Pitch Sessions

The Pitch Committee received a record number of applications (over 30!), and confirmed the final selection of 12 presentations from 7 countries, representing theatre, dance and music.

ISPA PITCH SESSIONS, NY 2006—FINAL

Breakdown:
US - 5
Canada - 2
India - 1
South Africa - 1
Senegal - 1
Netherlands - 1
Czech Republic - 1
Australia - 1
(Note that 13 are listed because the Urban Bush Women/Jant Bi work is both from the US and Senegal)

Dance - 6
Music - 2
Opera - 1
Theater - 2
Multi-Disciplinary - 1

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Criteria for the Presentation of New Performing Arts Projects for ISPA Congresses

Developed by the ISPA Pitch Committee: Robyn Archer, Ruth Felt, Walter Jaffe, Paul King.

The purpose of the ISPA Pitch session is twofold:

Seven to nine exciting and diverse new performing arts projects are selected by the Committee, based on artistic merit and creativity.

Those selected will reflect geographic diversity, and a broad spectrum of mediums. The Congress pitch session projects may reflect the diversity and character of the specific Congress site. The Congress host may nominate a representative from the host city onto the Congress pitch Committee.

No more than two people may present the project. It is highly desirable that one or both be artistically involved with their project.

The presentation is to be maximum seven minutes in length, and can include any combination of text, audio, visual, and performance The presenter may speak over the audio/visual. There is an opportunity directly following the Pitch session (at the “Meet-the-Artists” tables in ProEx) to interact with delegates, and to answer any questions.

Applicants for the Pitch session do not need to be ISPA members.
The application and processing fee is $50 per project (non refundable). If one of the two presenters of the project is an ISPA member, this fee is waived.

Applicants will be required to provide brief biographies, a summary of the project, relevant logistical details, and all audio- and visual supporting materials at the time of the application deadline, which is stated on the Application Form. ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN ENGLISH.

History
Borrowed in concept from a program originated at the Banff Film & Television Festival in Alberta, Canada and now featured at film festivals around the world, the ISPA Pitch Session is designed to attract interest and investment from ISPA colleagues in planned international and/or cross-cultural projects.

At every December Conference since the early 1990’s, and many of the June Congresses delegates were exposed to new works during Pitch sessions. Many of these productions attracted serious interest, which often resulted in successful collaborations.

Delegates in Vancouver heard pitches from the Marrugeku Company (Australia); the Holy Body Tattoo, The Banff Centre for the Arts, and Autumn Leaf Performance (Canada); Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company (United States). The Marrugeku production of Crying Baby gained commitment from a new presenting partner, and other presentations attracted interest in further discussion.

Multi-media presentations given in December 1999 to Conference delegates in New York from Ping Chong & Company / Ensemble Sequentia (multi-national), Sydney Dance Company (Australia), Opera Africa (Africa), China National Culture and Art (China), Birmingham Repertory Theatre (Great Britain), Lines Contemporary Ballet (multi-national), Michael Mao Dance (United States) and Michael Curry (United States).