Pitch Sessions

We are pleased to announce the ISPA Pitch Session projects for the 2008 New York Conference. Our thanks to everyone who submitted their projects for consideration.

• SITI COMPANY: "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?"
  Live theater, U.S.
  Agent: H-Art Management
• PHANTOM LIMB & KRONOS QUARTET:
  "THE SHACKLETON PROJECT"
  Theater/puppetry/contemporary music, U.S.
  Agent: ArKtype (Tommy Kriegsmann)
• MUSIC-THEATRE GROUP: "ARJUNA'S DILEMMA"
  Chamber Opera/Staged oratorio, U.S.
• REGGIE WILSON/FIST & HEEL PERFORMANCE GROUP
  "THE GOOD DANCE"
  Dance, U.S.
  Agent: Pentacle
• SNOW CRANE PRODUCTIONS: "A NIGHT AT THE ALHAMBRA CAFƒ"
  Music and Theatre, U.S.
• BODYVOX: "HORIZONTAL LEANINGS"
  Collaboration with South African composer Bongani Ndodana- Breen
  and Third Angle New Music
  Dance, U.S.
• OPERA O.T.: "KWASI & KWAME"
  New opera, The Netherlands
• ZVIDANCE: "LOUISIANA"
  Contemporary Dance, U.S.
  Agent: Pentacle
• NATIONAL THEATER OF THE UNITED STATES:
  "THE CHAUTAUQUA LECTURES"
  Theater/Multi-media, U.S.
  Agent: Elsie Management
• DANISH DANCE THEATRE/ MISNOMER DANCE THEATER
  "LABYRINTH"
  Dance/ Sculpture/Performance Art/Video/Live Music, Denmark/U.S.
• WIND-UP BIRDS: "THE WIND-UP BIRDS CHRONICLE"
  Multi-media play, U.S./Japan
• THE LOWRY: "KING COTTON"
  Musical Theatre, UK

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.

If an ISPA member is directly connected to the project in the capacity of agent, artist manager, artist, producer or any other capacity that can be verified, there will be a one-time fee waiver. If additional applications are submitted that are directly connected to the same ISPA member, the $50 fee will apply for each of these additional applications

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 or January 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)