International Performing Arts Presenters Conference in Maine this August

The Maine Arts Commission today announced a three day conference between New England and Canadian presenting organizations a week after Governor John Baldacci signed a Memorandum of Understanding with New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham to improve international cultural cooperation. Conference organizers are seeking to improve performing arts touring and cultural exchanges between the two regions to enrich the Northeast culturally, economically and socially.

From August 4 to 6, the Collins Center for the Arts in Orono will be the venue for a gathering of performing arts presenters from at least six Canadian provinces and the New England states. The conference aims to improve the cultural landscape in three ways: it will create time and space for directors of presenting organizations to meet, build partnerships, and share information about booking practices; it will encourage conversations about bringing arts and culture into business and trade practices; and it will provide a platform to inform the national conversation around problems involving artist work visas and artist travel.

The conference, aptly named “Over the Edge,” will feature challenging and topical panel discussions that will produce the “next steps” for tackling the important issues that this convention will raise. The conference will also include several live performance showcases that feature artists from Maine, Canada and New England.

Thanks to the generosity of the Collins Center and local sponsors, the Over the Edge conference is free to attend. It begins August 4 and continues until August 6; those wishing to attend must reserve their place by calling the Collins Center for the Arts at 207/581-1804. Full details of the conference can be obtained from the website of the Maine Arts Commission at MaineArts.com, or by calling Kerstin Gilg at 207/287-6719.