 414.382.6354 david.ravel@alverno.edu www.alvernopresents.alverno.edu

91 Madison Avenue Whitesburg, KY 41858 606.633.0108 fax 606.633.1009 info@appalshop.org www.appalshop.org

1712 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard New Orleans, LA 70113 504.569.9070 fax 504.569.9070 ashe_cac@juno.com www.ashecac.org

David Ravel, DIRECTOR

Valerie Ison, FINANCIAL DIRECTOR

Carol Bebelle, DIRECTOR

david.ravel@alverno.edu Jenny Jeep, PATRON SERVICES MANAGER jennifer.jeep@alverno.edu

vison@appalshop.org Suzanne Savell, PROGRAM DIRECTOR ssavell@appalshop.org

ashe_cac@juno.com Douglas Redd, ASSOCIATE /ARTISTIC DIRECTOR dredredd@juno.com

The Alverno Presents series is conceived as part of a larger conversation about what is most valued and vital in world culture at the dawn of the 21st century. The curatorial vision is to find and cultivate national and international artists in the performing arts whose work exemplifies excellence, innovation, and profound accomplishment. They are the vital link among individuals, their communities, and the world. The program mirrors Alverno College’s diverse student and area demographics, and connects them through a variety of outreach initiatives.

Alverno Presents focuses on presenting artists in the fields of world music, jazz, and contemporary dance. Other genres are considered, especially when linked to a larger theme explored as part of the academic side of the College. The Alverno Presents Director consults with a National Advisory Panel as well as with other presenters, field professionals, and interested audience members.

Appalshop began in 1969 as the Community Film Workshop Council of Appalachia, a War on Poverty initiative to train young people of color and poor youth in film and television production.

The students turned their cameras on the local life around them, finding a new appreciation for the region’s culture and its pressing social concerns and forming their own not-for-profit organization. Appalshop is devoted to perpetuating the culture of the mountain region of Kentucky, working to break down negative stereotypes about mountain people and rural life. Appalshop has since grown to include Roadside Theater, June Appal Recordings, Appalshop Center Programs, WMMT-FM radio, and The American Festival Project; and has evolved into an internationally recognized, multi-disciplinary rural arts and education center.

Appalshop looks to find artists interested in deepening its partnerships with community members, willing to commit to working in an under-resourced area, and with a dedication to creating challenging art of the highest quality.

Appalshop puts most of its presenting resources into developing extended, process-oriented residencies that stimulate our local communities to discuss, analyze, and address issues affecting them. Appalshop has sponsored residencies in media, performance, traditional music, and the visual arts. The primary mechanism for nonresidency presenting comes each June through the annual Seedtime on the Cumberland Festival, a celebration of our local community and traditional mountain arts.

Ashé Cultural Arts Center is the primary initiative of Efforts of Grace, Inc. Ashé Cultural Arts Center serves the intention of our mission to promote, produce, create, and support programs, activities, and creative works that emphasize the positive contributions of people of African descent. We pride ourselves on our commitment and experience with collaboration, and on our ability to combine art, culture, and community into a variety of activities, events, performances, and exhibits.

We are a multi-disciplinary cultural arts organization with a focus on performance art in all its manifestations. We maintain two artist guilds: 1) Stage Presence for performance artists, and 2) Vizual Remedy for visual artists.

We encourage collaborations among and between artistic disciplines and artists in the Ashé Family and independent artists and artists associated with other arts organizations.

Our artist selection process is a collaboration among the Directing Team, themes of interest that emerge from our artistic family, and the community.

Executioner’s Last Songs Jon Langford and Co. Alverno Presents, Walker Art Center NPN Creation Fund PHOTO : HELEN TSATSOS

Dancing Goats Angelyn DeBord Appalshop, Inc. NPN Performance Residency PHOTO : ANGELYN DEBORD

Origins of Life Ensemble Ashé Cultural Arts Center/Efforts of Grace, Inc.

NPN Partners

Alverno Presents

25

26

Asian Arts Initiative

Bates Dance Festival

The Carpetbag Theatre, Inc.

1315 Cherry Street, 2nd Floor East Philadelphia, PA 19107 215.557.0455 fax 215.557.9531 info@asianartsinitiative.org www.asianartsinitiative.org

163 Wood Street Lewiston, ME 04240-6016 207.786.6381 fax 207.786.8282 dancefest@bates.edu www.batesdancefestival.org

100 South Gay Street, Suite 106 Knoxville, TN 37902 865.544.0447 fax 865.544.0447 info@carpetbag.org www.carpetbag.org

Gayle Isa, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Laura Faure, DIRECTOR

Linda Parris-Bailey, EXECUTIVE /ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

gayle@asianartsinitiative.org Lorelei Walters, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR lorelei@asianartsinitiative.org

lfaure@maine.rr.com Nancy Salmon, REGISTRAR /ASSISTANT TO DIRECTOR dancefest@bates.edu

linda@carpetbag.org Marquez Rhyne, MANAGING DIRECTOR marquez@carpetbag.org

The Asian Arts Initiative is grounded in the belief that the arts can provide an important political and cultural voice for the Asian American community in Philadelphia. We serve as a community arts center where artists and everyday people are developing means to express our diverse experiences as Asian Americans.

For our presenting season, we are guided by the passion, expertise, and vision of a group of volunteer artists and non-artists who meet monthly to discuss future artists to showcase, themes to address, and issues within Asian American communities. This project team helps the Program Assistant and the Executive Director curate by brainstorming artists, issues, and ideas, sharing their expertise in the arts or on critical issues and attending an all-day curatorial session in the late spring and in the fall. The Rap Series represents all disciplines including, but not limited to, dance, performance art, spoken word, theater, music, and film.

We are primarily interested in Asian American artists, but are open to all artists who are willing and able to dialogue in a more sustained way with our communities. We especially encourage artists who can provide context to their performances through pre- or post-performance discussions, workshops, or lecture-demos.

The Bates Dance Festival at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine is the leading presenter of contemporary dance in northern New England during the summer. Founded in 1982, the Festival is an intensive five-week series which brings together a community of over 60 dance artists with 345 students from around the globe and 4,000 audience members. Since its founding, the Festival has evolved into a nationally recognized program known for its curatorial vision, innovative community projects, uniquely supportive and noncompetitive environment, and outstanding roster of contemporary artists.

The Festival brings an artistically and ethnically diverse group of the best contemporary dance artists to Maine to teach, perform, and create new work. Artists are selected

by Festival Director, Laura Faure, through consultation with a national network of colleagues. The Festival presents contemporary, world and traditional dance, music and performance and provides established and emerging artists with a creative, supportive environment in which to work. The planning process is grounded in a commitment to sustain and renew long term relationships while kindling new ones with dynamic emerging artists. Fostering collaboration among Festival artists is a central goal. Planning begins up to two years in advance of the season and contracts are written in the fall for the following summer season.

The Carpetbag Theatre, Inc. mission is to give artistic voice to the underserved particularly in the communities of place, tradition, and spirit which constitute our audience. We address the issues and dreams of people who have historically been silenced by racism, classism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, and other forms of oppression.

For over thirty-five years we have told stories of empowerment, celebrated African American culture, and revealed hidden stories. Our curatorial process engages artists using the following criteria: aesthetic excellence, current program initiatives, appropriateness for our audience, and economic feasibility.

Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Kristina Wong Asian Arts Initiative, La Peña Cultural Center NPN Creation Fund PHOTO : DIANA TOSHIKO

Landing/Place Dance Theater Workshop Bates Dance Festival, Wexner Center for the Arts NPN Performance Residency Pictured: Darrell Jones, Angie Hauser, Kathleen Hermesdorf PHOTO : JULIETA CERVANTES

SWOPERA The Carpetbag Theatre, Inc. PHOTO : FROM WWW.CARPETBAG.ORG

Center for Cultural Exchange

Columbia College Chicago/OCAP

215 North Hackberry San Antonio, TX 78202 210.207.8700 fax 210.207.4412 wlewis@thecarver.org www.thecarver.org

One Longfellow Square Portland, ME 04101 207.761.0591 fax 207.775.4254 ldifranza@maine.rr.com www.centerforculturalexchange.org

600 South Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL 60605 312.344.8863 fax 312.344.8015 khallman@colum.edu www.colum.edu/ocap

Marva Crisp, INTERIM MANAGER

Lisa DiFranza, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

marvac@sanantonio.gov

ldifranza@maine.rr.com Jay Young, BOARD PRESIDENT jyoung@leblancyoung.com

Michael Warr, PRODUCING DIRECTOR mwarr@colum.edu Kenda Hallman, DEVELOPMENT MANAGER khallman@colum.edu

The Carver Community Cultural Center is a multi-discipline, multi-cultural presenter sponsoring a season of performing and fine arts events, a school of visual and performing arts, and after-school arts programs. There is a focus on African American arts and culture.

We seek to celebrate the cultures of our region, nation, and the world, with an emphasis on African American arts and culture. We work with and present local, regional, national, and international performing and visual artists who represent the cultures of our diverse community, and to introduce cultures and art forms to our community that may not be familiar. We try to work at least sixteen months in advance, to ensure a quality experience for both artist and audience.

The Center for Cultural Exchange is a not-forprofit community arts center with a mission of advancing cultural understanding through arts and education programs. Since our inception in 1983, as Portland Performing Arts, the Center for Cultural Exchange has been devoted to presenting international, national, and local artists of the highest caliber, and reaching diverse populations in the greater Portland area.

The Center for Cultural Exchange has been committed to fulfilling its mission for many years, and has developed a network of artists and creative thinkers. The staff is the channel for community information and works to develop diverse multi-cultural concert and educational programming.

OCAP was created in 1998 to enable Columbia College Chicago to more fully realize its commitment to making itself a vital part of its community. OCAP has three components of service: Community, School, and Cultural partnerships. OCAP staff members design, enable, and facilitate a comprehensive range of community arts projects and educational programs.

The Urban Missions program, an initiative that facilitates meaningful partnerships between Columbia College and community-based organizations, was the first major initiative undertaken

by OCAP. Our school partnerships program includes college readiness, mentorship, and arts education components. OCAP also presents the annual DanceAfrica Chicago Festival, one of the country’s largest and most successful celebrations of African and African American arts and culture; and is spearheading Columbia College Chicago’s creation of a new Masters Degree Program, Arts in Youth and Community Development, which launched in fall 2003.

The main curatorial responsibility at DanceAfrica Chicago (DAC) falls with Artistic Director, Baba Chuck Davis, one of the world’s leading authorities on African and AfricanAmerican dance. DanceAfrica typically features four dance troupes. Each year the programming includes at least one troupe from the continent of Africa, one from the Midwest, and one USbased group from outside of the Midwest. The fourth slot is a “wildcard” in the sense that it could be international, national, or local with the determining factor being which group best supports the theme. Programming is also strongly influenced by input from the DAC staff and community partners.

LORCA José Rubén De León The Carver Community Cultural Center PHOTO : MIGUEL GONZÁLEZ

home land security Terra Moto Inc. Center for Cultural Exchange NPN Creation Fund PHOTO : MARTY POTTENGER

AYA! DanceAfrica Chicago Columbia College Chicago/OCAP PHOTO : CECIL MCDONALD

NPN Partners

The Carver Community Cultural Center

27

28

Contemporary Arts Center

Contemporary Dance Theater, Inc.

Cultural Odyssey

900 Camp Street New Orleans, LA 70130 504.528.3805 fax 504.528.3828 jweigel@cacno.org www.cacno.org

1805 Larch Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45224-2928 513.591.2557 fax 513.281.6450 info@cdt-dance.org www.cdt-dance.org

PO Box 156680 San Francisco, CA 94115-6680 415.292.1850 fax 415.346.9163 idris@culturalodyssey.org www.culturalodyssey.org

Jay Weigel, ARTISTIC / EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Jefferson James, ARTISTIC / EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Idris Ackamoor, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

jweigel@cacno.org Aimee Smallwood, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR / DEVELOPMENT asmallwood@cacno.org

jfrsonj@aol.com Lisa Buck , ASSISTANT DIRECTOR lisabuck@fuse.net

idris@culturalodyssey.org Rhodessa Jones, CO - ARTISTIC DIRECTOR rhodessa@culturalodyssey.org

The Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) presents year-round multi-disciplinary programming, including contemporary performing arts showcases, visual arts exhibitions, unique education programs, and other events that celebrate the art of our time. The CAC’s Performing Arts program features a specially curated season of jazz, from modern and avant-garde to big band; contemporary classical and concert music from cutting-edge musicians and composers; and bold experiments in dance, theatre, and performance art by local, emerging, and internationally recognized artists.

The curatorial decisions regarding our Performing Arts are made by our Artistic Director, Jay Weigel. We use a collaborative planning process involving all senior staff of the institution. Attendance at several national performing arts conventions and consultation with other programmers nationally are also utilized. Finally, community-based organizations in New Orleans are involved as well.

Contemporary Dance Theater was founded in 1972 as an organization to promote contemporary dance. Over the years its mission has taken on a more social aspect, as is now described in this phrase -- moving bodies, moving souls. CDT feels this is the essence of contemporary dance.

To accomplish this, CDT presents diverse dance and time arts, produces and assists the production of regional movement-based work, and reaches out to the community by integrating art into community life.

Contemporary Dance Theater is first and foremost a dance presenter; however, since a number of companies are theater and dance companies, this encompasses a wide variety of artists/companies. The founder and artistic director, Jefferson James, chooses the artists from her knowledge of the field. She also attends conferences and showcases and views video to make those choices. She encourages audience and board members to offer suggestions. A season is chosen to reflect the variety within the field; to present familiar as well as new artists; and to challenge the audience with new ideas while keeping them eager for more.

Founded by Idris Ackamoor in 1979, and joined in 1983 by Rhodessa Jones, Cultural Odyssey’s mission is to stretch the aesthetic boundaries of American art by creating, producing, and presenting original performance work that reflects the experiences of contemporary Americans and that is firmly rooted in African American music, dance, and theatrical traditions. Cultural Odyssey locally premieres original productions and conducts national and international tours and community-based programs. The Medea Project Theater for Incarcerated Women serves female inmates and ex-inmates. The Idris Ackamoor Ensemble conducts jazz programming and touring.

Cultural Odyssey selects artists after seeing their work in person. The artistic directors travel to conferences to view work. At other times artists submit promotional packages as well as videos. If the artistic directors are interested after viewing the material other correspondences are set up with the possibility of viewing the work of the artist in person.

Abaton Contemporary Arts Center PHOTO : ZACK SMITH

Scratch & Burn Teo Castellanos/D-Project Contemporary Dance Theater, Inc. NPN Performance Residency NPN Performing Americas Project PHOTO : LUIS OLAZABAL

Living Memory Project Cultural Odyssey Pictured: Fred Harris, Rhodessa Jones, Cheryl Scales NPN Performance Residency PHOTO : GLORIA UPCHURCH

Dance Theater Workshop

Dance Umbrella

3225 8th Street, NE Washington, DC 20017 202.269.1600 fax 202.269.4103 cperlo@danceplace.org www.danceplace.org

219 West 19th Street New York, NY 10011 212.691.6500 fax 212.633.1974 marion@dtw.org www.dtw.org

PO Box 1323 Austin, TX 78767 512.450.0456 fax 512.450.0459 dance@austinfree.net www.danceumbrella.com

Carla Perlo, FOUNDING DIRECTOR

Carla Peterson, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Phyllis Porreca Slattery, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

cperlo@danceplace.org Deborah Riley, DIRECTOR deborahr@danceplace.org

carla@dtw.org

dance@austinfree.net Jema Marchi, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR jemamarchi@yahoo.com

The heart of Dance Place resides in linking Arts, Education, and Community in a diverse atmosphere of nurturing support. Dance Place has served the greater DC metropolitan area for 26 years in 3 capacities: theater, school, and community resource, serving youth, families, and adults while simultaneously building our reputation as a national and international presenter of high acclaim. Through community initiatives, presentation of local artists, diverse cultural programming, model educational programs, co-presentations with other non-profits, free or affordable tickets, and a dedicated staff, Dance Place has become an important thread in the city’s cultural fabric.

Co-Directors and Artists in Residence, Carla Perlo and Deborah Riley are responsible for the final decisions on the selection of artists for both presentations and co-presentations.

Members of our staff are invited to programming meetings to discuss proposals which have been submitted by artists interested in being part of the Dance Place season. As our name suggests, Dance Place is primarily focused on presenting dance; however, we also present a few concerts of spoken word and performance art. Our dance program is diverse with a special focus on African dance, contemporary dance and hip hop.

Dance Theater Workshop is a center for new dance and performance. DTW offers services and presentational opportunities that support artists as they make and show their work, and it stimulates broader audiences and expanded contexts for contemporary dance. At DTW we believe that live performance is integral to the experience of contemporary cultural life. Under the leadership of Executive Director Marion Dienstag and Artistic Director Carla Peterson, DTW sponsors over 45 weeks of presentation a year at our 200-seat theater in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan and operates programs such as DTW Artist Services, which has a membership of over 800 independent artists; The Suitcase Fund, which supports cross-cultural opportunities for US-based artists and their peers around the globe; and DTW Digital, which provides services and presentational opportunities for artists integrating art and technology.

DTW presents and supports the work of performing arts with a focus on dance. Artistic Director Carla Peterson makes curatorial decisions and reviews videotapes of submitted materials with the DTW programming committee. Artists are invited to send full length, cued videotapes and press packets to the DTW Programming Committee, attn: Sara Nash, Associate Producer.

Dance Umbrella believes that the arts help describe, define, and deepen our experience of living. For us, dance is a kinetic form of communication which includes all forms of movement and physical expression. DU provides innovative community education about the power, culture, history and community of dance through developing dynamic educational programs with artists through residencies and presenting activities.

DU views its primary task as that of educator, facilitating the interactions among the various roles involved in creating, performing, presenting, teaching, and observing the arts. DU supports the work of contemporary movement artists who are emerging onto the national and international dance scene. DU selects artists for their innovation in new ways of expressing the choreographic process and create work that is exciting, culturally diverse, accessible, and relevant to our community. DU looks to develop ongoing relationships with artists - the process from introduction to presentation is usually around two years.

De/Reconstructing Mata Hari Nejla Y. Yatkin/NY2dance Dance Place, Miami Dade College, Cultural Affairs NPN Creation Fund PHOTO : ASTRID RIECKEN

Retrospective Exhibitionist and Difficult Bodies Dance Theater Workshop NPN Creation Fund Pictured: Michelle Boule, Abby Crain, Anna Azrieli, Miguel Gutierrez PHOTO : JULIETA CERVANTES

The Bends of Life Wideman/Davis Dance Dance Umbrella NPN Performance Residency Pictured: Tanya Wideman-Davis PHOTO : AMITAVA SARKAR

David Sheingold, SENIOR PRODUCER

davids@dtw.org

NPN Partners

Dance Place

29

30

DiverseWorks

El Centro Su Teatro

Everett Dance Theatre

1117 East Freeway Houston, TX 77002 713.223.8346 fax 713.223.4608 info@diverseworks.org www.diverseworks.org

4725 High Street Denver, CO 80216 303.296.0219 fax 303.296.4614 tony@suteatro.org www.suteatro.org

349 Hope Street Providence, RI 02906 401.831.9479 fax 401.455.0581 tjungels@everettdancetheatre.org www.everettdancetheatre.org

Sixto Wagan, PERFORMING ARTS DIRECTOR

Tony Garcia, EXECUTIVE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Aaron Jungels, CO - FOUNDER

sixto@diverseworks.org Sara Kellner, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR sara@diverseworks.org

tony@suteatro.org

ajungels@everettdancetheatre.org

DiverseWorks reveals the most current trends in visual and performance arts. Recognized for the quality of the experimental, avant-garde performances, and exhibits featured, DiverseWorks places emphasis on the process of artistic creation, raising questions concerning the relation between art and human society. By encouraging the investigation of current artistic, cultural, and social issues, DiverseWorks builds, educates, and sustains audiences for contemporary art.

DiverseWorks programs dance, performance, puppetry, theater, and multi-media works from across the nation and the world. This series is curated by the Performing Arts Director. The Houston Performing Arts Residencies are a means to increase the visibility of Houston artists—locally and nationally. The Residencies are selected by DiverseWorks’ Artist Board and Performing Arts Director through a proposal review process. The Performing Arts sponsors two other series: 12 Minutes MAX!—a showcase for new and original work, and Monday Night FootFall—an evening of worksin-progress with ensuing dialogue between artist/audience.

El Centro Su Teatro is a multi-disciplinary Chicano/Latino cultural arts center that produces and presents work that speaks to the Chicano/Latino experience. Su Teatro, the resident theater company, is the third oldest Chicano theater group and traces its roots to the Chicano Civil Rights Movement. El Centro, while having a strong theatrical bent, also presents music, poetry, and visual and film artists.

El Centro Su Teatro is a multidisciplinary arts organization whose artist presenting focuses on theatre, music, and poetry/spoken word. Artists are selected to fit into El Centro’s performing arts season, which also includes the Chicano Music Festival and the Neruda Poetry Festival.

Artists are selected based on their ability to speak to a Chicano aesthetic, by this we mean an emerging vision of a Latino World experience. Residencies are planned to build outreach in our local constituencies.

Founded by Artistic Director Dorothy Jungels in 1986, Everett Dance Theatre is a nationally recognized company, acclaimed for its innovative concert works and educational programs. In 1990, Everett renovated an old carriage house and expanded to include the Carriage House Stage and School. The company’s programming includes performance arts training for inner-city youth and a performance series that features local, regional, and national companies.

Everett mentors youth in a long-term process, supporting their development into working professionals. The Carriage House Stage plays a role by providing a venue for the young artists’ performance development and providing the opportunity for them to view works by a range of innovative artists.

Everett Dance Theatre and the Carriage House Stage and School have no formal selection process for presenting artists. Performance groups that are selected tend to be groups whose materials relate in some way with the inner-city community the company works with and groups that staff and member artists have seen live and have been inspired by. The performance series generally runs March through June with selections made in the prior fall.

What You’ve Done DiverseWorks NPN Performance Residency Pictured: Autumn Knight PHOTO : AARON LANDSMAN – VIDEO STILL

El Sol Que Tu Eres El Centro Su Teatro NPN Creation/Community Fund Pictured: Yolanda Ortega, Hugo Carbajal, Elizabeth Botello, Nickie Gomez, Rebecca Fernandez-Martinez PHOTO : JAMES BLEVINS

Home Movies Everett Dance Theatre Pictured: Rachael Jungels, Bravell Smith PHOTO : DAVID O’CONNOR

Mica Garcia de Benavidez, ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGER

tony@suteatro.org

FITLA/International Latino Theater Festival of Los Angeles

Florida Dance Association

Flynn Center for the Performing Arts

PO Box 86757 Los Angeles, CA 90086 323.960.5132 fax 323.962.7395 fitla1@yahoo.com www.fitla.org

777 17th Street, Suite 402 Miami Beach, FL 33139 305.674.6575 fax 305.674.6578 tthielen@floridadanceassociation.org www.floridadanceassociation.org

153 Main Street Burlington, VT 05401 802.652.4503 fax 802.863.8788 amalina@flynncenter.org www.flynncenter.org

Sandy Robertson, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Tom Thielen, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Arnie Malina, CHIEF PROGRAMMING OFFICER /

fitla1@yahoo.com

tthielen@floridadanceassociation.org Bill Doolin, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS - MEMBER SERVICES billd@floridadanceassociation.org

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

amalina@flynncenter.org

Christopher Kaufman, PROGRAMMING MANAGER

FITLA serves a number of communities throughout the Los Angeles area and is dedicated to representing the diversity and complexity of Latino cultures. FITLA’s mission is to promote exposure and appreciation of Latino cultures in Los Angeles, encourage and increase attendance of live theatre among peoples of diverse cultures, advance professional training and expand the pedagogical value of the dramatic arts, provide access to bilingual presentations through affordable ticket prices, and to stimulate cultural tourism in the region and the support of live theatre.

Florida Dance Association is a nonprofit service organization and dance presenter, whose mission is to serve, support, and promote dance in Florida through programs that facilitate the teaching, creation, presentation, and administration of dance. FDA produces the Florida Dance Festival, an annual ten-day event that celebrates dance through education, training, and performance. Through the Festival, FDA is among the leading dance presenters in Florida presenting international, national, and Florida artists in teaching and performing residencies.

Other projects include a resource guide to Florida artists and organizations, dance training, and scholarship programs for high school and middle school students, technical assistance for artists, and advocacy for dance in Florida.

Florida Dance Association presents dance and dance-theater during the annual Florida Dance Festival held in late June each year. Artists are selected and programmed by FDA’s Executive Director. Program planning generally begins 1824 months in advance. FDA presents all forms of dance and seeks artists whose work is innovative, contemporary and/or culturally specific.

Dance artists with disabilities are also of interest for a program entitled danceAble, which is co-produced with Tigertail Productions, another NPN Partner. Strongest consideration is given to artists who also teach and conduct residency activities such as technique classes, repertory, or composition workshops, or other community-based projects.

The Flynn Center for the Performing Arts is a community-based arts center that offers world class performances, developmental residencies, model educational programs, and rental facilities for area artists and promoters. The Flynn presents its Mainstage season in a 1,450 seat art deco theatre and in FlynnSpace, a 150 seat black box.

The Flynn’s curatorial vision is guided by the organizational mission: to present a diverse range of high-quality performances that expand the community’s cultural experiences and support artists in the development of new work. Flynn programming includes a balance of recognized masters and emerging new voices in dance, jazz, music, theatre, family programs, and multidisciplinary performance. We plan our programs one to two years out.

Fifth Commandment Elia Arce FITLA/International Latino Theater Festival of Los Angeles, REDCAT/Roy and Edna Disney, CalArts Theater, DiverseWorks, Jump-Start Performance Co. NPN Performance Residency PHOTO : MARTIN COX

Just Two Dancers John Jasperse Company Florida Dance Association, Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, Dance Theater Workshop NPN Creation Fund Pictured: John Jasperse, Juliette Mapp PHOTO : JOSUE IRIARTE

Flesh AXIS Dance Company Flynn Center for the Performing Arts NPN Performance Residency Pictured: Judith Smith, Stephanie Bastos, Alisa Rasera, Renee Waters PHOTO : MARGOT HARTFORD

NPN Partners

ckaufman@flynncenter.org

31

32

GALA Hispanic Theatre

Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center

Highways, Inc.

PO Box 43209 Washington, DC 20010 202.234.7174 fax 202.332.1247 alessandra@galatheatre.org www.galatheatre.org

1300 Guadalupe Street San Antonio, TX 78207 210.271.3151 fax 210.271.3480 info@guadalupeculturalarts.org www.guadalupeculturalarts.org

1651 18th Street Santa Monica, CA 90404 310.453.1755 fax 310.453.4347 leogarcia@highwaysperformance.org www.highwaysperformance.org

Abel Lopez, ASSOCIATE PRODUCING DIRECTOR

Belinda Menchaca, PROGRAMS DIRECTOR

Leo Garcia, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR /ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

abel@galatheatre.org Alessandra D’Ovidio, PRODUCTION MANAGER alessandra@galatheatre.org

belindam@guadalupeculturalarts.org Maria Torralva-Alonso, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR mariat@guadalupeculturalarts.org

leogarcia@highwaysperformance.org Patrick Kennelly, ADMINISTRATOR highways3@earthlink.net

GALA Hispanic Theatre is a professional Latino theater company that produces and presents the Latino performing arts to a diverse audience in the Washington metropolitan region. Since 1975, GALA has presented a bilingual season of classical and contemporary plays, music, dance, poetry, spoken word, and performances for youth by Hispanic artists from Spain, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States.

GALA also commissions plays and translations of works by Latino playwrights, and partners with Pregones Theater, NY; AMLA and Taller Puertorriqueno, Philadelphia; I.B.A., Boston; and in La Ruta, a Latino presenting and touring collaboration in the northeast.

GALA presents its performing arts program in its new theater and at various venues in partnership with other arts organizations, including the Washington Performing Arts Society, Dance Place, Cultural Institute of Mexico, and Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University.

Artist presentations are selected based on quality of work and conformance with GALA’s mission to promote and present the Latino arts. Artists should submit project proposals and work samples at least one year prior to the commencement of the annual season in September of each year.

For the past twenty-five years, the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center has been the cultural vein of Latino arts for South Texas and has become one of the premiere Latino community-based arts organizations in the country. The Guadalupe’s mission is to preserve, promote, present, and develop the art and culture of Chicano/Latino/ Indigenous peoples through public and educational programming. At the Guadalupe’s core are six disciplines—music, dance, literature, media arts, visual arts, and theatre arts—led by respected artists who produce or present over 50 events and five major festivals annually: CineFestival, Tejano Conjunto Festival, Guadalupe Bookfair, Hecho a Mano, and TeatroFEST. These events provide a venue for some of the country’s most influential Latino/a artists and are vital showcases of new and emerging Latino/Chicano artists.

The Guadalupe’s selection process differs according to each event. Artists are selected by committee, department directors, or by juried process.

Highways Performance Space is Southern California’s boldest center for new performance.

In its seventeenth year, Highways continues to be an important alternative cultural center in Los Angeles that encourages fierce new artists from diverse communities to develop and present innovative works. Highways promotes the development of contemporary socially involved artists and art forms. Our mission is implemented through four programs (the performance space, workshop/lab program, and two galleries.)

Annually, we co-present approximately 250 performances by solo dramatic artists, small theater groups, dance companies, and spoken word artists; we curate and exhibit approximately 12 contemporary visual art exhibits per year with work that explores the boundaries between performing and visual art forms; we commission and premiere new work by outstanding performing artists; we organize special events, curate festivals, and offer residency and educational programs that engage community members in the arts while providing access to professionally-directed instruction.

The performance space is curated by Artistic Director Leo Garcia. Primarily local artists are invited to co-present. However, special projects and two NPN residencies represent Highway’s 50 weeks of programming.

Caribeana Imperia GALA Hispanic Theatre Pictured: Michael Cherrie PHOTO : DANIEL CIMA

Congreso Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center NPN Performance Residency

In Exile Close to the Equator Jose Torres Tama Highways, Inc. NPN Performance Residency

Jump-Start Performance Co.

Junebug Productions

2822 Lyndale Avenue, South Minneapolis, MN 55408 612.871.4444 fax 612.871.6427 info@intermediaarts.org www.intermediaarts.org

108 Blue Star San Antonio, TX 78204 210.227.5867 fax 210.222.2231 info@jump-start.org www.jump-start.org

PO Box 2331 New Orleans, LA 70176 504.289.2729 joneal2927@aol.com www.gnofn.org/~junebug

Diana Dominguez, PRODUCTION MANAGER

Lisa Suarez, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR - GUEST ARTISTS

John O’Neal, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

diana@intermediaarts.org Theresa Sweetland, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR theresa@intermediaarts.org

lisa@jump-start.org Steve Bailey, EDUCATION DIRECTOR steve@jump-start.org

joneal2927@aol.com Corlita Mahr, MANAGING DIRECTOR cmahr1@cox.net

Rooted in the Twin Cities, Intermedia Arts is a gathering place where the arts engage community members to build connections, locally and globally. Our mission is to be a catalyst that builds understanding among people through art.

Through our programs, Intermedia Arts fosters youth, artist, and community development, serving more than 40,000 people a year. Since 1973 we have been a place where an innovative approach to the arts has inspired communities toward social change. We are nationally acclaimed for our position in the community, successful education and leadership programs, unique services to artists, and multidisciplinary public exhibitions.

Intermedia Arts is a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary organization that selects artistic programming based on the ability and interest of the artist to interact meaningfully with communities, to use art to create dialogue, and to provide audiences and communities members with the tools and access to practice art and present their own stories. We address the most pressing issues in our community including immigration, racism, privilege, human rights, and gentrification. We seek out opportunities to partner with and present the work of underserved art forms, artists, and communities.

Founded in 1985, Jump-Start Performance Co. is a group of diverse artists dedicated to the discovery and support of new ideas in the arts and arts education. The company provides a venue for traditionally disenfranchised communities (people of color, women, lesbians and gays, and youth) and is committed to social change.

Since its formation, Jump-Start has created, presented, or produced over 500 original performance works and reached an audience of almost one million people. Programs include new productions by company members, a guest artist series, workshops, and short and longterm educational residencies in the community.

Jump-Start’s theater, located in the Blue Star Arts Complex, is a 6,000 square foot facility that includes a 150 seat performance space, a gallery/lobby, a class room, and company offices.

Jump-Start presents works by company members, associate community artists, and local, regional, national, and international guest artists.

Emphasis is placed on theater, performance art, and dance. Selection of artists is done through a fairly informal process and on a close timeline, depending on availability of dates. Inquiries should be addressed to Lisa Suarez. Please do not send videos unless requested.

Junebug Productions is a professional African American arts organization located in New Orleans, Louisiana. Its mission is to create, produce, and present high quality theater, dance, and music that inspires and supports people who work for justice in the African American community and in the world-at-large. John O’Neal, Junebug’s artistic director, co-founded the Free Southern Theater in 1963 as a cultural arm of the southern Civil Rights Movement. In the post-segregation era, Junebug Productions remains conscious of those bloody, difficult integration struggles that have now created a new set of equally challenging conditions. A vital legacy of the Movement is the recognition that the greatest subsidies required for the development of culture usually come from the artists themselves. Therefore, Junebug Productions has evolved a working style based on collaboration among creative artists, managers, and community organizations who share a commitment to similar goals and a desire to maximize scarce resources.

Junebug chooses to present artists and companies of multiple performing arts genres whose mission and vision is aligned with that of Junebug and who’s performing art works share a commitment to working for social justice in the African American community and for other communities who struggle against oppression in the world-at-large. John O’Neal, the Artistic Director of Junebug, is the main source for discovering and seeking artists to present in New Orleans.

B-Girl Be: A Celebration of Women in Hip Hop Intermedia Arts Pictured: Cipher, Isis PHOTO : MARTHA COOPER

Debutante Balls Underground Transit Jump-Start Performance Co. NPN Community Fund Pictured: Scott Turner Schofield

Don’t Start Me To Talking or I’ll Tell Everything I Know: Sayings from the Life and Writings of Junebug Jabbo Jones Junebug Productions Pictured: John O’Neal

NPN Partners

Intermedia Arts

33

34

The King Arts Complex

Kuumba House, Inc.

La Peña Cultural Center

867 Mount Vernon Avenue Columbus, OH 43203 614.645.5464 fax 614.645.0672 cwhite@kingartscomplex.com www.thekingartscomplex.com

PO Box 8070 Houston, TX 77288 713.524.1079 fax 713.524.9170 kuumbahouse@hotmail.com www.kuumbahouse.org

3105 Shattuck Avenue Berkeley, CA 94706 510.849.2568 fax 510.849.9397 info@lapena.org www.lapena.org

CarrMel Ford White, PERFORMING ARTS DIRECTOR

Christina Gerard, ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Sylvia Sherman, ARTISTIC / DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

cwhite@kingartscomplex.com Sheryle Powell, DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR spowell@kingartscomplex.com

kuumbahouse@hotmail.com Lori Amare, PROGRAM DIRECTOR kuumbahouse@hotmail.com

sylvia@lapena.org Sarah Guerra, PROGRAMMING COORDINATOR sara@lapena.org

The King Arts Complex is located in the oldest area of African American life in Columbus, Ohio. The Complex preserves, presents, and fosters the contributions of African Americans through creative expression and education. The Complex has built artistically strong offerings that represent the spectrum of the performing and cultural arts, establishing it as a primary African American institution in Ohio. The Complex is 60,000 square feet and houses three performance spaces, two dance studios, an art gallery, and three permanent interactive learning areas.

The Complex sponsors community events in the adjacent public park and hosts a variety of education programs. Artist selection and review is a year-round process. The traditional performing arts season runs September through June. All artist selections are finalized by the April prior to that African American and African performing and cultural arts event, including dance, music, theater, visual, and literary art.

Permanent and traveling exhibits are selected for the educational and aesthetic content that fits well with the mission of the King Arts Complex. Our Cultural Arts Director researches the content matter of exhibitions as well as the artists that develop them. This process presents the opportunity to bring powerful African American art to our community.

Kuumba House’s mission is to preserve, create, teach, and present the cultural experience of African art forms through dance, theater, music, and other creative expression. Lindi Yeni, founder and artistic director, implements the artistic vision of its professional company, Kuumba House Dance Theatre, and its community youth group, Kuumba Kids. Kuumba House presents national and international artists. The organization also fulfills its mission by conducting workshops, residencies, master classes, and after-school activities in schools, churches, community centers, private and public venues, and at festivals.

Kuumba House presents primarily dance.

However, due to the fact that we have two festivals that are presented on alternate years, we have the opportunity to present other art forms such as spoken word, theatre, music, etc.

During African Heritage Month, Kuumba House also adds films and arts-education presentations. While Kuumba House is an Africancentered arts organization, its presentations are ethnically and culturally diverse.

La Peña Cultural Center’s mission is to present cultural and educational programs that increase understanding of different cultures, to encourage the development of art of all disciplines that keeps alive diverse cultural traditions and to support the work of community organizations and artists that are active in social justice issues.

Integral to La Peña’s mission is the belief that artists and cultural workers can contribute to social change by creating understanding of different cultures. La Peña presents music, theater, spoken word, literary, and visual artists, and offers free and low-cost classes and residencies for youth and adults. It presents over 200 programs and educational forums annually in its 180 seat venue and also organizes off-site performances with national and international artists.

Each year La Peña staff, in conjunction with its board and input from the community, sets programming plans. We prioritize projects for which to seek special funding.

Selection of artists for NPN residencies comes out of this process, which is active and continuous. Artists speak to us about their ideas, and we approach artists with our ideas about community programming.

Woodrall Nash The King Arts Complex Gallery Exhibit

Shaka the drummer Kuumba House, Inc.

Migritude Shailja Patel La Peña Cultural Center NPN Creation Fund PHOTO : GUNA KALNACA

Links Hall

Liz Lerman Dance Exchange

1103 Third Street, SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52401-2305 319.364.1580 fax 319.362.9156 info@legionarts.org www.legionarts.org

3435 North Sheffield Chicago, IL 60657 773.281.0824 fax 773.281.1915 cjmitchell@linkshall.org www.linkshall.org

7117 Maple Avenue Takoma Park, MD 20912 301.270.6700 fax 301.2702626 mail@danceexchange.org www.danceexchange.org

F. John Herbert, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

CJ Mitchell, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

john@legionarts.org Mel Andringa, PRODUCING DIRECTOR mel@legionarts.org

cjmitchell@linkshall.org Kathleen Duffy, BUSINESS MANAGER kduffy@linkshall.org

Jane Hirshberg, PARTNERSHIPS DIRECTOR janeh@danceexchange.org Peter DiMuro, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR dimurop@danceexchange.org

Legion Arts had its beginnings in the 1980s as The Drawing Legion, producing original performance works (and touring on the NPN) under the direction of Mel Andringa and F. John Herbert. Since 1991, the organization has been known as Legion Arts, and has been based at CSPS, a century-old former Czech social hall near downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In addition to generating original productions, Legion Arts now manages CSPS as a regional center for contemporary arts, hosting up to 20 exhibits and 70 performing arts events each year. Through artist-based partnerships, Legion Arts is also involved in advocacy, education, and community development initiatives.

Independent and nonprofit, Legion Arts is a vigorous and varied grassroots presenter, tending to book performing artists (especially musicians) who already have engagements in the area. Less frequently we’re able to bring in artists for extended runs, residencies and special projects. Though the scale of Legion Arts is probably best suited to solo artists and small companies, we’re fiercely multidisciplinary.

Proposals are accepted on an ongoing basis, and we’re always happy to hear from artists we’re not familiar with. For starters, send an e-mail, brochure, or some basic printed material.

Links Hall encourages artistic innovation and public engagement by maintaining a facility and providing flexible programming for the research, development and presentation of new work in the performing arts. Links Hall presents a wide ranging program of local, national, and international dance and performance, and provides important services to artists. Established as a laboratory for the creation and presentation of dance, multidisciplinary work now infuses our programming. The intent is for artists and audiences to develop enthusiasm, lively discussion, and context for dance and performance as complex and meaningful cultural expression.

Since its inception, Links Hall has presented literally thousands of local, national, and international artists, and thousands of artists have used our space to create, rehearse, teach, explore, and grow. Fundamental to our mission is provision of inexpensive space for artists to rehearse, teach, and present new work. Our programming committee (which includes strong artist representation) sets strategy and direction for the artistic development of Links Hall, and selects guest curators and artists for commissions and residencies.

Founded in 1976 by choreographer Liz Lerman, this multi-generational performance company produces original dance/theater works and informal interactive presentations in varied community settings and theaters worldwide.

The Dance Exchange Express format features residencies by smaller ensembles, drawing on the collaborative and leadership skills nurtured by the company and offering intimate performances, specialized community engagement, and training. LLDE engages communities through workshops in civic settings, partnerships with community organizations, and grassroots efforts that bring a variety of groups together as collaborators in art making. Educational activities include institutes for artists and others seeking to apply its methodologies to various dimensions of life, work, and thought.

LLDE has used NPN subsidies to commission and present new work by artists on projects being led by members of the artistic staff. This has included composers primarily, and will include artists of varied disciplines in the future.

From the Gutter to the Glitter Legion Arts NPN Performance Residency Pictured: Peter Bufano, Keith Nelson, Stephanie Monseu PHOTO : MAIKE SCHULZ

Dwell Links Hall NPN Creation Fund Pictured: Chris Aiken, Angie Hauser PHOTO : WILLIAM FREDERKING

Ferocious Beauty: Genome Liz Lerman Dance Exchange Pictured: Matt Mahaney, Elizabeth Johnson PHOTO : KEVIN KENNFICK

NPN Partners

Legion Arts

35

36

MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana

Miami Dade College, Cultural Affairs

MECA/Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts

510 South First Street San Jose, CA 95113 408.998.ARTE fax 408.998.2817 info@maclaarte.org www.maclaarte.org

25 NE 2nd Street, Suite 5501-3 Miami, FL 33132 305.237.3010 fax 305.237.7559 caffairs@mdc.edu www.culture.mdc.edu

1900 Kane Street Houston, TX 77007 713.802.9370 fax 713.802.9403 development@meca-houston.org www.meca-houston.org

Tamara Alvarado, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Gregory Jackson, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

tamara@maclaarte.org Anjee Helstrup-Alvarez, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR /CURATOR anjee@maclaarte.org

gjcakson@mdc.edu Jennylin Duany, RESIDENCY jduany@mdc.edu

Nate Cernosek , DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR development@meca-houston.org Alice Valdez, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR alicevaldez@yahoo.com

MACLA is often described as a “workshop of culture.” It is a safe space where a new generation of bicultural/bilingual Latinos and other multicultural Californians use the arts to think, imagine, produce, and “cook-up” expressive alternatives to a new global political and social reality. A three-tiered approach defines MACLA’s current programming philosophy: (1) support for emerging artists throughout all levels of programming; (2) an expansive crossethnic sensibility; and (3) a hybrid aesthetic vision comfortable with mixing elements of popular culture and sociological interests with established and traditional art forms.

In keeping with MACLA’s commitment to “image” invisible communities, staff actively seek and develop relationships with new and emerging artists in the performing arts. An open dialogue with artists and other community members informs the selection and support of local and touring artists. When appropriate, MACLA looks to partner with other regional organizations to present touring artists in order to share resources (travel expenses, crossmarketing efforts, etc.) and expose local audiences to artists of national scope. MACLA staff confers quarterly to review past artist performances as well as assess the impact of future artist or collective selections. A financial commitment is made annually with half of MACLA’s programming budget allocated to the support of performing arts.

Our mission is to produce and present the newest, most challenging, contemporary, and culturally specific work being created in the US and abroad. We focus primarily on work from the Americas, programs that are reflective of our multi-ethnic community.

We support the development of new work by artists, present performance in our annual performance series, and conduct community residencies and professional artist workshops.

All performance disciplines are represented. International work, especially from Latin America and the Caribbean, is emphasized as well as projects that involve international collaboration. Cultural Affairs balances its season with new work, innovation, risk-taking and tradition. There is no formal artist selection process and artist information is accepted unsolicited; however, the department rarely programs performances or schedules artist residencies until Cultural Affairs staff has met an artist in person or seen a company/artist live in performance.

MECA is a community-based, non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the healthy social, cultural, and academic development of at-risk, inner-city youth through education in the arts. MECA offers classical and ethnic arts education and support services to approximately 1,500 students a year, and over 3,000 students participate in MECA workshops, residences, and projects. MECA provides these services year-round through its In-School, After-School, and Summer Arts Program. MECA also hosts an annual Performance Series that features visual and performing art performances with regional, national, and international artists who also involve MECA students in master classes and workshops.

MECA targets multidiscipline, multicultural artists who are willing to perform workshops with MECA youth as part of their residency.

Artists should be comfortable working with a community-based organization. MECA also targets young artists and artists who specialize in indigenous forms. MECA is planning to host two one-week residencies in the coming year, and is interested in commissioning a Creation Fund project specifically for Black History Month.

Teenage Papi: The 2nd Coming of Adolescence Butchlalis de Panochtitlan MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana NPN Performance Residency Pictured: Mari Garcia, Raquel Gutierrez, Nadine Romero, Claudia Rodriguez PHOTO : HECTOR SILVA

De/Reconstructing Mata Hari Nejla Y. Yatkin/NY2dance Miami Dade College, Cultural Affairs, Dance Place NPN Creation Fund PHOTO : ASTRID RIECKEN

Fear of a Brown Planet Chicano Messengers of Spoken Word MECA/Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts

Myrna Loy Center/Helena Presents

New WORLD Theater/ University of Massachusetts

220 East Chicago Avenue Chicago, IL 60611 312.397.4010 fax 312.397.4095 mcaperformances@hotmail.com www.mcachicago.org

15 North Ewing Helena, MT 59601 406.443.0287 fax 406.443.6620 myrnaloycenter@aol.com www.myrnaloycenter.com

16 Curry Hicks, 100 Hicks Way Amherst, MA 01003 413.545.1972 fax 413.545.4414 nwt@admin.umass.edu www.newworldtheater.org

Peter Taub, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR- PERFORMANCE PROGRAMS

Ed Noonan, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Wesley V. Montgomery, MANAGING DIRECTOR

ptaub@mcachicago.org Yolanda Cesta Cursach, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR PERFORMANCE PROGRAMS ycursach@mcachicago.org

noonaned@aol.com Peter Ruzevich, COMMUNITY COORDINATOR peteruz1@aol.com

wmontgomery@admin.umass.edu Andrea Assaf, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR andrea@theater.umass.edu

The mission of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) is to be an innovative and compelling center of contemporary art where the public can directly experience the work and ideas of living artists, and understand the historical, social, and cultural context of the art of our time. The museum boldly interweaves exhibitions, performances, collections, and educational programs to excite, challenge, and illuminate our visitors and to provide insight into the creative process.

The MCA aspires to engage a broad and diverse audience, create a sense of community, and be a place for contemplation, stimulation, and discussion about contemporary art and culture.

The MCA presents more than 20 different projects yearly involving close to 100 performances in dance, theater, music, and interdisciplinary performance. MCA champions US, international, and Chicago-based artists and pursues innovation, collaboration, and community engagement. Audience-engaged residency activities are integrated with the public performances. The performing arts programming actively promotes diversity, featuring the voices of culturally and racially diverse artists.

The MCA works with arts and community cultural organizations to co-organize and copresent about one-third of the performing arts programs, thereby utilizing the MCA as a shared resource for the city.

The Myrna Loy Center for the Media and Performing Arts provides film (mainstream, alternative), live performance (national, regional, local), arts education, and media education to Montana. Noted as a leading rural arts organization, the MLC also is involved in developing new works both for Montana and nationally.

The curatorial process includes staff review, showcases, committee input, and staff decision. The MLC is a multi-discipline house with small audience bases for many different works. When support through grants allows, the MLC will bring experimental/cuttingedge work to Montana.

Founded in 1979, New WORLD Theater (NWT) is a visionary cultural institution dedicated to producing and presenting, in formal and community settings, works by artists of color that serve to educate, enliven, and empower our diverse audience and to foster a creative network of professional and community participants. NWT purposely exists at the intersection of art and politics, scholarship and activism, professional work, and community life. In residence at the Fine Arts Center of the University of Massachusetts, NWT has redefined the role of arts in higher learning and expanded partnerships between professional artists and communities.

The Artistic Director, working closely with the Program Curator, reviews a variety of work through the course of the year. Through a process of solicitation (which is based on the recommendations made by NWT’s Associate Artists, Artistic Director, and Program Curator), a collection of scripts, video excerpts, and various other publicity materials are reviewed and the discussion of what to include in the upcoming season occurs between the Artistic Director, Associate Artists, and Program Curator. Among other criteria, they prioritize work that showcases artists and performers of color, pieces that deal with traditionally marginalized topics and groups, and texts that will enhance New WORLD’s commitment to providing a diverse program that reaches a wide audience base.

The Tale:Npinpee Nckutchie and the Tail of the Golden Dek Reggie Wilson/Fist & Heel Performance Group Museum of Contemporary Art,On the Boards, Dance Theater Workshop, Myrna Loy Center/ Helena Presents; NPN Creation Fund Pictured: Pene McCourty, Michel Kouakou, Penelope Kalloo, Paul Hamilton PHOTO : JULIETA CERVANTES

Nocturnal Path Minh Tran & Company Myrna Loy Center/Helena Presents NPN Performance Residency Pictured: Jennifer Hong, Mike Barber, Jae Diego, Tere Mathern, Cydney Wilkes, Minh Tran PHOTO : BASIL CHILDERS

Birth of a nASIAN Slanty Eyed Mama New WORLD Theater NPN Performance Residency Pictured: Kate Rigg

NPN Partners

Museum of Contemporary Art

37

38

On the Boards

Out North

Painted Bride Art Center

PO Box 19515 Seattle, WA 98109-1515 206.217.9886 fax 206.217.9887 info@ontheboards.org www.ontheboards.org

3800 DeBarr Road Anchorage, AK 99508 907.279.8099 fax 907.279.8100 art@outnorth.org www.outnorth.org

230 Vine Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 215.925.9914 fax 215.925.7402 lisa@paintedbride.org www.paintedbride.org

Sarah Wilke, MANAGING DIRECTOR

Mike Huelsman, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Laurel Raczka, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

swilke@ontheboards.org Lane Czaplinski, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR lane@ontheboards.org

mike@outnorth.org

laurel@paintedbride.org Lisa Nelson-Haynes, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR lisa@paintedbride.org

Founded in 1978, the mission of On the Boards is to introduce audiences of the Pacific Northwest to international innovators in contemporary dance, theater, music, and multimedia, and to support the work of promising Northwest performing artists.

On the Boards strives to present new works, programming approximately 15 residencies per year from September through June. We present contemporary performance from all disciplines: dance, music, theater, performance art, multimedia, and new media. Typically, companies are in residence for one week. Production residencies and commissions are considered on a case-by-case basis. On the Boards has two venues: a 300 seat main stage and a 90 seat studio black box.

Out North discovers and shares cultural explorers who challenge and inspire our lives. We promote creative space where all generations gather and learn and champion, through the arts and humanities, people marginalized in our times. For two decades Out North has provided contemporary visual, media, literary, and live art and community dialogue opportunities found nowhere else in Alaska.

Out North invites two to four theater, puppetry, spoken word, and interdisciplinary solo artists or small ensembles per year for residencies in Anchorage after an Out North staff or board member has viewed the work in person.

Artists interested in working in our black box with a carpet-covered concrete floor should put Out North on their mailing and e-lists to keep us updated on engagements throughout the U.S. and abroad. Artists are encouraged to explore Out North’s website and other web references to Out North before making contact. Do not send videos or press packets. First enquiry by email is preferred, with links to websites that reference the artist and the work.

Located in Old City Philadelphia for over 30 years, the Painted Bride offers a space like no other to experience leading-edge contemporary artists with distinctive voices that reflect the rich cultural mosaic of our city. Presenting a jam-packed season of jazz, world music, dance, theater, performance art, video, poetry/spoken word, and educational and community events, the Bride offers artists from around the world and right here in the region. Our bi-level gallery offers exceptional exhibitions by artists who are breaking new ground in the visual arts. The Bride’s mission is to “work with artists to create and present programs that affirm the intrinsic values of all cultures, the inspirational and healing powers of the arts, and their ability to effect social change.”

Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis and are reviewed by curators and members of the community. For Jazz on Vine and World Music programs, submit a CD, press kit, and a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE). For Living Word Series please send ten pages of work in the order you would like them read, along with a SASE, cover letter, and resumé, including publications and readings if applicable. For Dance with the Bride and Theater programs, submit a video, resumé, press information, and SASE. (Videos must be marked with your address and phone number on the tape itself.) For Not Solely Cinema submit VHS formatted video, narrative, credits, resumé, bio material, and SASE. For Visual Arts Independent Curators Series submit a letter of intent, representative slides of the exhibition being proposed, and a resumé and references for the curator under consideration.

mockumentary Locust On the Boards NPN Performance Residency Pictured: Amy O’Neal, Jessie Smith, Jurg Koch, Amy Clem, Matthew Smith, Benjamin Maestas, Ellie Sandstrom PHOTO : SARA MURA

D.R.E.D. D.I.Y.A.A. Out North NPN Performance Residency PHOTO : PHILIP FRIEDMAN

Out of Sight!

Sara Felder Painted Bride Art Center NPN Creation Fund PHOTO : ROBERT CORWIN

Pat Graney Company

PS 122/Performance Space 122

711 West Lake Street, Suite 102 Minneapolis, MN 55408 612.822.0015 fax 612.821.1070 meena@pangeaworldtheater.org www.pangeaworldtheater.org

1419 South Jackson, Studio 11 Seattle, WA 98144 206.329.3705 fax 206.329.3730 pat@patgraney.org www.patgraney.org

150 First Avenue New York, NY 10009 212.477.5829 fax 212.353.1315 vallejo@ps122.org www.ps122.org

Meena Natarajan, EXECUTIVE / LITERARY DIRECTOR

Pat Graney, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Anne Dennin, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

meena@pangeaworldtheater.org Katie Herron, OFFICE MANAGER katie@pangeaworldtheater.org

pat@patgraney.org Jenny Gerber, BOOKKEEPER staff@patgraney.org

adennin@ps122.org Vallejo Gantner, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR vallejo@ps122.org

Pangea is committed to international works, styles and traditions that illuminate the human condition, end divisiveness, and celebrate differences. We strive to bring communities across the world together through theater productions, workshops and speakers. We view the stage as a powerful international forum and a podium for discussion. Throughout our work, we employ a cross-ethnic vision of tolerance and human rights through excellence in the arts.

The Artistic and Literary Directors select the artists who are presented. In addition, we have created a community leaders committee in many of the immigrant communities we are involved with. The individuals from these communities help us connect with community members and point us to artists of national and international caliber. They also help us with audience development and framing issues of concern for our panel discussions, and help organize residencies.

The Pat Graney Company creates, performs and tours dance/performance works, produces the work of other artists and offers arts-based educational programming to incarcerated women/ girls and other special populations.

We present artists within the prison system in Washington State. We present dance, music, literature, and theater. Artist selection for Prison Project by committee of collaborating artists and prison administration. Outside/Community presenting selection by Executive Director Pat Graney.

Performance Space 122 is a cultural center with two theatres located in the heart of the East Village of Manhattan. PS 122 was formerly Public School 122—abandoned by New York City in 1976, and colonized by artists and social service organizations in 1978. PS 122 is dedicated to creating opportunities for artists. It operates year-round with over 350 performances— 85 separate engagements of dance, theatre, spoken word, hip hop and performance art.

As a multi-disciplinary arts center, PS 122 is dedicated to finding, developing, and presenting new artistic creations from a diversity of cultures and points of view. PS 122 provides emerging and mid-career artists an environment that encourages exploration, innovation, and risk-taking.

Cooking con Karimi Kaotic Good Productions Pangea World Theater NPN Creation Fund Pictured: Robert Karimi PHOTO : LAWRENCE IRIARTE

The Vivian Girls Pat Graney Company

Moopim LeeSaar The Company PS 122/Performance Space 122 Pictured: Ellen Cremer, Saar Harari PHOTO : RACHEL ROBERTS

NPN Partners

Pangea World Theater

39

PICA/Portland Institute for Contemporary Art

Pregones Theater

REDCAT/Roy and Edna Disney, CalArts Theater

224 NW 13th Avenue #305 Portland, OR 97209 503.242.1419 x223 fax 503.243.1167 erin@pica.org www.pica.org

571-575 Walton Avenue Bronx, NY 10451 718.585.1202 fax 718.585.1608 info@pregones.org www.pregones.org

631 West 2nd Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 213.237.2810 fax 213.237.2811 george.lugg@calarts.edu www.redcat.org

Erin Boberg Doughton, PERFORMING ARTS

Alvan Colón-Lespier, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR acolonlespier@pregones.org Priscilla Aguilar, OUTREACH COORDINATOR paguilar@pregones.org

Mark Murphy, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Founded in 1995, PICA is a non-profit arts center with the mission of acknowledging and advancing the ideas in contemporary art.

Through exhibitions, performances, artist residencies, publications, and educational programs PICA enables artists and audiences alike to push the limits of artistic expression and provocative ideas that illuminate life in the here and now.

The TBA (Time Based Art) Festival brings together a remarkable group of artists from around the nation and around the world for ten days of thoughtful, innovative, and inspiring performances that address the cultures, aesthetics, issues, and ideas of today. Drawing on the vast and varied traditions of theatre, dance, performance, media, and visual art, and building on these to create new forms, the innovative projects presented at TBA often defy categorization.

TBA 06 and 07 are curated by Guest Artistic Director Mark Russell with Performing Arts Program Director Erin Boberg Doughton and Visual Art Program Director Kristan Kennedy.

Work is reviewed on an ongoing basis, and festivals are programmed 1-2 years in advance.

Pregones Theater is a Puerto Rican producing and presenting theater company, founded in 1979 and based in the Bronx. Through our major programs—Main Stage, Summer Tour, Residency/Touring and Visiting Artist Series— we offer our communities an artistic means to challenge and enhance our roles in society.

The artistic team sketches out a season in yearly planning meetings, outlining desirability, and appropriateness of artists to be presented.

Visiting Artists’ compatibility with our mission is crucial in the selection process, as is venue availability and budget.

REDCAT is a center for innovative performing, visual and media arts, which introduces diverse audiences and artists to the most influential developments in the arts from throughout the world, and provides Los Angeles artists with opportunities to develop new work. Opened in 2003 by the California Institute of the Arts, REDCAT is located in the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall complex in downtown Los Angeles. REDCAT features a flexible black box theater of 200 to 270 seats and a 3,000 square foot exhibition space.

REDCAT’s programming values artists who blur the boundaries between artistic disciplines, cross international borders in their collaborations, experiment with varied artistic traditions and invent or use new technology in developing new forms of expression. As many as 200 events are presented each year, including performances, screenings, discussions, readings, and exhibitions. The year-round programming is overseen by the Executive Director, often in collaboration with curatorial partners, including many affiliated with CalArts. Most artists are selected 12 to 18 months in advance. The gallery curator oversees all exhibition programs.

Convenience Locust PICA/Portland Institute for Contemporary Art PHOTO : SERENA DAVIDSON

¡Ay, Jesús! Oh Jesus!

Pregones Theater Pictured: Jorge B. Merced, Desmar Guevara

Fifth Commandment Elia Arce REDCAT/Roy and Edna Disney, CalArts Theater FITLA/International Latino Theater Festival of Los Angeles, DiverseWorks, Jump-Start Performance Co. NPN Performance Residency PHOTO : MARTIN COX

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

erin@pica.org

Victoria Frey, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

vic@pica.org

40

mmurphy@calarts.edu George Lugg, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR george.lugg@calarts.edu

Sandglass Theater

Skirball Cultural Center

South Dallas Cultural Center

PO Box 970 Putney, VT 05346 802.387.4051 fax 802.387.4051 info@sandglasstheater.org www.sandglasstheater.org

2701 North Sepulveda Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90049 310.440.4500 fax 310.440.4695 info@skirball.org www.skirball.org

2618 Warren Avenue Dallas, TX 75215 214.939.2787 fax 214.670.8118 vsmeek@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us www.dallasculture.org

Leslie Turpin, MANAGING DIRECTOR

Amina Sanchez, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR -

Vicki Meek , MANAGER

PROGRAM DEPARTMENT

amina@skirball.org

Jordan Peimer, PROGRAM DIRECTOR

jpeimer@skirball.org

vsmeek@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us Sidney Davis, TECHNICAL COORDINATOR sdavis@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us

Our mission is to present, develop, and support innovative theatrical work, to provide our audience with a broad interpretation of theater, and to encourage dialogue across ages and cultures.

Sandglass is a touring theater company dedicated to the use of the puppet as a theatrical medium, often in collaboration with actors, artists, and composers. We have become increasingly interested in other media, current issues, and a range of ensemble theater forms and collaborations. We have been presenting guest artists to the local community since 1996, including biannual seasons in our 60 seat theater and biannual international puppet festivals in local venues.

Located in a village in Southeastern Vermont, we serve a predominantly white and rural extended community of about 30,000. There is strong interest in multi-cultural, urban, and world affairs and recently we have shifted our programming toward new media and current issues around multi-cultural identity and diversity. Increasingly, we present theme-based series in order to develop an extended dialogue over a period of several weeks. Our `Theater as Memoir’ series in 2003 opened the door for exploration of diverse cultural identities. This theme was broadened and deepened in 2005 with our first `Voices of Community’ which will continue in 2007.

Skirball embraces all cultural and religious groups, providing a welcoming environment for everyone. Skirball connects communities served with artists presented through a number of outlets. The mission of the Skirball Cultural Center is to explore the connections between four thousand years of Jewish heritage and the vitality of American democratic ideals. It welcomes and seeks to inspire people of every ethnic and cultural identity. Guided by our respective memories and experiences, together we aspire to build a society in which all of us can feel at home.

The South Dallas Cultural Center is an Afrocentric center that provides instruction and enrichment in the performing, literary, media, and visual arts. The program emphasizes the African contribution to world culture.

The 18,000 square foot facility features a 100-seat black box theater; a visual arts gallery; studios for dance, 2 & 3 dimensional arts, and photography; a 48 track digital recording studio; and a video production studio with AVID & Adobe Premiere editing systems. The Center’s program places a high value on works that explore contemporary issues facing the African world community, particularly those that seek to inform the audience about the interrelatedness of people of color. The South Dallas Cultural Center’s programming committee comprised of the Manager, Technical Coordinator, and six contracted artists select the artists for the season.

Between Sand and Stars Sandglass Theater A collaboration with Nimble Arts PHOTO : RICHARD TERMINE

Sidi Goma Skirball Cultural Center PHOTO : JOHN ELDER

Hannibal Lokumbe South Dallas Cultural Center NPN Performance Residency

NPN Partners

leslie@sandglasstheater.org Eric Bass, CO - ARTISTIC DIRECTOR eric@sandglasstheater.org

41

42

St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc.

Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Inc.

The Theater Offensive

Hayti Heritage Center 804 Old Fayetteville Street Durham, NC 27701 919.683.1709 fax 919.682.5869 hayti@hayti.org www.hayti.org

PO Box 518 Tampa, FL 33601-0518 813.222.1087 fax 813.222.1057 donna.mcbride@tbpac.org www.tbpac.org

43 Thorndike Street, Box 14 Cambridge, MA 02141-1733 617.621-6090 fax 617.621.6060 eve@theatheateroffensive.org www.thetheateroffensive.org

V. Dianne Pledger, PRESIDENT/ CEO

Karla Hartley, SHIMBERG PLAYHOUSE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Eve Alpern, PRODUCING DIRECTOR

vdpledger@hayti.org Janella Sellars, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT jsellars@hayti.org

karla.hartley@tbpac.org Donna McBride, DIRECTOR OF GRANTS donna.mcbride@tbpac.org

eve@thetheateroffensive.org Abe Rybeck , ARTISTIC DIRECTOR abe@thetheateroffensive.org

St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. (SJHF) was established in August 1975 with the intent of preserving the embellished old sanctuary of the former St. Joseph’s AME Church and adapting it for cultural and civic purposes. SJHF’s mission is to preserve and promote understanding of and appreciation for the African American experience and contributions to world culture.

This mission is accomplished through enlightening and enriching programs in cultural arts and education. The church complex, renamed the Hayti Heritage Center, is listed on the register of national historic landmarks.

The St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation/Hayti Heritage Center is an agent of social change with a long-term commitment to utilizing the arts as a tool for bringing communities together and establishing common ground between the races. The Foundation is committed to providing the local community, as well as patrons-at-large, with leading African American artists, theater productions, and programs that define history and traditional techniques, as well as ceremonial, social, sacred, and contemporary works.

These anchor programs intermix local, regional, and national artists in programs for all ages and socio-economic demographics. Anchor programs consist of: Lyda Moore Merrick Gallery Exhibitions, ArtsQuest Summer Camp, Bull Durham Blues Festival, Heritage Arts for Youth Residency Programs, Concert Series (JazzRhythm & Blues-Gospel), Kwanzaa Celebration, Raise A Reader Book Fair, Black Diaspora Film Festival, community rental space, and historic preservation/archival collection.

The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center is the largest performing arts center in the Southeast, and is consistently ranked among the top ten performing arts centers in the nation in terms of size, budget, number of theatres, number of performances, and attendance. With five stateof-the-art theatres, The Center presents and produces shows ranging from full-scale touring Broadway productions and grand operas to full length plays and intimate performance art. All performing arts disciplines are represented at The Center with more than 600 performances serving over 600,000 people each year. High priority is given to The Center’s cultural enrichment and arts education programs for school children. The Center’s 30+ education programs serve approximately 60,000 students of all ages annually. On-site arts education programs are housed in the newly opened Dr. Pallavi Patel Performing Arts Conservatory, located on The Center’s main campus.

The Center’s artist selection and programming is lead by Judy Lisi, TBPAC President, and a diverse programming staff with extensive experience in presenting and producing all performing arts disciplines. Planning includes exposing citizens in our region to all the performing arts and serving a broad spectrum of arts and culture interests. Presenting and producing program staff utilize a wide array of techniques to secure offerings, including professional associations, research, interviews, auditions, conferences, and showcases.

The Theater Offensive creates innovative artistic/activist programs in diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (queer) communities.

We grew out of a guerrilla theater troupe in 1989 and became a charter Resident Company at the Boston Center for the Arts and the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center. Most of our works are by people of color and most are by women. Our core programs include: OUT on the Edge queer theater festival; True Colors youth theater; Plays At Work development series; A Street Theater Named Desire AIDS activist troupe; DAGGER women and girls street theater; and full productions of original works.

Our artistic staff works within our strategic plan to program theater and performance pieces which most vibrantly activate our mission: To form and present the diverse realities of queer lives in art so bold it breaks through personal isolation and political orthodoxy to build a more honest progressive community. Each September our OUT On The Edge festival of queer theater presents 2-6 fully realized touring pieces, generally from out of town.

We develop 3-5 new works by local artists in our annual Plays At Work series. Our full productions are usually drawn from these workshops.

Submissions are usually needed by March 31.

Cultural Odyssey St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. NPN Performance Residency Pictured: Rhodessa Jones

Holy Cross Sucks!

Nash Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Inc. NPN Performing Americas Project Pictured: Rob Nash PHOTO : RICHARD DEBELLA

Nut/Cracked David Parker & The Bang Group The Theater Offensive NPN Performance Residency Pictured: Amber Sloan, David Parker, Emily Tschiffely, Jeffrey Kazin PHOTO : RICHARD TERMINÉ

Walker Art Center

Wexner Center for the Arts/ The Ohio State University

842 NW 9th Court Miami, FL 33136 305.324.4337 fax 305.545.8546 email@tigertail.org www.tigertail.org

1750 Hennepin Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55403 612.375.7624 fax 612.375.7618 info@walkerart.org www.walkerart.org

1871 North High Street Columbus, OH 43202 614.292.5785 fax 614.292.7824 chelm@wexarts.org www.wexarts.org

Mary Luft, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Philip Bither, SENIOR CURATOR - PERFORMING ARTS

Charles Helm, DIRECTOR

mluft@tigertail.org Robert Rosenberg, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR robert@tigertail.org

philip.bither@walkerart.org Julie Voigt, SENIOR PROGRAM OFFICER - PERFORMING ARTS julie.voigt@walkerart.org

chelm@wexarts.org Barbara Thatcher, PROGRAM ASSOCIATE bthatcher@wexarts.org

Founded in 1979, Tigertail exists to engage audiences, artists, and special populations in the appreciation of cultures through the creation, support, and presentation of innovative work in the performing, visual, and literary arts. Tigertail Productions is Florida’s pioneer of innovative art. Tigertail is a catalyst and connector, putting in motion dynamic people, and provocative projects. Tigertail projects reflect the socio-economic range, diversity, and profile of Miami-Dade. Our focus in on the new—art of our time that reflects current directions and thinking.

Our artist selection is a creative, flexible, evolutionary process. It is based on the curatorial eye of director Mary Luft, but informed by a collection of artists and organizations.

Observation, discussion, and digestion are primary elements. We are anthropocentric in process. Tigertail commissions new work, produces international events, co-presents a mixedability dance project, publishes annually a book of poetry, administers professional development grants for artists, programs, and runs a free 8week summer youth art camp and produces a spoken word teen project.

Dedicated to the visual, performing, and media arts of our time, the Walker Art Center houses one of the largest museum-based performing arts departments in the country and is involved with the commissioning, development, and/or presentation of 60-70 dance, music, theater, and performance events each season. Committed to both emerging artists and contemporary masters, the Walker is actively engaged in the support of new work on local, national, and international levels. In recent years, the Walker has increasingly supported and presented a wide range of performance work from around the globe.

We present projects across the following disciplines: contemporary dance, dance-theater, experimental theater, new music-theater, performance art, new puppetry, avant-jazz, electronic music, contemporary classical music, international/global music, and experimental pop/rock. The Walker supports established and innovative masters, mid-career artists, and a range of emerging voices. We commission and present work by local, national, and international artists and sponsor numerous artist residencies each season. While the vast majority of the work we support involves artists we have on-going relationships with or those whom we have researched and sought out, we remain open to receiving proposals and inquiries from artists forging new directions in the art forms within which we work.

The Wexner Center for the Arts is a multidisciplinary complex at The Ohio State University dedicated to the contemporary arts and their audiences. With active programs in performing arts, visual arts, media arts, and education, the Center also serves as a creative laboratory sponsoring commissions and creative residencies annually. In 2006-07 we are providing residency/commissioning support for new productions by The SITI Company, a duet collaboration between dancers Akram Khan and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, a new suite by guitarist Bill Frisell, and a duet dance collaboration with Meg Stuart and Phillipp Gehmacher.

Artists are selected for our performing arts season of dance, theater, and music events by a curatorial process. Our mission as a contemporary art center includes presenting work by a diverse spectrum of emerging talent, mature innovators, and contemporary masters. Presenting global perspectives from international arts leaders is a priority, as is providing contextual material about the ideas that inform art making for our audiences. We invest in the creative process through our creative residency program and commissioning initiatives to provide significant support for significant projects in all disciplines. We strive to provide unique arts experiences for The Ohio State University and for the Columbus community and this region.

Not Yet Elana Lanczi and John Beauregard Tigertail Productions, Inc. NPN Miami Area Showcase NPN Convenings PHOTO : MONDO BIZARRO

Knock on the Sky Teo Castellanos/D-Project Walker Art Center, Flynn Center for the Performing Arts NPN Creation Fund Pictured: Oguri, Dawn Saito PHOTO : MICHAEL HABERZ

Landing/Place Wexner Center for the Arts, Dance Theater Workshop, Bates Dance Festival NPN Performance Residency Pictured: Darrell Jones, Angie Hauser, Kathleen Hermesdorf PHOTO : JULIETA CERVANTES

NPN Partners

Tigertail Productions, Inc.

43

Women & Their Work

Xicanindio Artes, Inc.

Youth Speaks, Inc.

1710 Lavaca Street Austin, TX 78701 512.477.1064 fax 512.477.1090 wtw@texas.net www.womenandtheirwork.org

PO Box 1242 Mesa, AZ 85211-1242 480.833.5875 fax 480.890.2327 xicanindio@xicanindio.com www.xicanindio.com

290 Division Street, Suite 302 San Francisco, CA 94103 415.255.9035 fax 415.255.9065 jason@youthspeaks.org www.youthspeaks.org

Chris Cowden, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Gema Duarte Luna, BOARD OF DIRECTORS / CHAIR xicanindio@xicanindio.com

Jason Mateo, ASSOCIATE PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Now celebrating its 28th anniversary, Women & Their Work presents more than 50 events each year in visual art, music, theater, film, and video.

Women & Their Work emphasizes women’s contributions to culture and provides professional opportunities for their work. W&TW also offers artists technical assistance and fiscal sponsorship to foster their artistic development.

W&TW reviews proposals from artists throughout the year. Send information and we will request a video if needed. We expect to expand dance presenting upon the completion of the Long Performing Arts Center here in Austin in 2007. We will present 2 or 3 out of state artists in 2006-2007.

Xicanindio Artes, Inc. is a multidisciplinary arts organization, fostering and presenting indigenous art and culture to Arizona audiences.

Xicanindio is committed to promoting crosscultural understanding, bringing access to these art forms to non-traditional sites and to underserved segments of the community.

Xicanindio primarily presents performances that are reflective of the Latino/Chicano and American Indian experience. Artists are selected a year in advance. Artists should be prepared to work in non-traditional settings for residency activities.

Youth Speaks is building the next generation of leaders through the written and spoken word.

A non-profit literary arts, education, and cultural resource center for teenagers, emerging writers, and literary performance, our innovative programs nurture and develop positive social dialogue across boundaries of age, race, class, gender, culture, and sexual orientation.

We encourage young writers to find their own avenues toward creative self-expression and embrace the collaborative nature of group dynamics and peer-to-peer education. By coupling performance and publication opportunities with educational workshops, mentoring programs, and cooperative learning, Youth Speaks is committed to creating spaces that celebrate emerging voices and their essential role in the literary continuum.

Youth Speaks Program staff selects Residency and Creation Fund projects with artists who work in spoken word, hip hop theater, multidisciplinary, and literary performance for presentation at two large performance festivals, including the Hip Hop Theater Festival in May and the Living Word Festival in October. Artists must be committed to collaborating with talented, articulate urban youth of color.

Up Wake Part III Women & Their Work NPN Performance Residency Pictured: Natasha Tsakos PHOTO : TRAVIS NEFF

Fear of a Brown Planet Chicano Messengers of Spoken Word MECA/Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts Xicanindio Artes, Inc., Youth Speaks, Inc. NPN Creation Fund Pictured: Marc Pinate, Amalia Ortiz, Paul S. Flores PHOTO : SCOTT CHERNIS

Birth of a nASIAN Slanty Eyed Mama Youth Speaks, Inc., MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana NPN Performance Residency Pictured: Slanty Eyed Mama, Youthspeaks kids after open mic special performance and master classes

cowden@texas.net Katherine McQueen, PROGRAM DIRECTOR

wtw@texas.net

44

jason@youthspeaks.org Marc Bamuthi Joseph, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR mbj@youthspeaks.org

Credits

Cover Photo Credits TOP - LEFT

Knock on the Sky Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, Walker Art Center NPN Creation Fund Pictured: Oguri, Dawn Saito PHOTO : MICHAEL HABERZ TOP - RIGHT

Scourge Bates Dance Festival NPN Creation Fund Pictured: Marc Bamuthi Joseph PHOTO : ARTHUR FINK BOTTOM - LEFT-TOP Shhh!

Step Afrika!

Pictured: Tamika McIntosh PHOTO : ENOCH CHAN BOTTOM - RIGHT

Up Wake Part III Women & Their Work NPN Performance Residency Pictured: Natasha Tsakos PHOTO : TRAVIS NEFF BOTTOM - LEFT- MIDDLE

Beakman in Person!

The Theater Offensive Pictured: Paul Zaloom PHOTO : HOWARD WISE BOTTOM - LEFT- BOTTOM

Queer Theory: A Musical Travesty!

The Theater Offensive Pictured: Tom Bardwell, Margaret Ann Brady PHOTO : CRAIG BAILEY

Designer Bryan Jeffrey Graham, www.bigtada.com

Editors Michelle Doan Warner, June Wilson, Stanlyn BrevĂŠ

National Performance Network 831 Elysian Fields Ave, Box 305 New Orleans, LA 70117 tel (866) 297-8890 / (504) 595-8008 fax (504) 595-8006 email info@npnweb.org web www.npnweb.org