FESTIVALS WITHOUT BORDERS

With Robert Baird

BOOKING FOREIGN ARTISTS TO ENGAGE YOUR AUDIENCE AND ENHANCE YOUR FESTIVAL

The world is full of talented artists and the entertainment programmer at any festival must sift through a lot of material and be tuned in to what will attract attendees to a festival because of the entertainment offerings. How does one go about finding artists? One does so through word of mouth, research, attending concerts and conferences and community cultural connections.

a. Word of Mouth – How often do we get a recommendation from a friend or colleague that we should “check out” this singer or that group? Often these “word-of-mouth” recommendations will expose us to artists with whom we might not be familiar and who might just fill the bill for our festival. Do not fail to check out any such recommendation. Talk to festival colleagues who book artists. Find out who was successful, who was not, who was good to work with, who was not, who would they have back?

b. Research – Find out who is “hot” or unusual or suitable for your festival theme, audience demographic, etc. Check the charts available, such as the Billboard World Music Chart, for information on the popularity and concert information for many groups. Listening to and watching various media as well as paying attention to ads in newspapers and other publications will inform you as to which artists are popular.

c. Attend Concerts and Conventions if at all possible. Seeing an artist perform will give you the best sense of what they do, and how they come across to an audience. Many conferences have artist showcases where you can experience a snippet of performance and, hopefully, be able to make a judgment as to how they would do in your festival. Here are some suggested conferences where you can experience showcases by foreign artists:

• APAP (Association of Performing Arts Professionals) Held in New York City in early January, this conference features attendees from all over the world (3500 in attendance) and showcases by artists from around the world (over 1000 showcases at the Hilton hotel and in various venues throughout the city.) For more information: www.apap365.org

• ISPA (International Society for the Performing Arts) Held in New York City either before or after APAP, ISPA features delegates from virtually every country and also features informative sessions by foreign artists looking to tour the United States. The artists represent many cultures and provide a feast for ear and eye with their unique performances. For more information: www.ispa.org

These two major conferences require a substantial investment in time and money (New York City is an expensive city in which to spend any time). Fortunately, there are regional conferences which provide opportunities for foreign artists to showcase. These include:

• WAA – Western Arts Alliance (www.westarts.org) Held in various locations on the west coast, this conference is creative and informative and provides a few opportunities for artists to showcase as part of the conference and opportunities for independent showcases.

• Arts Midwest (www.artsmidwest.org) Considered by many to be the premier regional arts conference in the USA, Arts Midwest provides both juried and independent showcases. It is held in various locations in mid-America.

• Arts Northwest (www.artsnw.org) Held in Oregon, Washington or Idaho annually. A smaller regional conference but there are many showcases to see.

If the regionals seem daunting, then you can certainly start closer to home with one of these state conferences:

• ArtsMarket – North Carolina Presenters Consortium (www. ncpresenters.org ) Held in November in Durham NC

• Ohio Arts Professional Network (www.oapn.org) Held in various Ohio cities in September.

• PA Presenters (www.papresenters.org) Conference held in June in various PA cities.

• Mid-Atlantic Performing Arts Market (MAPAM) – alternates with Arts Market bi-annually and is held in November.

Investigate the showcases being offered at these conferences and make a note of the ones you think might be suitable for your particular festival.

d. Community Cultural Connections should be investigated in the locale where your festival is held. Often there will be cultural associations representing various countries and they can provide guidance in choosing artists and support in bringing them to your festival. Increasing the demographic appeal of your festival can only result in increased attendance.

Booking foreign artists can provide a whole new dimension to your festival and programming into various cultural areas will create a widespread appeal for attendees.

Robert Baird is President of BAM! Baird Artists Management Consulting in Toronto, Canada and an acknowledged expert in international touring including visas, withholding and taxation. He offers free advice to artists, agents, managers and venues and has an international clientele. He served for many years on the Executive Board of Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO) and is a former Vice-President of that organization. He can be reached at: P: 1-800-867-3281 E: robert@bairdartists.com or for more information go to: www.bairdartists.com

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