Pitch Sessions

FINAL ISPA PITCH SELECTION
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 10:30-12 NOON
ALVIN AILEY STUDIOS, NEW YORK
(List subject to change due to artists' availability.)

1. Beijing LDTX, ''The Cold Dagger'', dance (China) - Rena Shagan
2. Sage Gateshead, ''Skellig-The Opera'' (UK)
3. The Civilians, ''Colorado Springs'', theater (NY) - H-Art
4. Rubberbandance Group, ''Phase II,'' dance, (US/Canada) - H-Art
5. Elision Ensemble, ''The Navigator,'' contemporary opera (Australia)
6. Joshua Fineberg, Joji, GMEM, IRCAM - ''Lolita'', contemporary music/dance/theater (US/Belgium/France)
7. Snappy Dance Theater, ''String Beings'', dance theatre/new media (Cambridge, MA)
8. Martha Clarke, ''The Garden of Earthly Delights'', dance theatre/flying choreography (US) - IMG
9. Marc Bamuthi Joseph, The Living Word Project, ''The Breaks'', multi-media with spoken word, dance, music/video - MAPP (US)
10. David Rousseve/REALITY, ''Saudade'', dance theater, MAPP (US)
11. Montserrat Payro, Dharma, ''Packing'', multi-disciplinary (Mexico)

Criteria and rules for Pitch applicants for ISPA Congresses.
Developed by the ISPA Pitch Committee: Robyn Archer,
Walter Jaffe, Paul King.

The purpose of the ISPA Pitch session is twofold:

1. This is a forum for creators to share new projects with the ISPA membership. The focus is on projects which are in development, or which have had no or little professional exposure. Inspiring and quality works which have already been premiered but have a potential for international touring and room for artistic enhancement and expansion may also be considered.
2. The forum offers ISPA members an opportunity to view some of the new, cutting edge projects before they enter the market fully, to enable members to get involved in commissioning and/or presenting these developing works.

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, and visual materials. However, live performance is not allowed. 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). No application will be considered until this fee has been received. 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)