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.

Register Now For The Contact East Conference!

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 from Atlantic Canada.

All New England presenters are welcome at this event which features showcasing artists, panel discussions, educational workshops, and a Contact Room where managers, presenters and artists can meet to do business.

Register today, and then look into the Presenter Travel Fund at NEFA to help cover the costs of attending. The funds provides financial assistance to arts programmers and curatorial staff in New England and can be used for Contact East travel. http://www.nefa.org/grants_services/presenter_travel_fund 

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.

  

Win Free Tickets to Penobscott Theatre!

The MainePerforms! initiative is looking make some Facebook friends. Like the "'Becky's New Car' opening October 17" post and your name will be entered in the drawing for two FREE tickets!

 Maine Performs FB

Penobscot Theatre 

 

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.

Free Tickets to Performing Arts in Maine!

Maine Performs! is an initiative created by Maine arts organizations with support from the Maine Arts Commission and the Maine Office of Tourism. The initiative was established to promote the performing arts sector of Maine.

This summer Maine Performs! is offering weekly drawings for free tickets to performing arts events. This week the tickets are for the Bates Dance Festival Finale on August 11. To participate, go to the Maine Performs! Facebook page and share the Bates Dance Festival post.

The Winner will be selected from a random drawing of entries on August 8.
Good luck.

www.facebook.com/maineperforms 

 

The Innovation Lab for the Performing Arts Grant

Round 7 of The Innovation Lab for the Performing Arts, designed and managed by EmcArts, with the generous support of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The Lab is a 12-month program that helps performing arts organizations incubate and test innovative strategies to address major adaptive challenges.

The Round 7 Application deadline is Thursday, August 9, 2012.

Most arts institutions operate using constantly stretched resources and consequently struggle to implement truly new ideas. At the same time, however, the capacity of American arts organizations to innovate—to find new pathways to mission fulfillment that are discontinuous from previous practice and that result from shifts in underlying organizational assumptions—is and will be a leading indicator of sustained marketplace success and viability.

The Innovation Lab was designed to serve as a catalyst for the journey to these new pathways: to help arts organizations challenge core operating assumptions, engage in intense planning on a practical innovation project, create a sense of organization-wide investment in change, and test innovative strategies with grants that help organizations prototype new practices.

Click to download the Round 7 Request for Proposals and the Press Release! MORE INFO HERE.

For clarification about the Lab program as a whole, please contact Liz Dreyer (ldreyer@emcarts.org), preferably by e-mail, and she will answer your questions.

Lincoln Theater Seeks Executive Director

Lincoln Theater (Damariscotta ME) is seeking an Executive Director.

The position reports to the Board of Trustees and is is responsible for leadership of Lincoln Theater, which includes the programming, administrative, operating, fundraising, and marketing functions within the budget approved by the Board of Trustees.

The ED oversees the design, promotion, delivery and quality of programs, products, and services of Lincoln Theater, in collaboration with the Board of Trustees, staff and volunteers. The ED is expected to further the mission of Lincoln Theater “to be the major community resource for the promotion and production of the performing arts” and to deliver upon the annually established Plan of Work. The position is a salaried full-time role and includes benefits.

To learn more about the theater please visit:  www.atthelincoln.org 
For a detailed position description, including qualifications and skill requirements, please visit  http://www.atthelincoln.org/lincoln-theater-staff.aspx

To apply,  please submit a resume, cover letter, writing sample of which you are the sole author, and the names and contact information for three references electronically to Chairman, Lincoln Theater Executive Director Search Committee, at info@atthelincoln.org.

The search will remain open until the position is filled.

One Longfellow Square Seeks Executive Director

One Longfellow Square (OLS), located at the gateway to Portland, Maine’s thriving arts district, is one of the most influential "listening rooms" in New England. Each year they showcase over 200 performances ranging from folk to bluegrass, jazz to classical, film, theatre, spoken word and more.

In 2011, OLS began transitioning to a nonprofit organization with a goal of collaborating with other programs to provide a voice, a classroom, and a stage for underserved creative youth in Greater Portland and beyond. OLS is thoughtfully positioning itself as a community music and arts venue.

The Executive Director is the chief executive/staff officer of the organization and is responsible for the leadership and management of all aspects of OLS’ operations to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization. The Executive Director will work with OLS’ Board of Directors, staff and volunteers to carry out the operational, programmatic, development and expansion work of the organization. Complete information can be found on the Maine Association of Nonprofits site.

Applications will be accepted until Friday, July 13

Please send all inquiries to the OLS Board President, Elisabeth Osborn Chase

resumes@onelongfellowsquare.com.

All applications must include a resume, three (3) references, cover letter, and salary requirements.

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.

 

Media and Performing Arts Fellowship Deadline, June 8

The deadline for the Individual Artist Fellowship in Media and Performing Arts is June 8, 2012. 

The $13,000 award is a recognition of artistic excellence and all eligible Maine artists are encouraged to apply. Please help spread the word to Maine performing artists who might be interested in this fantastic opportunity.

Eligible applicants must have resided in Maine for a minimum of two years and have a valid Maine address, be 18 years of age or older, not enrolled as a full-time student and have completed all final reports required for any previous Maine Arts Commission grant. 

The fellowship award is designed for performing arts creators. The grant identifies a creator as an artist who produces the majority-share of a creative original work. For example, a composer qualifies but a musician does not; a singer/songwriter qualifies but a singer does not; a choreographer qualifies but a dancer does not. Applicants should apply with their own original work. If the work is created through a collaborative process the applicant should be able to demonstrate how they were the majority contributor of the original work. An application can be made by a team or group if they consistently work together to produce a single body of work. 

More can be found online at:

http://mainearts.maine.gov/grant_individualfellowship.aspx

Innovative Production Awardee Performance!

Bates Dance Festival was awarded an agency Innovative Production Grant to help support the spoken word/hip-hop theater artist Marc Bamuthi Joseph at this year's Festival.

The performance of red, black and; GREEN: a blues (rbGb), is an evening-length multimedia work on environmental justice and social ecology questions collective responsibility. It promises to be an exhilarating, interactive performance of dance, text, and visuals. Joseph is joined onstage by dancer/actor Traci Tolmaire, drummer/beat boxer Tommy Shephard, and vocalist Yaw.

 “… a cutting edge artist forging his own hybrid medium — an amalgam of rap music, poetry, movement, and theater … an electrifying performer and a great storyteller.” The Seattle Times

 “Joseph is the real deal, swinging with such confidence that you grasp for adjectives to capture his skills.” Star Tribune "

(rbGb) is as smart and provocative as it is breathtakingly beautiful." San Francisco Chronicle

Marc Bamuthi Joseph and The Living Word Project in "red, black & GREEN: a blues" will be performed Friday and Saturday, April 27 and 28 at the Lewiston Recreation Center, 8 pm. $20/$10 (Students)/ General Admission. More information online at http://www.batesdancefestival.org/EventNotes/rbGb.php

 

Theater Communications Group (TCG) TOWN HALL—TCG wants to hear from YOU!

In preparation for the national TCG conference being held in Boston June 21 through 23 this year, TCG, the national service organization for theatres, is holding a series of Town Hall style meetings throughout New England. The Maine meeting will be at Portland Stage at 5:00pm on Sunday, April 15. This is the first time in many years that the TCG conference has been held in the Northeast and it is a great opportunity for those in Maine to participate in this national event.

“Model The Movement” is the theme of this year’s conference and these regional meetings are designed to encourage a dialogue about theater, its different models, and how theater happens. The goal is to encourage a dialogue between theatres, artists and TCG. Ideas from the town hall meeting will be carried to the conference. If you have specific questions about the conference, this will be a great time to ask the people involved with its creation.

Please forward this invitation to anybody who works in theater, in any capacity—actors, directors, students, educators, designers and technical personnel, as well as marketing and development staff and theater critics– all will be most welcome.

If you are interested in attending, please send an RSVP via e-mail to mdoane@portlandstage.org.Knowing numbers will allow organizers to plan accordingly. Please include your e-mail and contact details of each attendee when you R.S.V.P.

RSVPs will be accepted until noon on Friday, April 13. We hope to see you at Portland Stage, 25A Forest Avenue, Portland on April 15.

Maine State Legislature to Honor Stonington Opera House

On Thursday, March 15, the Maine State Legislature will pass a Legislative Sentiment honoring the Stonington Opera House on its 100th anniversary. State Representative Walter Kumiega will speak on the House floor and the Speaker will recognize guests from Opera House Arts, the nonprofit organization that restored the Opera House in 1999 and re-opened it in 2000 after the building had suffered more than eight years of abandonment and decay.

The iconic, green-shingled Stonington Opera House building, rising four stories above Stonington Harbor, is on the National Register of Historic Places. At the heart of Stonington’s downtown, where School St., Main St., and the commercial fish pier intersect, the Opera House has been central to Stonington’s Main Street and the island’s cultural life for more than 100 years. The first amusement hall was built on the current footprint in 1886 by quarry owner and entrepreneur Charles B. Russ. From 1886 to 1910, first the original Russ’s Music Hall and then its expansion, the magnificent Stonington Opera House seating 1,000 people, were important Stonington landmarks and institutions. One hundred years ago this year, the brand new Stonington Opera House as it exists today, with its unique architectural element, the scene tower, re-opened to the public: rising from the ashes of a 1910 fire that might have taken the town with it had not the town’s new water system and fire hydrants gone live that very day.
Opera House Arts is planning multiple events and projects to celebrate this centennial, including the re-creation of an historic vaudeville show of the type that came to the Opera House 100 years ago, July 5-8; the re-staging of Opera House Arts’ popular original musical, “Burt Dow, Deep Water Man,” August 9-19; giant video projections of historic photos on the exterior of the Opera House tower; and the release of a new history and photo book on the Stonington Opera House since its original construction in 1886.

As an important part of these celebrations, Opera House Arts seeks stories and items from community members who remember the Opera House during earlier incarnations. Individuals who collected the china that was given away at movies during the 1930s have already come forth, and a display of these items is scheduled for this summer. Photos, programs, dance cards, posters and other ephemera are all welcome regardless of their condition. Please contact Linda Nelson at 367-2788 or lnelson@operahousearts.org

Opera House Arts (OHA) is a nonprofit small professional theater noted for its original productions and artistic commissions of performance work relevant to its Down East Maine community. OHA restored and operates the 1912 Stonington Opera House with a full, 52-week-a-year schedule of first-run movies, live theater, concerts, dance, workshops, community events and educational programs. For more information and a full schedule of events, please go to www.operahousearts.org.

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

Upcoming August Arts Festivals!

Image from Portland Chamber Music Festival

In case you have not finalized your summer arts festival schedule, here are some events you may want to consider attending.

Madawaska Acadian Festival
August 11 to 15, 2011
The Acadian Festival is one of Maine's largest cultural festivals. It is held each year in conjunction with an Acadian family reunion. This year the reunion is of the Cyr family. The festival includes re-enactments of the first Acadian landing in northern Maine, traditional Acadian supper, Soiree Acadienne, Danse du Main Street, Festival parade and much more. Information can be found online or by calling (207) 728-7000.

Portland Chamber Music Festival
August 11 to 20, 2011
Portland Chamber Music Festival (PCMF) summer concerts are held at the Abromson Center at the University of Southern Maine’s Portland Campus. The festival brings nationally recognized artists to Portland to present a wide range of classical chamber music, including the music of living composers. PCMF works to develop excitement for classical music among young people and the greater Portland community, hosting a free children’s concert, a Young Artist Apprentice Program, concerts in Gardiner and at Bates College, and adult chamber music workshops.

Salt Bay Chamberfest
August 16, 19, 23, 26, 2011
The 2011 Salt Bay Festival is titled 300 Years of New Music. It is a creative conversation between works of living and past composers. The Damariscotta event will host a number of premiere performances of U.S., World and New England artists. The event will draw some of the world’s most prominent composers and performing musicians to Maine.

Brunswick Outdoor Arts Festival
August 20, 2011
The Fifth Annual Festival presented by the Brunswick Downtown Association will celebrate talent in and around the Town of Brunswick. Scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the sidewalks of Maine Street, the festival will showcases more than 80 juried artists, ten musical groups, mimes, jugglers, and members of various youth theater troupes.

Blisterd Fingers Bluegrass Festival
August 25 to 28, 2011
Blistered Fingers is one of the largest family musical events in New England. The Bluegrass Festival takes place twice every year bringing Music lovers from all over the World to Litchfield, Maine. The Blistered Fingers festival has something for all ages during the four day event. Buses, RV's, campers, tents and day attendees are all welcome.

USArtists International: Apply Now!

Guidelines are now available for the 2012 USArtists International program (USAI). USAI provides support for American dance, music, and theater ensembles and solo artists invited to perform at significant international festivals or engagements that represent extraordinary career opportunities anywhere in the world (outside the United States and its territories). Grants will seldom cover the applicant's total expenses and generally range from $1,000 to $10,000 USD.

First Round Deadline is September 6, 2011 for projects taking place between November 1, 2011 and October 31, 2012. This is a receipt deadline.

Additional deadlines for the 2012 program cycle include:
December 9, 2011 for projects taking place between March 1, 2012 and February 28, 2013
April 20, 2012 for projects taking place between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013

For a copy of program guidelines go to the information page on the Mid-Atlantic Artists Foundation site. Questions about USArtists International should be directed to Sara Nash, at saran@midatlanticarts.org.

More summer Festivals

The end of July is a festival-rich environment throughout Maine. The LL Bean Summer series is in full swing and Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, Sebago-Long Lake Music Festival and the Mt. Desert Festival of Chamber Music are all in the middle of their offerings. Oxxfest 2011 is scheduled for this weekend as part of the ongoing Bangor Waterfront Concerts. Also on the horizon is the Saltwater Celtic Music Festival and the Kah-Bang Music Art and Film Festival.

Oxxfest 2011
July 31, 2011
featuring Stone Temple Pilots, Deadseason, Uncle Jack, Nobis & 30 other national and local bands. Gates open at 10am at the Bangor waterfront.

Saltwater Celtic Music Festival
July 31, 2011
The Saltwater Celtic Music Festival will be held at beautiful Thomas Point Beach in Brunswick, and at satellite locations on days prior to the July 31 main event. It promises to be one of the most important events on the New England Celtic calendar. Many artists will be available for meet and greet following their performance.

KahBang Music Art and Film Festival.
August 05-13, 2011
KahBang is an annual summer festival showcasing independent artists in music, art and film. The festival opens with the Art and Film exhibitions and ends with a 2-day multi-stage music festival. The events take place throughout the downtown and waterfront of Bangor. During the event Bangor is transformed into one of the largest independent music art and film events in New England.

Mt. Desert Festival of Chamber Music
July 19, 26. August 2,9 and 16
The Mt. Desert Festival of Chamber Music takes pleasure in announcing its 48th anniversary season of summer concerts at the historic Neighborhood House in Northeast Harbor, Maine. Four prominent string quartets will be performing at this years festival.

Sebago-Long Lake Music Festival
Tuesdays, July 12 to August 9
The Sebago-Long Lake Music Festival is devoted to presenting high-quality chamber music performances in the lake region of Western Maine. Founded in 1972 by bassoonist Homer Pence and other professional musicians who summered in the region.
The musicians are all string, wind or keyboard artists of the highest caliber.

Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival,
June 20 to August 21
Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival is often called the "Cradle of chamber music teaching in America". It is a chamber music school, a concert series and chamber music advocate. Concerts are offered by the acclaimed faculty of musicians and the 50 exceedingly-talented young artists who study there.

LL Bean Summer series
July 2 through September 3, 2011
Held in Discovery Park at the LL Bean flagship campus. Every week throughout the summer events, concerts, and unique entertainment are offered.

38th Old Port Festival this weekend!

Q stage at the 2010 Old Port Festival

This Sunday (June 12, 11 am - 5 pm) downtown Portland will host the 38th annual Old Port Festival. The event will begin at 11am with a parade down Exchange Street. This will be followed by 6 stages with live music, over 90 artist booths, kids activities, and all the attractions downtown Portland has to offer. More information can be found on the Portland Downtown District website, or call 772-6828.