SOUTHERN EXPOSURE PERFORMING ARTS OF LATIN AMERICA

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1 APPLICATION RECEIPT DEADLINE February 28, 2014 PROJECT PERIOD September 1, 2014 August 31, 2015 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Southern Exposure: Performing Arts of Latin America is a national initiative that supports arts presenters from different cities or states to work collaboratively to bring exemplary performing artists from Latin America to audiences across the United States, with an emphasis on communities that have little access to this work. Organizations supported through Southern Exposure must foster an appreciation for the visiting artists work and the cultures from which it is derived through public performances and activities that provide opportunities for substantive interaction between the visiting artists and members of the local community. Southern Exposure is a partnership of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation ( MAAF ) with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation that continues the important tradition in the United States of the public and private sectors working collaboratively to support the arts. Through a competitive grants process, Southern Exposure supports the presentation of contemporary and traditional dance, music, and theater artists from Latin America in projects that provide meaningful and enriching engagements in their respective communities. This program encourages arts presenters to deepen their relationship with established audiences, as well as reach out to new constituencies, including communities with origins in Latin America. MAAF offers an array of technical assistance to organizations interested in submitting applications. Check the Resources section of the program s website at Tools include a "Consortia Matchmaker" listing that provides information on presenters who have not identified artists and are interested in joining a consortium, as well as presenters who have identified artists and are looking for consortium partners; and information about Latin American artists for possible consideration. The artist lists are for informational purposes for presenters interested in the program, but unfamiliar with artists from Latin America. The list does not represent an exclusive artist roster nor will selection from the lists receive preferable treatment in the application review process. Information concerning visas and tax compliance for visiting international artists is also available in the Resources section of the website PROGRAM OBJECTIVES Southern Exposure enables consortia of presenting organizations to bring works of excellence from Latin America to targeted audiences in the United States that have little opportunity to experience this work. The consortium structure of Southern Exposure ensures that each participating artist/ensemble is presented in a minimum of three (and a maximum of five) cities or towns. Each consortia tour includes public performances and community-engagement activities designed to provide audiences with a greater understanding of the artists work and of the cultures from which the work is derived. The program seeks to create a network of sites that can share expertise and costs to offer meaningful exchanges between artists, audiences and their communities. APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY Southern Exposure supports projects that are conceived and developed collaboratively by presenter consortia based in the United States and its territories. For the purposes of this program, MAAF defines a presenter as an organization that selects and engages professional touring artists to perform before general audiences in its community and manages the logistics in connection with those performances. Dance, music or theater ensembles that primarily create and perform their own work and producing

2 organizations that assemble artists to perform as ensembles are eligible to apply if presenting other artists is part of their regular, ongoing operations. Each consortium must consist of a minimum of three and a maximum of five presenting organizations. Consortium partners must be based either in different states and/or federal jurisdictions or, at a minimum, outside of a 50-mile radius from one another to ensure that engagements reach the widest possible audiences. Each presenter in a consortium must be designated by the United States Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or be a unit of state or local government. All presenters in a consortium must have a minimum of three continuous years of experience offering multiple presentations by professional touring performing artists in a given season. Applicants must be in good standing with MAAF at the time of application, with no overdue or outstanding required reports and/or grant documents. PROJECT ELIGIBILITY Southern Exposure projects must invite professional artists or ensembles from Latin America working in a contemporary or folk /traditional performing arts discipline, limited to dance, music, or theater. For the purposes of this program, a professional artist is defined as someone who receives a significant portion of his or her annual income from artistic activities. Each consortium may propose only one artist or ensemble for the project. For the purpose of Southern Exposure, Latin America is defined as Mexico, and the independent nations that comprise Central and South America, and the Caribbean (excluding Cuba) where the predominate languages are French, Portuguese or Spanish. The complete list of eligible countries is as follows: Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Costa Rica Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Guatemala Haiti Honduras Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru Uruguay Venezuela Proposed solo performers must be citizens or hold legal residence status and currently reside in one of the 19 eligible countries identified in the program guidelines. In the case of ensembles, the lead creative artist (for example, the bandleader or choreographer) and a majority of ensemble members must be citizens or hold legal residence status and currently reside in one of the 19 eligible countries identified in the program guidelines. Proposed artists cannot have performed in the applicant s community in the past two years. Theater artists/ensembles, as well as music and dance artists/ensembles that offer only single, full-length works, must perform the same work at each tour engagement where a performance takes place. Music and dance artist/ensembles that offer multiple works during a performance are not required to present the same repertoire at different tour engagements. PROJECT REQUIREMENTS A goal of Southern Exposure is to provide communities in the United States with a greater understanding and appreciation of the richness and diversity of the cultures of Latin America as demonstrated through

3 the work of its contemporary and traditional performing artists. Consortia tours may pursue this goal by offering public performances, conducting outreach activities that provide members of local communities with opportunities for direct interaction with the visiting artists, developing materials that provide context for scheduled performances or activities, and through media and/or Internet-based activities that may reach populations unable to attend live events. Each Southern Exposure consortium tour, although not each engagement in a consortium tour, must include: At least one public performance that serves the general public. For the purposes of this program, performances that primarily serve a confined audience such as K-12 schools, university classes, summer camps, nursing homes, etc. are not considered general public performances, although they may be components of activities that comprise a Southern Exposure engagement as described in the following paragraph. Activities conducted by the consortium member or in partnership with community organizations that will allow direct public interaction with the artists and enhance the audience s understanding and appreciation for the artist and the culture from which the their work is derived. These may include, but are not limited to, lecture/demonstrations, master classes, residencies, workshops, exhibitions, panel discussions, interviews, and other creative approaches to engage members of the host community. Although not required, applicants should also consider the following activities: The development of contextualization materials that provide information on the artists, art forms, and cultures featured in a tour engagement. Media or Internet-based activities that will allow for the engagements to reach beyond live events and benefit audiences other than those in the host communities. This may include recording of performances, webcasts, podcasts with featured artists, and artist blogs for placement on the presenters websites or other Internet sites, among other options. (For funded projects that include these activities, presenters will be responsible for securing all necessary releases, rights and licenses to record, broadcast and/or use images of artist/ensemble s work for archival and educational purposes.). Projected, transmitted or live translation services for performances and community engagement activities as well as translation for any print materials. While not each engagement in a consortium tour is required to include both public performances and community engagement activities or offer contextualization materials and media or Internet-based activities, those consortia tours that most robustly meet the program s goals through the creative combination or approach to any or all of these components will be most competitive. CONSORTIA MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES A Southern Exposure consortium is comprised of a Lead Presenter and at least two Presenter Partners. Each presenter has specific responsibilities in the development of an application as outlined below. All of the presenter partners should have a voice and communicate regularly in the planning and development of the project. Lead Presenters The Lead Presenter is responsible for coordinating the planning effort that leads to the development of a Southern Exposure project. The Lead Presenter does not serve as a fiscal conduit for a funded Southern Exposure project. Each presenter (the Lead and the Presenter Partners) in a funded project will receive a separate grant directly from MAAF.

4 In acknowledgment of the work involved in coordinating Southern Exposure projects and completing the Lead Presenter section of the Southern Exposure egrant application on behalf of their respective Presenter Partners, Lead Presenters of funded projects will receive, as part of the grant award, $100 per each consortium member (excluding the Lead Presenter). Presenter Partners Each Presenter Partner as well as the Lead Partner is responsible for the following: negotiating with the artist or ensemble or their management the terms of the engagement in its community; completing a Southern Exposure Project egrant application for the proposed project. Projects will be assessed on the collective strength of the consortium and the individual strength of each presenter participating in a consortium application. Lead Presenters and their Presenter Partners should develop plans for the engagements in their communities and prepare their respective applications in a timely manner that allows the consortium to collectively review and discuss them prior to submittal. An incomplete or weak application from any participating presenter can negatively impact or potentially disqualify a consortium request. In rare cases, the request of an individual consortium partner may be denied funding while the remaining partners are funded, providing that the project still meets the program s requirements for eligibility. Visa Process & Tax Compliance Southern Exposure consortia will be responsible for securing non-immigrant work-related visas and complying with all U.S. tax requirements for the artists/ensembles participating in their respective projects. The artists agents/management may select to serve as the visa petitioner or presenters may use a portion of their grant funds to hire a third-party service to prepare and submit their visa applications. Presenters may not use grant funds to pay government visa filing fees or U.S. Embassy Consular fees See the Resources section of the program s website at for links to information on visiting artist visa and tax compliance. APPLICATION REVIEW A panel composed of experts in the field, including a layperson, who reflect a wide geographic, ethnic, and minority representation as well as diverse aesthetic and cultural points of view will review applications and make recommendations for support. Southern Exposure applications will be evaluated based on Artistic Excellence and Artistic Merit. These criteria are not ranked or given specific weights. Artistic Excellence The quality of the artist/ensemble as demonstrated by submitted work samples and record of professional achievement; Artistic Merit Readiness to tour: The selected artist/ensemble s experience in touring and its potential to successfully fulfill project activities while in the United States; Quality of the engagements: The potential for meaningful exchange between artists, audiences, and communities through exemplary public performances, well-designed activities that provide opportunities for meaningful engagement between members of the host communities and the visiting artists, and other creative approaches that provide greater understanding and appreciation for the visiting artists and the cultures from which they derive their work, which may include the development of contextualization materials, translation services, and media and/or Internet-based activities. Impact: Potential to deepen relationships with existing audiences and/or engage new constituencies.

5 GRANT AMOUNTS AND PROJECT EXPENSES SOUTHERN EXPOSURE Southern Exposure grant amounts will not exceed $25,000 per presenter participating in a consortium. No presenter request for less than $5,000 will be considered for support. Grants are made directly to each presenter in a consortium whose project has been approved for support. Grants must be matched on a 1:1 basis. Project expenses may include contracted artist fees; artist travel-related expenses; presenter travel related to the project; expenses related to community engagement activities; expenses related to the development of contextualization materials, if applicable; translation, if applicable; marketing and promotion; shipping; space and equipment rentals; printing, postage; visa preparation services and filing fees, and other costs associated with managing the program. Artist or presenter travel related to a project prior to their engagement dates is eligible for program support as it provides both parties with opportunities for greater understanding of each other s work, communities, and cultures as well as agreement on project design and objectives. APPLICATION SUBMISSION Applications for Southern Exposure must be completed online and submitted electronically on or before the deadline listed in these guidelines. No hard copy of the application should be sent to Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with the sole exception of a signed Certification Sheet. The Certification Sheet, signed in blue ink, should be sent to the following address: Southern Exposure Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation 201 North Charles Street, Suite 401 Baltimore, MD Applications sent via fax or will not be accepted for consideration. Questions should be directed to Brigid Zuknick, Program Associate, International, at brigid@midatlanticarts.org APPLICATION RECEIPT DEADLINE February 28, 2014 for projects taking place between September 1, 2014 and August 31, Applications must be SUBMITTED on or before the published deadline. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered for review. AWARD NOTIFICATION All applicants, Lead Partners and Presenting Partners, will be notified in writing on the status of their proposals approximately 12 weeks following the application deadline. PROGRAM PARTNERS

6 APPLICATION PROCEDURE AND REQUIRED MATERIALS To assist the panelists in the application process, it is important to adhere carefully to the instructions below. MAAF uses the egrant online application system for Southern Exposure. To access the egrant applications, please visit: Please note, although the entire application (including work samples) is to be submitted electronically, the Certification Sheet must be mailed in hard copy with original signatures in blue ink. The Southern Exposure egrant application includes the following: 1. Application Information 2. Presenter Programming Profile 3. Presenter Project Outline 4. Application Narrative 5. Project Budget Sheet 6. Statistical Information Sheet 7. Certificate & Statement of Assurances Sheet The following required materials are to be submitted electronically as attachments to the Southern Exposure egrant application: 8. Signed Letter of Intent or Agreement between the presenter and the proposed artist. The letters must include the specific dates of the engagement, contracted artist fees, a list of performances and complementary activities in the presenter s community, as applicable, and the title of works to be performed, if known. The presenter and the artist or their authorized agent must countersign the letter. Lead Presenters are also responsible for completing an additional section of the Southern Exposure application that includes the following: 1. Consortium Project Summary 2. Artist/Ensemble Description 3. Consortia Planning and Collaboration Description 4. Work Sample Narrative 5. Two recent work samples uploaded through the egrant application. Please refer to the Work Sample Sheet in the egrant for more detailed information about how to prepare work samples. Please note: Although the egrant application and required materials are submitted electronically, your application is not complete until Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation has received a hard copy of your signed Certification Sheet. This must be signed by an official of the organization with authority to commit the applicant to the legal and fiscal requirements of the grant. The Certification Sheet must be mailed in hard copy with original signatures in blue ink within one week of the published application deadline. Do not print and send hard copies of any other portions of your application. In addition, where applicable, include the following information with your application: One copy of a letter on organizational letterhead signed by an authorizing official confirming the applicant s status as a unit of government