Performing Arts Discovery (PAD) Program Guidelines
The U.S. Regional Arts Organizations and Western Arts Alliance (WAA) are pleased to announce this virtual international showcase opportunity for performing artists, as part of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Performing Arts Discovery (PAD) program.
Overview
The NEA launched the PAD program in 2015 to promote U.S. artists to international programmers, festival directors, and venue managers. The program aims to build opportunities for U.S. artists to tour internationally. At the heart of the program is the creation of professionally produced live performance videos for international markets that will be featured on a dedicated platform that is promoted to overseas presenters.
PAD Benefits
If selected, you will join a roster of 65 artists that WAA promotes to international programmers, festival directors, and venue managers within the PAD network.
You will also receive:
- Technical support in the creation of a professional 15-minute-long video showcase performance that will play on the PAD online platform.
- A complimentary 1-year membership to WAA if you are not already represented by a member agency.
- Professional development opportunities and resources on how to tour internationally.
- Financial support to attend the Annual WAA Conference in Los Angeles from September 2-5, 2025, including opportunities to network with funders and international programmers, festival directors, and venue managers.
The Video Showcase
If selected for PAD in 2025 there are two options for producing video material to be featured in the showcase:
- Artist/ensembles may record a showcase video with our remote recording package and production process, with editing provided by the WAA production team.
- Artists that have the capacity to create their own video may do so or engage with an audiovisual professional in their area to record and submit a video that complies with program criteria and guidelines.
In 2023, PAD built and promoted a cloud-based platform to showcase the videos to overseas programmers. After the project, the artist owns the video.
Trade Missions
Through a partnership with the US Department of Commerce, PAD organizes trade missions to international performing arts markets to facilitate connections and international touring opportunities. Since 2023, PAD has brought delegations of artists and agents to WOMEX World Music Expo in A Coruna, Spain (2023) and Manchester, UK (2024) as well as to the PAC Australia/ISPA Congress in Perth, Australia (2024). While not guaranteed, PAD artists are eligible to receive financial support to defray the cost of participating in these overseas trips.
Call for Applicants
The Performing Arts Discovery (PAD) Program seeks to amplify the breadth and depth of American cultural expression globally. Applications are open to all U.S.-based performing artists with readiness to tour internationally. PAD encourages those who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and/or LGBTQ+ to apply. Performing artists/ensembles from all traditional, classical, contemporary, and culturally specific art forms, including music, dance and theatre, are eligible to apply. There is no application fee to apply. Funding is not available for travel, venue rental, or ancillary costs related to recording.
- Application Open: November 1, 2024 at 8:00am PST
- Application Close: January 17, 2025 at 5:00pm PST (no extensions will be granted)
- Artist Notification: no later than March 14th, 2025
Artists will be selected by a panel review process, managed by WAA on behalf of the Regional Arts Organizations. Applications will be reviewed by a peer jury of arts practitioners representing a broad range of disciplines, aesthetics, and identities.
The WAA Office is not open on weekends. We recommend you contact us for assistance and submit your application well before the deadline to avoid unforeseen technical issues.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must:
- Be US-based professional performing artists;
- Be US citizens or have permanent resident status;
- Produce evidence of at least two years of touring experience;
- Be planning to tour the described work within the coming two years; and
- Submit a complete online form by the posted deadline;
Limitations
- There is a limit of one application per artist/ensemble.
- No more than two artists/ensembles represented by the same artist manager/agency will be recommended.
Program Requirements
Those selected to showcase must:
- Be available to record and work with the video production team between March 2025 and June 2025;
- Provide or coordinate with the production team to receive and return rented recording equipment;
- Agree to provide additional recording equipment and instruments at own expense, if necessary;
- Be responsible for all necessary licenses and permissions to perform, promote, broadcast, transmit, and/or display all elements of their performance, including without limitation elements protected by copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy, rights of publicity, trade secret, and contract;
- Be responsible for any costs and arrangements related to the rental of recording space, travel, and lodging for the recording session, if necessary.
To Apply
Your application must include the following:
- Completed online application form.
- Artist statement, a maximum of 250 words. The artist statement should give a brief introduction to the artist/ensemble including their discipline, genre, themes, and goals. Be specific, concise, and avoid jargon.
- Touring History (or Artistic CV) does not have to be comprehensive, but it should include an absolute minimum of three engagements. We’re interested in all aspects of your practice, with special attention paid to touring performances. You may include other relevant juried exhibitions, commissions, residency programs, and community engagement activities that make up your practice. Please Include dates, locations, names of venues/presenting organizations, and any relevant contact information.
- A stage plot and technical rider specific to the proposed show offered for touring.
- Current artist bio / EPK.
- Supplemental files: Include production photos, brochures, and feature articles. WAA recommends including at least one review (in English) published within the last two years, including the name of publication and date OR a testimonial letter from a presenter that speaks to the artistic quality of the performance work, if possible.
- Minimum of one high-resolution digital photo. File name should include the artist's name, representative or agency name, and the photographer's credit, e.g. “Group Name_Agency Name_Photographer’s Name.”
- Include video samples of a live performance featuring current work that you will tour. Please do not submit promotional videos.
NOTE: WAA expects the showcase jury will review over 100 applications. Please give careful consideration to your artistic samples—first impressions are critical! The jury will not consider promotional videos, TV news features, TED Talks, sizzle reels etc. as part of the artistic assessment.
Less is more. The jury likes to see a variety of work from each artist with a live performance video. However, you are best served by capturing a range of your best work in a single video. The jury may not spend more than three minutes listening to or watching your sample(s); this is the minimum amount of time we request of the jury to spend with the materials in the initial application review. This is not a recommendation for your work samples to be a maximum of three minutes. We recommend you include a longer and shorter sample of your work, open to your interpretation, as to differences in genre, discipline, or style.
If you run into any issues or have any questions about the application or process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to PAD staff for assistance. While we will not give you direct feedback on the content of your materials, we are more than happy to provide clarity on form in constructing your application. As a reminder: WAA staff does not adjudicate applications, a carefully considered peer jury of arts practitioners does.
The deadline to apply is 5:00 pm Pacific Time on January 17, 2025; applicants will be notified by mid-March.
Selection Criteria
Artistic Excellence - 25 Points - As evidenced in the work samples, does the artist/ensemble demonstrate a high level of artistry and expressiveness?
Readiness to Tour - 15 Points - As evidenced in the application, do the artist's/ensemble's history, experience, and promotional assets demonstrate a readiness to tour internationally?
Artistic Merit - 10 Points - As evidenced in the artist statement and work samples, does the work convey the cultural and aesthetic plurality of American culture to domestic and international audiences in a compelling way?
PLEASE NOTE: Depending on the volume of applications received, we may not be able to provide feedback to every applicant regarding their submission during or after the judging process.
Inquiries/Questions
Please see the application FAQs for additional information. For application support and questions as well as production questions and information, please contact Ed Bourgeois.
The Performing Arts Discovery (PAD) program is made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Creative West, South Arts, Arts Midwest, New England Foundation for the Arts, Mid Atlantic Arts, and Mid-America Arts Alliance.