Free Shuttle to NEFA Idea Swap

The New England Foundation for the Arts Idea Swap will take place in Worcester Massachusetts on November 8, 2012 (9:30am – 3:45pm at Mechanics Hall). The Idea Swap provides an opportunity for nonprofit presenting organizations to network, share project ideas and build partnerships that may qualify for funding from the Expeditions grant program.

The Maine Arts Commission would like to encourage presenting organization staff from Maine to attend. To do this we are providing a free shuttle service between Portland and the conference. A van will leave Portland (from the Portland Mall) at 6:00 a.m., on November 8, to arrive in Worcester at 9:30 a.m. The van will leave Worcester at 4:00 p.m., arriving back in Portland at 6:30 p.m.

If you would like to take advantage of this free shuttle service please contact Kerstin Gilg at the Maine Arts Commission. This offer will expire when the seats are filled. This trip was extremely popular last year and we expect seats to go quickly, so please contact Kerstin as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Kerstin can be reached through e-mail at kerstin.gilg@maine.gov, or by phone at 207/287-6719.

Idea Swap Registration Is Now Open!

New England Foundation for the Arts has opened the registration for the 11th Annual Idea Swap. The conference will be held November 8, at Mechanics Hall in Worcester MA.

The Idea Swap is an annual event for New England-based nonprofit presenting organizations to network and share project ideas that may qualify for funding from NEFA’s Expeditions grant program.

Registration is $40 before September 28, After that registration will be $50.
Click here to register.

  

Contact East, Earlybird Deadline August 15

Contact East 2012 will be in Fredericton New Brunswick on September 19 to 23. Sponsored by the Atlantic Presenters Association, the conference will feature some of the best theatre, music and dance that Atlantic Canada has to offer. Early bird pricing ends August 15, so register today.

Organizers of  Contact East would like to see New England presenters at this event where artists showcase their talents to regional, national and international buyers. In addition to live showcases, participants can attend an industry conference comprised of panels, educational workshops, and a Contact Room where managers, presenters and artists can meet to do business.

If you are interested in attending you should also look into the Presenter Travel Fund at NEFA, which provides financial assistance to arts programmers and curatorial staff in New England. Presenter Travel funds can be used to help cover the costs of attending the Contact East Conference.
http://www.nefa.org/grants_services/presenter_travel_fund 

NEFA, Touring Grant Deadline Sept 4

New England States Touring (NEST) provides support to New England-based nonprofit organizations (presenters) for performances and community activities by select New England performing artists. NEST support is primarily designed to support presentations of New England-based artists from outside of the presenter’s state.

Any nonprofit, school, or government entity based in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) is eligible to apply for NEST funding. The nonprofit organization does not need to be an arts organization. An organization that does not have a federal tax identification number may apply as long as it is part of an official government agency.

NEST artists are performing artists from New England who meet the NEST Artist Requirements on MatchBook.org. They represent a wide range of disciplines, such as music, dance, opera, musical theater, poetry, writing, storytelling, interdisciplinary work, and folk arts, must be available for public performances, and maintain a permanent residence in New England.

Next Deadline September 4, 2012
More information can be found on the NEFA site.

Center Stage Artists Come To Maine.

Center Stage is a groundbreaking program designed to bring diplomacy to Main Street by bringing ten striking foreign performing ensembles to the U.S. for month-long tours from June-December 2012. Sufi-rock bands from Lahore…master Haitian troubadours…puppetry and Hip Hop collectives from Yogyakarta…power-house contemporary dance companies from Port-au-Prince and Padang…Acclaimed at home but little-known to many Americans, performing artists from Pakistan, Haiti, and Indonesia will tour the U.S. through the Center Stage program. 

Tonight and tomorrow Arieb Azhar (Islamabad, Pakistan) will be performing at One Longfellow Square, as part of the Portland Performing Arts Festival. The show begins at 7:30, be sure to attend if you can. One Longfellow Square is offering 2 for 1 tickets at the door.

Arieb Azhar (Islamabad, Pakistan) playing at Acoustic Artisans 11am Thursday, touring Portland before performing at One Longfellow Square as part of the Portland Performing Arts Festival.

 

NEFA Presenter Travel Funds Available!

The Presenter Travel Fund provides monetary assistance to arts programmers and curatorial staff in New England and are distributed in the order of first come first serve. 

Applicants may apply for funding to help cover the expense of attending festivals, showcases, conferences, or other cultural events where they can see artistic work that they may present in their own community.

Any nonprofit, school, or government entity based in New England is eligible to apply. The nonprofit organization does not need to be an arts organization. An organization that does not have a federal tax identification number (such as a national historic park) may apply as long as it is part of an official government agency (such as the National Park Service).

http://www.nefa.org/grants_services/presenter_travel_fund

I highly recommend Maine programmers consider attending the Contact East Conference in September (Fredericton NB)

http://www.contacteast.ca/  

Other Canadian offerings include:

The Saint John Sculpture Symposium (Aug)
http://www.sculpturesaintjohn.com/

Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival (Sept)
http://www.harvestjazzandblues.com/

The Canadian Folk Music Awards (Nov)
http://folkawards.ca/

Some other things that you may want to attend include:

TCG National Conference (June)
http://www.tcg.org/events/conference/index.cfm

The Mass Moca Canada Exhibit (June)
http://www.massmoca.org/

NEFA Idea Swap (Nov)
http://www.nefa.org/grants_services/idea_swap

National Arts Marketing Conference (Nov)
http://artsmarketing.org/conference

Art Basel (Dec)
http://www.artbaselmiamibeach.com

NEFA Expeditions Tour Planning & Touring Grant Deadline Feb 17.

This is just a friendly reminder that the annual deadline for Expeditions Tour Planning and Touring is February 17, 2012.

Nonprofit organizations based in New England may apply for Expeditions funding. Grants support the tour planning or touring of projects, and are awarded on a competitive basis.

Program goals include:

Support New England as a region which nurtures the planning and implementation of high quality arts projects for region-wide tourin

Broaden the range of arts projects and activities available to New England communities

Encourage thorough planning with communities to provide meaningful interaction with artists

Stimulate better collaborative opportunities in arts touring and presenting

For more information you can go to the NEFA website at http://www.nefa.org/grants_services/expeditions

Nefa New England States Touring/ Meet the Composer

The next deadline for both a New England States Touring (NEST) grant and a Meet the Composer/New England grant is December 1, 2011.

NEFA's NEST grant program provides support to nonprofit organizations based in New England for community-related activities by select New England performing artists from outside of the presenter's state. Click for details and to apply.

Nonprofit organizations in New England may apply for Meet the Composer/New England. Eligible projects encompass the full range of music composition, including jazz, classical, and songwriting. Click for details and to apply.

Free Travel and Price Reduction to Idea Swap!

The Maine Arts Commission is offering a deal on attending the Tenth Annual New England Idea Swap. The Maine Arts Commission will be providing shuttle service between Augusta, Portland and the conference. The agency also offering 25 percent off the registration price (down to $37.50 from $50) for Mainers using the service. Seating is limited so reserve your place now. This offer ends when the shuttle is at capacity.

The event will take place in Worcester, Massachusetts on Wednesday, November 2 (9:30am – 3:30pm). It will be an opportunity for nonprofit presenting organizations to network, share project ideas and build partnerships. The Idea Swap is hosted by the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) and connects directly to possible funding from the NEFA Expeditions grant program. Snacks and lunch are provided as part of the conference.

To reserve you place at the conference and on the shuttle contact:
Kerstin Gilg, Maine Arts Commission
207/287.6719 (kerstin.gilg@maine.gov)
(Do not register online, if you register online you will NOT get the discount)

People in the northern part of the state may want to consider traveling to Portland or Augusta the night before.

On November 2

The shuttle will leave The Maine Arts Commission parking lot in Augusta at 6am
The shuttle will leave Portland Mall parking lot (in front of Best Buy) at 7am
The shuttle will arrive at Mechanics Hall in Worcester at 9:45am

The shuttle will leave Mechanics Hall in Worcester at 4:30pm
Arriving in Portland at 7pm and Augusta at 8pm

Best Buy in Portland
364 Maine Mall Rd
South Portland, ME 04106

Maine Arts Commission
193 State Street
Augusta ME, 04333

Mechanics Hall
321 Main Street,
Worcester, MA 01608

APAP Exchange Funds/ NEFA Travel Funds

The Association of Performing Arts Presenters Cultural Exchange Fund is a travel subsidy program supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to assist U.S.-based presenting professionals. All applicants must be active members of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters.

The maximum amount awarded per individual organization, inclusive of travel costs and per diem, is $2,000. Group travel subsidies will be awarded only to groups of three or more individuals from different member presenting organizations. The maximum award for a group is $10,000. The deadline is November 4, 2011, for the travel period December 2011 to June 2012. Full information can be found on the APAP site http://www.apap365.org/KNOWLEDGE/GrantPrograms/Pages/CEF3.aspx.

The New England Foundation for the Arts also has travel funds available. The Presenter Travel Fund provides monetary assistance to arts programmers or curatorial staff in New England. Applicants may apply for funding to help cover the expense of attending festivals, showcases, conferences, or other cultural events where they can see artistic work that they may present in their own community. Applicants should apply 30 days or more before the time of travel. More information can be found on the NEFA site at http://www.nefa.org/grants_services/presenter_travel_fund

NEFA Opportunities!

The next deadline for a New England States Touring (NEST) grant is September 1, 2011. The NEST grant program provides support to nonprofit organizations based in New England for community-related activities by select New England performing artists from outside of the presenter's state.

NEFA also has a Presenters Travel Fund to provide monetary assistance to arts programmers or curatorial staff in New England. Applicants may apply for funding to help cover the expense of attending festivals, showcases, conferences, or other cultural events where they can see artistic work. Applications must be sent to NEFA at least one calendar month prior to the departure date of the proposed trip.

Its never too soon to think about Meet The Composer funds. Designed to increase opportunities for New England composers and encourage meaningful interactions between composers, their music, and the citizens of New England. Eligible projects encompass the full range of music composition, including jazz, classical, and songwriting. Grants range from $200 to $2,500 and are available in amounts of up to 50% of the composer's fee, inclusive of honoraria, travel, and per diem. Deadline December 1, 2011.

Congratulations NEST Recipients

New England States Touring (NEST) program from the New England Foundation For the Arts (NEFA) provides support to nonprofit organizations based in New England for community-related activities by select New England performing artists from outside of the presenter's state. Any nonprofit, school, or government entity based in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) is eligible to apply for a NEST grant.

The most recent Maine recipients of this grant include:

Mahoosuc Arts Council, to support touring the Bosoma Dance Company, Incorporated / Boston Somatic Dance Company to Maine in October.

Merriconeag Waldorf School, to support the touring of Circus Smirkus to Maine in August

Opera House Arts at the Stonington Opera House, to support the touring of Cordis to Maine in August.

Bates Dance Festival, to support the touring of Race Dance to Maine in July

Franco-American Heritage Center at St. Mary's, to support the touring of Laszlo Gardony Group to Maine in October.

Beehive Design Collective, to support the touring of Shirim Klezmer Orchestra to Maine in August.

Space Gallery, to support the touring of What Cheer? Brigade to Maine in September.

If you have the opportunity, please support these organizations and these artists. A complete list of NEST recipients can be found here.

If you are interested in the NEST program visit the NEST page at NEFA. The next deadline for applications is June 1.

Don't miss the Creative Communities Exchange Conference!

Presented at Mass MoCA on May 19 & 20, 2011, the Creative Communities Exchange conference will build upon the progress of the 2010 Rhode Island Connecting Creative Communities summit.

The Creative Communities Exchange is a day and a half of workshops prepared by creative and cultural community leaders. The Exchange is an opportunity to move beyond connecting with peers to learn about model projects directly from those developing creative communities on the local level. Workshops will focus on the implementation of successful creative economy work and presenters will provide valuable information and actionable tools. The event is hosted by NEFA and Berkshire Creative, and sponsored by Autodesk, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, MASS MoCA, Red Lion Inn/Porches Inn, Trinity Financial, and Art New England.

Creative Communities Exchange will take place in North Adams Massachusetts May 19 and 20.
Early Bird Registration ($80) till May 1. Registration will be open until May 15 ($100). More information is available on the NEFA website.

NEFA Seeks Proposals for Impact Study

NEFA seeks research proposals for the next economic and community impact study of New England arts and culture nonprofits to be published during summer 2011. Deadline for submitting proposals is January 31, 2011.

Using the 2005 Update methodology and CultureCount’s comprehensive data store as primary resources, the proposed nonprofit study should:
• Use publicly available data and a transparent and replicable methodology (NEFA will provide digitized IRS Form 990 data)
• Provide analysis of the financial data of the cultural nonprofit sector by state and discipline
• Provide economic impact estimates for state-level arts advocacy of each New England state
• Compare recent financial data with that of the prior three years
• Make meaning of the data with narrative descriptions

All research proposals should include:
1. Research question/objectives
2. Study design and methodology
3. Qualification of investigators and collaborators
4. Budget request (appropriate for work anticipated, additional data acquisition fees, time, and rationale included)

Please direct questions to NEFA’s research manager, Dee Schneidman, at 617-951-0010 x530, The PDF of instructions for this project can be found here. Proposals will be reviewed by NEFA staff in early February. Report activities should transpire during the spring in order for the study to be designed and ready to be published on NEFA’s website June/July 2011.

New International Support from NEFA

Center StageSM is an international exchange program that will allow international performing artists to tour throughout the U.S. in 2012. The program will:

* build cultural awareness,
* develop long-lasting relationships between people,
* enhance mutual understanding.

Center StageSM will bring ten ensembles from several countries for month-long tours of the U.S. in 2012, connecting artists with diverse communities in primarily small and mid-sized cities and towns across the U.S. Artist ensembles will be selected from three to four of the following seven countries: Haiti, Mali, Pakistan, Indonesia, Senegal, Syria, and Turkey.

Center StageSM will provide each ensemble with an honorarium and arrange and pay for travel and direct on-tour expenses. U.S.-based staff will accompany each ensemble on tour.

More information about this opportunity can be found on the NEFA website.
http://www.nefa.org/grants_services/nomination_and_selection

Sign up for the New England Idea Swap!

The ninth annual New England Foundation for the Arts Idea Swap will take place on November 3, 2010 at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, MA. This is an annual event for New England-based nonprofit presenting organizations to network and share project ideas that may qualify for funding from NEFA’s Expeditions grant program.

The Expeditions grant program is committed to funding high quality and innovative touring projects . Grants are made to New England-based nonprofit organizations to support the tour planning or touring of projects.

If you have questions you can contact Adrienne Petrillo, Program Manager, Presenting & Touring at NEFA. 617.951.0010 x527 - apetrillo@nefa.org

Grant Opportunities At NEFA

Performing artists and organizations should take note!

Grant deadlines are coming due on September 01 for the NEST grant and the National Theater Pilot Grant.


New England States Touring (NEST) (deadline Sept. 01) provides support to nonprofit organizations based in New England for community-related activities by select New England performing artists from outside of the presenter's state. A primary goal of this grant is to give the communities of New England direct access to the artistic excellence and diversity available in the region. More information can be found at: http://www.nefa.org/grants_services/new_england_states_touring_nest

The National Theater Pilot (deadline Sept. 01) explores creating a system of support for professional artist-led collaborative theater works. Award size will depend upon the needs of each project and could range from $80,000-$130,000, including support for development, presentation, and evaluation. NEFA will select six theater projects in each of two pilot years, and will support both the production and touring of the work over an 18-36 month period. All projects must have at least one committed organizational partner who will participate in the development and/or touring of the work and organizations must be able to prove nonprofit status; for individual artists, an organizational partner may serve as the fiscal agent.
For more information go to: http://www.nefa.org/grants_services/national_theater_pilot

NEFA’s 8th Annual Idea Swap Nov.4, 2009

The Idea Swap is an annual networking event for New England's nonprofit presenting organizations to share touring project ideas that may qualify for funding from NEFA's Expeditions grant program.

To post your project tour ideas or to view ideas from potential tour partners, view the MatchBook.org Classifieds section.

To learn more about networking opportunties, the event, or to register on line, visit www.nefa.org/grants_services/idea_swap. Registration: Register online by Oct. 30 for $40. Tickets at the door are $50 (if space is available).

Questions and Contact: Adrienne Petrillo, Program Manager, Presenting & Touring, 617.951.0010 x527, apetrillo@nefa.org