The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) is delighted to announce the selected Pitch New Works projects that will be presented at the ISPA 2026 Singapore Congress, Creative Convergence: Same Same, And Different.

ISPA's Pitch New Works Program provides a global platform for creators and arts professionals to share and discover new performing arts projects. Twice a year, ten outstanding submissions are chosen to present to an international delegation of performing arts industry leaders at ISPA's Congresses. The program has a strong record of helping participants secure project support, representation, touring engagements, premiere locations, and other opportunities.

The ten projects represent a broad spectrum of genres and artistic disciplines and are an exciting reflection of new works from Singapore and across the globe. ISPA is pleased to welcome Gaurav Kripalani, Artistic Director of Singapore Repertory Theatre, to host the Pitch New Works presentation.

The projects include:

A Drop in the Ocean
Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay and The Artground | Singapore
dogma
People Watching | Canada
HEY! YOU
Théâtre des Enfants Terribles | Taiwan
HOME LAND and SEA
The Royal New Zealand Ballet with The New Zealand Dance Company | New Zealand
One Day We'll Understand
CultureLink Singapore in partnership with Chamber Made | Singapore, Australia
Paiwan Zoo
Tjimur Dance Theatre, commissioned by the National Theater & Concert Hall, Taiwan | Taiwan
POV
re:group performance collective | Australia
Senebesh & The Dolphins
Fuel | United Kingdom
Strangely Familiar《熟悉的陌生》
T.H.E Dance Company | Singapore
The Bridge
Shenzhen Opera & Dance Theatre and Feng Ling Productions | China, United Kingdom

These Pitch New Works projects were selected from a pool of 77 applications by ISPA’s Pitch New Works Committee. Committee members included Olivia Ansell (Artistic Director, Luminato Festival), Cindy Hwang (Founder/President at InPulse Creatives and Music Programmer at Ithra Theater), Pamela Lopez (Independent Cultural Management Consultant), and Meiyin Wang (Director of Contemporary Programs, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts).

Delegates of the ISPA 2026 Singapore Congresscan learn about these ten remarkable projects at the Pitch New Works session, Thursday, May 21, 2026 at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre. Immediately following the session, delegates will have an opportunity to meet the presenters at ISPA’s ProEx (Professional Exchange).

About ISPA: The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) is an association of 500 arts leaders from 60 regions, who come together with the shared goal of strengthening and developing the arts globally. ISPA achieves this by building leadership ability, by recognizing and discussing field-wide trends and new developments, and by deepening international exchange through the arts. ISPA members include presenters, performing arts organizations, artist managers, festivals, funders, artists, consultants, and other professionals working in the performing arts. Founded in 1948, ISPA celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2024.

About Pitch New Works: ISPA's Pitch New Works Program provides a forum for creators and arts professionals to share and discover new performing arts projects. Twice a year, ten submissions are selected to be presented to hundreds of performing arts professionals at ISPA's Congresses.

View roster of past Pitch New Works projects.

Read Pitch New Works success stories.

Media Contact: Lauren Genevieve (lgenevieve@ispa.org; 1 212 206 8490 x5)

Announcing ISPA’s 2026 Board Appointments

New York, NY, USA(February 10, 2026) – On behalf of the Board of Directors, the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) is pleased to announce the appointments of four new Board Members: Rachel Cooper (Director of Performing Arts and Culture as Diplomacy, Asia Society, USA), Laura Mackenzie-Stuart (Head of International, Creative Scotland, UK), Heloisa Pisani (International Affairs Manager, SESC - Servico Social do Comercio, Brazil), and Josephine Ridge (Executive Director, Arts, Baff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Canada). (Biographies attached.)

The ISPA membership unanimously approved the appointments at ISPA’s Annual General Meeting, held virtually on February 9, 2026.

As the ISPA Board Chair, Alfonso Leal del Ojo oversees the organization’s strategic direction in collaboration with the other directors and executive leadership.

“Our mission to advance leadership, foster the exchange of ideas, and build a diverse and engaged membership relies entirely on the strength and commitment of our members. It is through the exchange of your ideas that we tackle the many challenges we face. As we set our strategic priorities for the coming years, I am committed to ensuring our actions reflect the diversity and aspirations of our international community. I welcome the opportunity to work with our new Board members who are bringing a wealth of experience and fresh perspective.” said Board Chair, Alfonso Leal del Ojo

During the meeting, ISPA members also expressed their gratitude to former Board Chair, Alicia Adams (Founder and President, URUCUM Global Arts, USA), Collette Brennan (CEO, National Trust of Australia (Victoria), Australia), Vivien Ku (CEO, C. F. Koo Foundation, Taiwan ROC), and Alisa Regas (Founding Principal, Creative and Executive Producer, Pomegranate Arts, Inc., USA) for their service and commitment as they concluded their terms on the Board.

“I am very much looking forward to working alongside Alfonso as well as with the entire board as we continue to tackle the obstacles facing our global performing arts community.” said CEO David Baile.

Please view the ISPA website for more information on ISPA’s Board Members.

About ISPA: The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) is a global association of more than 500 arts management leaders from 56 regions, who come together with the shared goal of strengthening and developing the arts internationally. We achieve this by building leadership ability, recognizing and discussing field-wide trends and new developments, and deepening global exchange through the arts. ISPA members include presenters, performing arts organizations, artist managers, competitions, funders, consultants and other professionals working in the performing arts. Founded in 1948 by Patrick Hayes, 2024 marked ISPA's 75th Anniversary.

About ISPA Congresses: ISPA Congresses bring together performing arts leaders to discover the next great idea, strengthen relationships, and rejuvenate their passion for the arts. Programming is geared toward administrators, presenters, managers, agents, artists and government/cultural leaders.

ISPA holds two Congresses annually, one every January in New York City and a second Congress in a different region of the world. Recent International Congress locations include Guadalajara, Mexico (2019), Hong Kong (2022), Manchester, UK (2023), Perth, Australia (2024), and Lugano, Switzerland (2025). ISPA’s 2026 mid-year Congress will be held Singapore and the registration will launch on Feb 16th, 2026.

For more information about ISPA congresses, visit https://www.ispa.org/page/congress_landing.

[BIOGRAPHY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS]

Rachel Cooper

(Director of Performing Arts and Culture as Diplomacy, Asia Society, USA)

Rachel Cooper is the Director of Performing Arts, Culture as Diplomacy at the Asia Society. She is recognized as a leader in the performing arts field, presenting, commissioning and producing traditional and contemporary works by Asian and Asian American artists. She is a participant at major conferences and commentator in the media (CNN, ABC, WNYC, New York Times) addressing global performing arts, international cultural exchange and cultural diplomacy. She has led many of Asia Society’s cultural initiatives including Festival of Korea, Festival of Song: India Pakistan, Creative Voices of Muslim Asia, Crossovers: Performing Asia America among others. She has presented over 500 performances from across Asia and organized many international performing arts tours. She is the co-author of Making a Difference Through the Arts: Strengthening America’s Links with Asian Muslim Communities. She received the Dawson Award for Sustained Programmatic Excellence from the Association of Performing Arts Presenters, a Borough of Manhattan award for Preserving Cultural Diversity in New York City, the Global Citizen Diplomacy award for best practices in the performing arts and an ‘Izzy’ for programming excellence for Festival of Indonesia In Performance. Prior to moving to the Asia Society she organized the Festival of Indonesia In Performance, touring over 200 Indonesian artists across the U.S., reflecting both traditional and contemporary expressions. Ms. Cooper serves on the boards of the American Indonesian Culture and Education Foundation, Living Arts International (formerly Cambodian Living Arts) and Gamelan Sekar Jaya and is an advisor for the Center for Folklife at Smithsonian Institution and the US State Department’s Center Stage Project. She lived in Indonesia for five years and is the co-founder of Balinese music and dance company, Gamelan Sekar Jaya. She did her undergraduate and graduate studies at UCLA in World Arts and Cultures and Dance Ethnology.

Laura Mackenzie-Stuart

(Head of International, Creative Scotland, UK)

Laura is Head of International at Creative Scotland, the national body for funding the arts, screen and creative industries, and supporting connections to international markets and networks.

The role of the team is pivotal in creating new international opportunities for the cultural sector in Scotland, significantly through partnership working with global peer organisations. In addition, we advocate at a local and national governmental level for the value of international engagement and for continued investment in it.

Laura has worked in the arts since 1990 including as Deputy Director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for eight years supporting potential participants in the world’s largest performing arts festival and with particular responsibility for developing its fundraising strategy.

Later, as Managing Director of Universal Arts, Laura ran multiple venues during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe focusing on presenting international companies for which she and her organisation were acknowledged with both a Herald Angel and an Archangel award. Year-round Universal Arts specialised in producing and touring international theatre and dance.

Heloisa Pisani

(International Affairs Manager, SESC - Servico Social do Comercio, Brazil)

Heloisa Pisani is Manager of the International Affairs Department at Sesc São Paulo (Social Service of Commerce), a private, non-profit institution founded in 1946 and active throughout Brazil.

Sesc develops initiatives across culture, education, sports, leisure, environment, and health, operating 44 sociocultural centers across the state of São Paulo and an extensive digital platform, Sesc Digital, which offers free content to diverse audiences.

At Sesc São Paulo, Heloisa leads the design and coordination of international strategies and multilateral cooperation across multiple fields. Her work focuses on fostering intercultural dialogue, shaping multidisciplinary programs, and building sustainable partnerships among cultural institutions, governments, and international organizations. She is committed to expanding access to culture and strengthening global networks for creative exchange and institutional development.

Josephine Ridge

(Executive Director, Arts, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Canada)

Josephine is Executive Director, Arts, for the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, a global organization based in the Canadian Rocky Mountains that provides learning, leadership and creative development opportunities in arts and culture across all disciplines. Prior to moving to Banff in 2024, she was Vice President, Programming for TO Live in Toronto.

Josephine’s career reflects her interest in the arts across all forms, and her work has taken her from Melbourne to Sydney and now to Canada where she moved in 2016 to be Artistic Director of Luminato Festival. Before leaving Australia, she was Artistic Director of Melbourne’s international arts festival. Her earlier career was focused on executive roles including 10 years as Executive Director for Sydney Festival, and leadership roles with The Australian Ballet, Australian Chamber Orchestra and Malthouse Theatre.

Her experiences throughout her career have reinforced her belief in the vital role that the arts play in achieving an open, tolerant, thoughtful and forward-looking society.

Photos:https://www.facebook.com/InternationalSocietyforthePerformingArts/photos_albums

New York, NY, USA — On behalf of the Board of Directors, the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) announces the recipients of the ISPA 2026 Awards. The first ISPA Award was presented in 1975 to Beverly Sills (famed soprano and General Director, New York City Opera). Since then, ISPA has continued to recognize outstanding individuals and organizations for their contribution to the arts and their communities.The ISPA 2026 award recipients are as follows:

Distinguished Artist Award

The Distinguished Artist Award is presented to artists who have made an outstanding contribution of talent, artistry, dedication, and service to the world of the performing arts. The contributions of these award recipients have gone above and beyond their prowess as artists.

International Citation of Merit

The International Citation of Merit is presented for unique lifetime achievement which has enriched the international performing arts. This award is not for performance but rather for distinguished service working within the profession. For example work as a manager (artist/company/venue), in education, marketing and public relations, consultancy, festival director, acoustician, architect and other associated activities. Recipients may be a past or current member of ISPA.

Patrick Hayes Award

Patrick Hayes, founding President of the International Society for the Arts Foundation, was a change maker in our field. Inspired by his legacy, this Award recognizes an ISPA member in any stage of their career who has demonstrated transformative leadership in the performing arts. Recipients may be recognized for innovation in any area of arts management.

Angel Award

The Angel Award is presented to an individual or organization which has demonstrated a significant and lasting contribution to the support of the performing arts which transcends the boundaries of one country or institution, and merits international recognition. This achievement may be through outstanding leadership, advocacy, philanthropy, innovation, scholarship, or curatorship.

“While we received many worthy nominations, the Board was unanimous in their endorsement on the 2026 awardees. The recipients reflect the richness of diversity that the ISPA membership represents” said ISPA Chief Executive Officer, David Baile.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony to be held during the ISPA 2026 New York Congress: Resilience: A Global Dialogue, on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at The Times Center in New York City.

About ISPA: The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) is a global association of more than 500 arts management leaders from 56 regions, who come together with the shared goal of strengthening and developing the arts internationally. We achieve this by building leadership ability, by recognizing and discussing field-wide trends and new developments, and by deepening global exchange through the arts. ISPA members include presenters, performing arts organizations, artist managers, competitions, funders, consultants and other professionals working in the performing arts. Founded in 1948, 2024 marks ISPA's 75th anniversary.

About ISPA Awards: As a leadership network, ISPA is committed to recognizing excellence in the performing arts globally. There is an annual call for award nominations. All nominations are reviewed by the Nominating Committee Members and then a slate of nominees is recommended to the Board of Directors for approval.

For more information on the ISPA Awards, visit www.ispa.org/page/awards_landing

Media Contact: Lauren Genevieve, Communication and Events Lead | lgenevieve@ispa.org

New York, NY, USA – The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) is delighted to announce the ten selected Pitch New Works projects that will be presented at the ISPA 2026 New York Congress, Resilience: A Global Dialogue.

ISPA's Pitch New Works Program provides a global platform for creators and arts professionals to share and discover new performing arts projects. Twice a year, ten outstanding submissions are selected to present to an international delegation of performing arts industry leaders at ISPA's Congresses.

These ten selected projects represent a broad spectrum of genres and artistic disciplines and are an exciting reflection of new works from across the globe. ISPA is pleased to welcome back Anthony Sargent CBE, International Artistic Advisor, as host of the Pitch New Works session.

The projects include:

Bailarinas Incendiadas/Dancers in Flames
Luciana Acuña Company, Arthaus Central, Festival Internacional de Buenos Aires (FIBA) | Argentina

Blur
PHI Studio, Riverbed Theatre, Onassis | Canada, Taiwan, Greece

Clown Show
Fin Productions | United States

Eternal City
Resident Island Dance Theatre | Taiwan

Gravity & Grace, an adaptation of the novel 'Aliens & Anorexia' by Chris Kraus
EBKM| Aotearoa New Zealand

Katma
PYT Fairfield | Australia

Kid Koala’s Creatures of the Late Afternoo
Envision Management & Production | Canada

Maldonne
Compagnie Leïla Ka & Centquatre-Paris | France

Study for Life
Tero Saarinen Company | Finland & The Netherlands

The Virtuous Circle
Paraorchestra | United Kingdom

(Photo credits: Tony Turner, Bob Ou, Duy-Laurent Tran, Mikko Suutarinen, Eljay Briss)

These Pitch New Works projects were selected from a pool of 121 applications by ISPA’s Pitch New Works Committee. The committee was chaired by Mark Ball (Artistic Director, Southbank Centre). Other committee members included Olivia Ansell (Artistic Director, Luminato Festival), Cindy Hwang (Founder/President, InPulse Creatives and Music Programmer, Ithra Theater), Pamela Lopez (Independent Cultural Management Consultant), and Meiyin Wang (Director of Contemporary Programs, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts).

Delegates of the ISPA 2026 New York Congress can learn about these ten remarkable projects at the Pitch New Works session, Wednesday, January 14, 2026 at The Times Center. Immediately following the session, delegates will have an opportunity to meet the presenters at ISPA’s ProEx (Professional Exchange).

About ISPA: The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) is an association of 500 arts leaders from 60 regions, who come together with the shared goal of strengthening and developing the arts globally. ISPA achieves this by building leadership ability, by recognizing and discussing field-wide trends and new developments, and by deepening international exchange through the arts. ISPA members include presenters, performing arts organizations, artist managers, festivals, funders, artists, consultants, and other professionals working in the performing arts. Founded in 1948, ISPA celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2024.

About Pitch New Works: ISPA's Pitch New Works Program provides a forum for creators and arts professionals to share and discover new performing arts projects. Twice a year, ten submissions are selected to be presented to hundreds of performing arts professionals at ISPA's Congresses.

View roster of past Pitch New Works projects
Read Pitch New Works success stories
Media Contact: Lauren Genevieve (lgenevieve@ispa.org; 1 212 206 8490 x5)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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Registration Now Open for ISPA 2026 New York Congress

Resilience: A Global Dialogue

January 13 – 15, 2026

New York, NY, USA (September 2, 2025) – Registration is now open for the ISPA 2026 New York Congress, Resilience: A Global Dialogue. Welcoming all cultures, regions, genres, and disciplines within the performing arts field, more than 500 delegates from 60 regions around the world are expected to attend in-person.

“Under the leadership of co-chairs Josephine Ridge (Executive Director, Arts; Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity) and Paul Tam (Executive Director, Performing Arts; West Kowloon Cultural District Authority), the 2026 Planning Committee thoughtfully offers a dialogue that is relevant and timely given the current global environment.” said CEO David Baile. Baile added, “This is a pivotal time for global arts leaders to gather, to affirm the importance of mobility, and celebrate the power of international collaboration through the arts.”

Congress Theme: Resilience: A Global Dialogue

In an era marked by economic volatility, geopolitical conflict, and ever-increasing isolationism, the ability to work internationally has become increasingly complex for organizations, independent producers, and artists. Together, we will explore how we can sustain and develop international partnerships, foster creative exchange, and cultivate the resilience needed to thrive in an unpredictable world.

The Congress theme will be explored through a variety of discussions presented in various formats ensuring a highly interactive three days. Popular programs promoting global exchange of the arts, include Pitch New Works and ProEx (Professional Exchange), will once again be held. The annual ISPA awards will be presented honoring some of the sector’s top leaders and innovations/initiatives. The Congress will be returning to the iconic Times Center.

Online registration is open through January 2nd. The early registration period ends October 25th. For more information on the ISPA 2026 New York Congress, visit https://www.ispa.org/page/congress_ny26.

About ISPA: The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) is a global association of more than 500 arts management leaders from 60 regions, who come together with the shared goal of strengthening and developing the arts internationally. We achieve this by building leadership ability, by recognizing and discussing field-wide trends and new developments, and by deepening global exchange through the arts. ISPA members include presenters, performing arts organizations, artist managers, competitions, funders, consultants and other professionals working in the performing arts. Founded in 1948, 2024 marked ISPA's 75th anniversary.

About ISPA Congresses: ISPA Congresses bring together performing arts leaders to discover the next great idea, strengthen relationships, and rejuvenate their passion for the arts. Programming is geared toward administrators, presenters, managers, agents, artists and government/cultural leaders.

ISPA holds two Congresses annually, one every January in New York City and a second Congress in a different region of the world. Recent mid-year Congress locations include Hong Kong, China (2022); Manchester, UK; (2023), Perth, Australia (2024); and Lugano, Switzerland (2025). With upcoming congresses in Singapore (2026), and Uppsala, Sweden (2027). For more information about ISPA congresses, visit https://www.ispa.org/page/congress_landing.

Photos: http://bit.ly/ispacongresses
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The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) Board of Directors, together with the host of the 2025 Lugano Congress, Lugano Arte e Cultura, is pleased to announce the recipients of the ISPA 2025 Lugano Awards. The first ISPA Award was presented in 1975 to Beverly Sills. Since then, ISPA has continued to recognize outstanding individuals for their contributions to the performing arts and their communities. The following ISPA Awards will be presented:

Distinguished Artist Award Recipient presented to Łukasz Twarkowski, and to Cindy Van Acker 

Presented to artists who have made an outstanding contribution of talent, artistry, dedication, and service to the world of the performing arts. The contributions of these award recipients have gone above and beyond their prowess as artists.

International Citation of Merit Recipient to Michael Haefliger

Presented for unique lifetime achievement which has enriched the international performing arts. This Award is not for performance but rather for distinguished service working within the profession.

Angel Award presented to Claus Christiansen, The Danish Research Foundation, and to Kevin, Rosemary, and Hannah Rose McNeely, KHR McNeely Family Foundation

Presented to an individual or organization which has demonstrated a significant and lasting contribution to the support of the performing arts which transcends the boundaries of one country or institution, and merits international recognition.

ISPA CEO, David Baile, commented that “The 2025 Lugano award recipients embody the spirt of the awards in that each of the individuals honored has made significant contributions to the region while having a truly global reach.” The awards will be presented during a ceremony at the ISPA 2025 Lugano Congress: Art and Social Political Change, on Thursday, June 12, 2025. The ceremony will be hosted at Lugano Arte e Cultura in Lugano, Switzerland.

ISPA's Pitch New Works program provides a forum for creators and arts professionals to share and discover new performing arts projects. Twice a year, ten submissions are selected to be presented to hundreds of performing arts professionals at ISPA's Congresses. 

More about Pitch New Works: 

View roster of past Pitch New Works projects. 

Read Pitch New Works success stories.

The ten projects represent a broad spectrum of genres and disciplines and are an exciting reflection of new works from Switzerland and Italy, greater Europe, and across the globe. ISPA will welcome back Anthony Sargent CBE, International Artistic Advisor, to host the session. The projects include: 

an Accident / a Life | Marc Brew Company | United Kingdom

ANTIGONE | winterguests | Norway

ATLAS DRUGGED | The Builders Association | United States

DEEPFAKE | Jess & Morgs | United Kingdom

DVA/LICA | Ansambl LADO & TerryandTheCuz | Croatia

NOESTANGO | Grupo Noestango | Argentina

NON+ULTRAS  | Moritz Ostruschnjak | Germany

nuvolario | Office for a Human Theatre (OHT) | Italy

Retablo Experimental sobre el Baile Flamenco | Redux (Experimental Flamenco Dance Altarpiece) | Estévez/Paños y Compañía | Spain

Unter Uns – A journey into the depth of the ground | Verein Studio DdP | Switzerland 

(Photo credits: Filip Van Roe, Mats Bäcker, Moe Angelos, Ale Carmona, Franziska Strauss,
Giacomo Bianco, Ana Palma, Véronique Hoegger)

The Pitch New Works projects were selected from a competitive pool of applications by ISPA’s Pitch New Works Committee. The committee is chaired by Cindy Hwang (Founder/President at InPulse Creatives and Music Programmer at the Ithra Theater). Other committee members include Pamela Lopez (Independent Cultural Management Consultant), Hanako Yamaguchi (Independent Arts Consultant), and Meiyin Wang (Producing Director at the Perelman Performing Arts Center).

Delegates of the ISPA 2025 Lugano Congress can catch these ten remarkable projects at the Pitch New Works session, Thursday, June 12, 2025 at LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura. Immediately following the session, delegates will have an opportunity to meet the presenters at ISPA’s ProEx (Professional Exchange). 

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About ISPA: The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) is a global association of 500 arts leaders from 60 regions, who come together with the shared goal of strengthening and developing the arts internationally. ISPA achieves this by building leadership ability, by recognizing and discussing field-wide trends and new developments, and by deepening global exchange through the arts. ISPA members include presenters, performing arts organizations, artist managers, festivals, funders, artists, consultants, and other professionals working in the performing arts. Founded in 1948, 2024 marked ISPA’s 75th anniversary. 

Media Contact: Zooey Cheng (zcheng@ispa.org; 1 212 206 8490 x205) 

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Announcing ISPA’s 2025 Board Appointments

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New York, NY, USA (February 12, 2025) – On behalf of the Board of Directors, the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) is pleased to announce the appointments of the new Chair of the Board, Alfonso Leal de Ojo (Chief Executive, The English Concert, UK) and three new Board Members: Barry Hughson (Executive Director, American Ballet Theatre, USA), Aurora Limburg (International Tour Producer Artist's Agent, Aurora Limburg, Spain/France), and Beth Morrison (Creative Producer, Beth Morrison Projects, USA.) (Biographies attached.)

The ISPA membership unanimously approved the appointments at ISPA’s Annual General Meeting, held virtually on February 10, 2025.

As the ISPA Board Chair, Alfonso Leal de Ojo will oversee the organization’s strategic direction in collaboration with the other directors and executive leadership. His appointment marks an exciting new chapter for the ISPA community, and the organization looks forward to his leadership and vision as it furthers its mission globally.

“Our mission to advance leadership, foster the exchange of ideas, and build a diverse and engaged membership relies entirely on the strength and commitment of our members. It is through the exchange of your ideas that we tackle the many challenges we face. These challenges continue to take many forms across our international community: political interference that threatens the independence of our artists, rising costs that jeopardise our livelihoods, the closing of borders that undermine cultural exchange, and the growing tide of xenophobia around the world, to name just a few. Our Fellowship Program, brings people from across the globe, providing opportunities for young art leaders to be part of the network and is a prime example of how we enable dialogue and exchange across cultures and generations, but we can do more! We must do more!” said Board Chair, Alfonso Leal de Ojo.

ISPA is dedicated to strengthening the global performing arts sector by advancing leadership, facilitating the exchange of ideas, and fostering a diverse and engaged membership. During the meeting, ISPA members also expressed their gratitude to outgoing Chair Alicia Adams (Vice President, International Programming, Kennedy Center) for her dedicated leadership and contributions.

ISPA further recognized Kai Amberla (Executive Director, Finland Festival, Finland), Cindy Hwang (President, InPulse Creatives, LLC, Saudi Arabia), and Allen Moon (Director of Touring & Artist Management, David Lieberman Artists' Representatives, USA) for their service and commitment as they concluded their terms on the Board.

“I am very much looking forward to working alongside Alfonso as well as with the entire board as we continue to tackle the obstacles facing our performing arts communities.” said CEO David Baile.

Please view the ISPA website for more information on ISPA’s Board Members

About ISPA: The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) is a global association of more than 500 arts management leaders from 56 regions, who come together with the shared goal of strengthening and developing the arts internationally. We achieve this by building leadership ability, recognizing and discussing field-wide trends and new developments, and deepening global exchange through the arts. ISPA members include presenters, performing arts organizations, artist managers, competitions, funders, consultants and other professionals working in the performing arts. Founded in 1948 by Patrick Hayes, 2024 marked ISPA's 75th Anniversary.

About ISPA Congresses: ISPA Congresses bring together performing arts leaders to discover the next great idea, strengthen relationships, and rejuvenate their passion for the arts. Programming is geared toward administrators, presenters, managers, agents, artists and government/cultural leaders.

ISPA holds two Congresses annually, one every January in New York City and a second Congress in a different region of the world. Recent International Congress locations include Leeuwarden-Friesland (2018). Guadalajara, Mexico (2019), Hong Kong (2022), Manchester, UK (2023), and Perth, Australia (2024). ISPA’s 2025 mid-year Congress will be held Lugano and the registration will launch on Feb 17th, 2025. For more information about ISPA congresses, visit https://www.ispa.org/page/congress_landing.

[BIOGRAPHY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS]

Alfonso Leal de Ojo

(Chief Executive, The English Concert, UK)

Alfonso Leal del Ojo has served as Chief Executive of The English Concert, one of the world’s leading period instrument orchestras, since March 2019. Under his leadership, the ensemble has significantly expanded its performance calendar and launched the ambitious Handel for All project—a major recording and film initiative that aims to make Handel’s complete works freely accessible online. Prior to this role, Alfonso was Chief Executive of the Dunedin Consort, where he oversaw a substantial increase in the group’s performance output and international profile. During his tenure, the ensemble earned widespread critical acclaim, including a Gramophone Award for its recording of Mozart’s Requiem.

In addition to his leadership roles, Alfonso is a highly regarded instrumentalist. He has been the principal viola of The English Concert since 2007, performing with the orchestra on tours across the globe. He can be heard in numerous recordings, including Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 6, which was selected as an Editor’s Choice by Gramophone magazine.

Barry Hughson

(Executive Director, American Ballet Theatre, USA)

Barry Hughson began his career as a dancer with The Washington Ballet, where he performed classical and contemporary repertoire at the Kennedy Center and on tour throughout the world. Hughson has served as an executive leader at Connecticut’s Warner Theatre, Complexions Contemporary Ballet in New York City, New Jersey’s American Repertory Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Boston Ballet, and The National Ballet of Canada.

Hughson joined The National Ballet of Canada as Executive Director in 2014. Under his leadership, the company accelerated its trajectory of artistic growth, fiscal responsibility, community engagement, and international presence.

Hughson is deeply engaged with the international arts community and has had consulting, teaching, and speaking engagements in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He has served on a variety of industry boards, including Dance/USA, North America’s largest service organization for professional dance, where he completed two terms as a Trustee and Vice Chair. In partnership with Dance/USA and The Royal Ballet, Hughson spearheaded the first ever meeting of North American and European executive dance leadership, bringing together 22 administrators from nine countries in 2015. In 2018, he joined North American colleagues in The Equity Project, a three-year initiative to address racial diversity in the ballet field.

Hughson has also served as a mentor to emerging arts leaders through Dance/USA’s Institute for Leadership Training and Business/Arts Executive Leadership Program. He has served as Vice-Chair of the National Council for the Canadian Dance Assembly and as a member of the Steering Committee for the Canadian Arts Summit. As a member of the Coordinating Committee for Respectful Workplaces in the Arts, Hughson led the development and implementation of a National Code of Conduct for the Performing Arts in Canada.

Hughson is currently a member of the Steering Committee for the Canadian Arts Coalition and the Advancement Committee for the International Society of Performing Arts, the Labor Relationship Advisory Board at Toronto Metropolitan University, and the Honorary Board for the Interprovincial Music Camp. In 2023, Hughson received the Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Toronto Musicians’ Association, Local 149 of the American Federation of Musicians.

Hughson was appointed Executive Director of American Ballet Theatre in June 2024.

Aurora Limburg

(International Producer Artist’s Agent, Aurora Limburg, France/Spain)

After obtaining a History Master’s degree at Paris IV Sorbonne, Aurora worked for a few years in the contemporary art field in Madrid (Emilio Navarro’s Gallery; Carlos de Amberes’s Foundation) and then in Paris (Magnum Agency).

She temporarily joined the “XIV Flamenco Biennial” and later on “A Negro Producciones” (Seville). Then on she collaborated with Carole Fierz doing the international promotion for flamenco dance companies including Israel Galván or Rocío Molina and for the “Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía” under Rafael Estévez’s artistic direction.

Building on her experience, she has been working freelance since 2012 and is currently based both in Seville and Paris. She’s responsible for the international broadcast and booking of the following flamenco dance/music companies: “Estévez/Paños y Compañía” (2019 National Dance Award), “Marco Vargas & Chloé Brûlé”, “Lucía Álvarez La Piñona” and “Artomático”.

Aurora is a member of “Emprendo Danza” (a dance companies’ association), located in Madrid.

Beth Morrison

(Creative Producer, Beth Morrison Projects, USA)

Beth Morrison is the recipient of the Musical America Award for Best Artist of the Year and Agent of Change and a Kennedy Center Next50 Honoree, Beth Morrison is hailed as a “contemporary opera mastermind” (LA Times) and “a powerhouse leading the industry to new heights” (WQXR), Beth Morrison is an opera and theatre producer, President and Creative Producer of Beth Morrison Projects, and Founding co-Director of the PROTOTYPE Festival.

Beth created Beth Morrison Projects (BMP) in 2006 to identify and support the work of emerging and established living composers, and to create a new kind of opera (“Beth Morrison is her own genre”-Opera News). BMP is celebrated as having been an industry disruptor and is now a tastemaker at the forefront of musical and theatrical innovation by commissioning, developing, producing and touring the groundbreaking new works of a diverse group of living composers and their collaborators, which take the form of opera-theatre, music-theatre, and vocal-theatre.

Photos: https://www.facebook.com/InternationalSocietyforthePerformingArts/photos_albums

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On behalf of the Board of Directors, the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) announces the recipients of the ISPA 2025 Awards. The first ISPA Award was presented in 1975 to Beverly Sills (famed soprano and General Director, New York City Opera). Since then, ISPA has continued to recognize outstanding individuals and organizations for their contribution to the arts and their communities. The ISPA 2025 award recipients are as follows (biographies attached):

Distinguished Artist Award Recipient

Presented to artists who have made an outstanding contribution of talent, artistry, dedication, and service to the world of the performing arts.

Yaron Lifschitz (Artistic Director and CEO, Circa)

“Yaron Lifschitz is, a visionary and arguably one of the leading artistic entrepreneurs of the day. His commitment to circus arts and the development of future generations of circus artists is manifested through his work with CIRCA and the many regions within which he works.”

International Citation of Merit Recipient

Presented for unique lifetime achievement which has enriched the international performing arts. This Award is not for performance but rather for distinguished service working within the profession

Cathy Graham (Executive Director, NMC Recordings)

"Cathy’s [Graham] contribution to the arts goes far beyond her work at any one institution. It is embodied in her belief in the importance of music as a tool for cultural understanding and an appreciation of the arts as a vital part of society…"

Patrick Hayes Award Recipient

Inspired by the legacy of Patrick Hayes, the founding President of the International Society of the Performing Arts Foundation, this Award recognizes an ISPA member in any stage of their career who has demonstrated transformative leadership in the performing arts.

Tisa Ho (Former Executive Director, Hong Kong Arts Festival)

"If you looked up the word “resilience” in the dictionary there will be no text, simply a picture of Tisa Ho. Tisa has led many organizations on to new levels of excellence and played an even more significant role in the broader international community which she so embraces."

Angel Award Recipient

Janet Cowperthwaite (Former Executive Director, Kronos Quartet)

 “Janet has been integral to the success of the Kronos Quartet. The quintessential “fifth member” of the Quartet, Janet’s commitment to artistic and administrative excellence throughout her 43-year tenure cannot be overstated.”

Celebrating Our Planet Award Recipient

The Celebrating Our Planet Award recognizes excellence and/or innovation with respect to creating, presenting, and or touring the performing arts in a climate friendly, sustainable manner. This new award recognizes the initiative(s) of an ISPA member as opposed to the community as a whole.

Starmus Festival

"Starmus is a global festival of science and art that brings together some of the most respected minds on the planet. Their commitment to future development trends and global impact issues promises to influence the environment in which we all live.”

“While we received many worthy nominations, the Board was unanimous in their endorsement on the 2025 awardees. The recipients reflect the richness of diversity that the ISPA membership represents” said ISPA Chief Executive Officer David Baile.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony to be held during the ISPA 2025 New York Congress: Leading with Creativity, on Thursday, January 16, 2025, at The Times Center in New York City.

ISPA's Pitch New Works Program provides a forum for creators and arts professionals to share and discover new performing arts projects. Twice a year, ten submissions are selected to be presented to hundreds of performing arts professionals at ISPA's Congresses. More about Pitch New Works. View roster of past Pitch New Works projects. Read Pitch New Works success stories.

The ten projects represent a broad spectrum of genres and disciplines and are an exciting reflection of the new works in development across the globe. ISPA will be welcoming back Anthony Sargent CBE, International Artistic Advisor, to host the session. The projects include:

A a | a B : B E N D | Pomegranate Arts and Aszure Barton & Artists | Germany

adaku, part 2 | Sweat Variant | Okwui Okpokwasili and Peter Born | United States

EXXY | Dan Daw Creative Projects Ltd. | United Kingdom

FOR REAL | Resonate Productions | The Netherlands

Kiuryaq | Akpik Theatre/Theaturtle | Canada

MUTE | SABAB Theatre | Kuwait

Nkoli: The Vogue-Opera  | Philip Mullier Musorelief | South Africa

One Ocean | Small Island Big Song | Taiwan

The Curing Line | Straymaker | Ireland

The Visitors | Moogahlin Performing Arts and Sydney Theatre Company | Australia

(Photo credits: Lauren Miller, Rosie Powell, Davis Heslep, Romain Bly, Aoife Miskelly, Stephen Wilson Barker)

The Pitch New Works projects were selected from a pool of 109 applications by ISPA’s Pitch New Works Committee. The committee was chaired by Cindy Hwang, Founder/President at InPulse Creatives and Music Programmer at the Ithra Theater. Other committee members include Pamela Lopez, Independent Cultural Management Consultant; Hanako Yamaguchi, Independent Arts Consultant; Jochem Valkenburg, Programming Director of Music and Music Theatre at the Holland Festival; Meiyin Wang, Producing Director at the Perelman Performing Arts Center; and Fiona Winning, former Head of Programming at Sydney Opera House.

Delegates of the ISPA 2025 New York Congress can catch these 10 remarkable projects at the Pitch New Works session, Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater. Immediately following the session, delegates will have an opportunity to meet the presenters at ISPA’s ProEx (Professional Exchange).

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About ISPA: The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) is a global association of 500 arts leaders from 60 regions, who come together with the shared goal of strengthening and developing the arts internationally. ISPA achieves this by building leadership ability, by recognizing and discussing field-wide trends and new developments, and by deepening global exchange through the arts. ISPA members include presenters, performing arts organizations, artist managers, festivals, funders, artists, consultants, and other professionals working in the performing arts. Founded in 1948, 2024 marked ISPA’s 75^th anniversary.

About Pitch New Works: ISPA's Pitch New Works Program provides a forum for creators and arts professionals to share and discover new performing arts projects. Twice a year, ten submissions are selected to be presented to hundreds of performing arts professionals at ISPA's Congresses. More about Pitch New Works. View roster of past Pitch New Works projects. Read Pitch New Works success stories.

Media Contact: Zooey Cheng (zcheng@ispa.org; 1 212 206 8490 x205)

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Registration Now Open for ISPA 2025 New York Congress

Leading with Creativity

January 14 – 16, 2025

New York, NY, USA (September 3, 2024) – Registration is now open for the ISPA 2025 New York Congress, Leading with Creativity. Welcoming all cultures, regions, genres, and disciplines within the performing arts field, more than 500 delegates from 60 regions around the world are expected to attend in-person.

“Under the leadership of co-chairs, Shoshana Polanco of FES Iztacala UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) and Josephine Ridge of Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, the 2025 Planning Committee thoughtfully offers a dialogue that is relevant and timely given the current global environment.” said CEO David Baile.

Congress Theme: Leading with Creativity

Join us as leadership takes center stage. The international performing arts community faces new realities including global conflicts, changing workplace culture, divisions around social issues, AI, and the climate emergency. At ISPA’s 2025 New York Congress, we’ll explore innovative approaches and leadership models that leverage creativity to inspire and lead with impact. Whether you’re an artist, presenter, manager, administrator, or cultural advocate, join us as we navigate the unique challenges and opportunities of arts leadership in today’s rapidly shifting, often polarized world.

The Congress theme will be explored through a variety of sub-topics presented in various formats ensuring a highly interactive discussion. Popular programs promoting global exchange of the arts, including Pitch New Works and ProEx (Professional Exchange) will once again be held. The annual ISPA awards will be presented honoring some of the sector’s top leaders and innovations/initiatives. The Congress will be returning to the Gerald W. Lynch Theater (John Jay College) and the iconic Times Center.

Online registration is open through January 3th. Early Bird period ends October 25th. For more information on the ISPA 2025 New York Congress, visit https://www.ispa.org/page/congress_ny25.

About ISPA: The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) is a global association of more than 500 arts management leaders from 60 regions, who come together with the shared goal of strengthening and developing the arts internationally. We achieve this by building leadership ability, by recognizing and discussing field-wide trends and new developments, and by deepening global exchange through the arts. ISPA members include presenters, performing arts organizations, artist managers, competitions, funders, consultants and other professionals working in the performing arts. Founded in 1948, 2024 marks ISPA's 75th anniversary.

About ISPA Congresses: ISPA Congresses bring together performing arts leaders to discover the next great idea, strengthen relationships, and rejuvenate their passion for the arts. Programming is geared toward administrators, presenters, managers, agents, artists and government/cultural leaders.

ISPA holds two Congresses annually, one every January in New York City and a second Congress in a different region of the world. Recent International Congress locations include Montréal, Canada (2017), Leeuwarden-Friesland, Netherlands (2018), Guadalajara, Mexico (2019), Hong Kong, China (2022), UK (2023), Australia (2024). With upcoming Congresses in Lugano, Switzerland (2025), Singapore (2026), and Uppsala (2027). For more information about ISPA congresses, visit https://www.ispa.org/page/congress_landing.

Photos: http://bit.ly/ispacongresses
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These ten projects represent a broad spectrum of genres and disciplines and are an exciting reflection of the new works in development in Perth, greater Australia, and across the globe. ISPA will welcome Wesley Enoch, Deputy Chair of Creative Australia and Co-Chair of Annamila First Nations Foundation, to host the session. The projects include:

Equations of a Falling Body | Performing Lines WA | Australia

Garabari | Joel Bray Dance | Australia

He Huia Kaimanawa | Hyslop & Pierce | New Zealand

Lili’u | Leilehua Lanzilotti, Sozo Impact | United States

Night Night | The Last Great Hunt | Australia

Samsara a cine-orchestra by Garin Nugroho | The Esplanade Co Ltd (Singapore), Garin Workshop & Cineria Films | Indonesia

Soliloquy | Genevieve Lacey | Australia

The Hotel | Li Xing Studio | China

Three Marys | Green Room Music, Sydney | Australia

Wundabaa Gaay Guwaali | Spare Parts Puppet Theatre | Australia

(Photo credits: Brett Boardman, Pia Johnson, Chi Zhang)

The Pitch New Works projects were selected from a pool of 106 applications by ISPA’s Pitch New Works Committee. The committee was chaired by Hanako Yamaguchi, Independent Arts Consultant and former Director of Music Programming at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Also serving on the committee were Cindy Hwang, Founder/President at InPulse Creatives and Music Programmer at Ithra Theater; Jochem Valkenburg, Programming Director of Music and Music Theatre at the Holland Festival; Meiyin Wang, Producing Director at the Perelman Performing Arts Center; and Fiona Winning, Head of Programming at Sydney Opera House.

Delegates of the upcoming Perth 2024 ISPA Congress can catch these 10 remarkable projects at the Pitch New Works session on Thursday, May 2, 2024 at The State Theatre Center of Western Australia. Immediately following the session, delegates will have an opportunity to meet the presenters at ISPA’s ProEx (Professional Exchange).

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About ISPA: The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) is a global association of 500 arts leaders from 60 regions, who come together with the shared goal of strengthening and developing the arts internationally. ISPA achieves this by building leadership ability, by recognizing and discussing field-wide trends and new developments, and by deepening global exchange through the arts. ISPA members include presenters, performing arts organizations, artist managers, competitions, funders, consultants and other professionals working in the performing arts. Founded in 1948 by Patrick Hayes, 2024 will mark ISPA’s 75th anniversary.

About Pitch New Works: ISPA's Pitch New Works Program provides a forum for creators and arts professionals to share and discover new performing arts projects. Twice a year, ten submissions are selected to be presented to hundreds of performing arts professionals at ISPA's Congresses. More about Pitch New Works. View roster of past Pitch New Works projects. Read Pitch New Works success stories.

Media Contact: Mara Driscoll (mdriscoll@ispa.org, + 1 212 206 8490 x201)

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On behalf of the Board of Directors, the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) announces the recipients of the 2024 ISPA Awards. The first ISPA Award was presented in 1975 to Beverly Sills. Since then, ISPA has continued to recognize outstanding individuals and organizations for their contribution to the arts and their communities. The 2024 award recipients are as follows:

Distinguished Artist Award Recipient

Presented to artists who have made an outstanding contribution of talent, artistry, dedication, and service to the world of the performing arts.

Tania León (Cuban-American Composer)

 “Ms. León describes her Pulitzer Prize winning composition, “Stride”, as something that is pushing forward. Pushing forward also describes Tania. A person and an artist who has been celebrated globally, she continues to leave a lasting legacy in the world of music and beyond.”

International Citation of Merit Recipient

Presented for unique lifetime achievement which has enriched the international performing arts. This Award is not for performance but rather for distinguished service working within the profession

Cathie Boyd (Artistic Director & Founder of Cryptic & Curator for Sonica)

"Cathie's career exemplifies a commitment to global exchange following 30 years of touring her unique visual musicals in addition to staging work for many other international institutions."

Patrick Hayes Award Recipient

Inspired by the legacy of Patrick Hayes, the founding President of the International Society of the Performing Arts Foundation, this Award recognizes an ISPA member in any stage of their career who has demonstrated transformative leadership in the performing arts.

Mary Lou Aleskie (Director, Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth College)

"Mary Lou Aleskie is a visionary leader. Her leadership role at organizations across the United States is only matched by her commitment to mentoring young professionals in the performing arts."

Angel Award Recipient

Constantin Chiriac (President, Sibiu International Theatre Festival)

 “I believe that this Festival (Sibiu), under the leadership of Constantin Chiriac, is deserving of the award for its visionary courage, ambition, and for the social impact it makes through its work.”

Emerging Leader Award Recipient

The Emerging Leaders Award celebrates creative and evolving practice in any aspect of the performing arts including presenting, touring, artist management, and creative producing. Five (5) awards will be presented in this category. ISPA members as well as employees of ISPA members are eligible to be nominated.

Denisse Flores Somarriba (Director of Unity of Innovation and Connection, Cultura UDG)

“Denisse Flores will be an emerging arts leader throughout her career, both by her nature of constant exploration and as a tireless promoter of Latin American culture. Her work exhibits continued curiosity and desire to explore and expand international partnerships.”

Celebrating Our Planet Award Recipient

The Celebrating Our Planet Award recognizes excellence and/or innovation with respect to creating, presenting, and or touring the performing arts in a climate friendly, sustainable manner. This new award recognizes the initiative(s) of an ISPA member as opposed to the community as a whole.

Aneeshwar Kunchala

“Despite his young age, Aneeshwar is a determined advocate on his mission to combat environmental degradation. Through his journey, he continues to inspire young (and old) minds to appreciate nature and contribute to its preservation through the arts.”

“While we received many worthy nominations, the Board was unanimous in their endorsement on the 2024 awardees. The recipients reflect the richness of diversity that the ISPA membership represents” said ISPA Chief Executive Officer David Baile.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony to be held during the New York 2024 ISPA Congress: Bridging the Gap, on Thursday, January 11, 2024. The ceremony will be hosted by  Elizabeth Hayes, daughter of the International Society for the Arts Foundation founder Patrick Hayes.

New York, NY, USA – The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) is delighted to announce the ten selected Pitch New Works projects that will be presented at the New York 2024 ISPA Congress, Bridging the Gap.

ISPA's Pitch New Works Program provides a forum for creators and arts professionals to share and discover new performing arts projects. Twice a year, ten submissions are selected to be presented to hundreds of performing arts professionals at ISPA's Congresses. More about Pitch New Works. View roster of past Pitch New Works projects. Read Pitch New Works success stories.

The ten projects represent a broad spectrum of genres and disciplines and are an exciting reflection of the new works in development across the globe. ISPA will be welcoming back Anthony Sargent CBE, International Artistic Advisor, to host the session. The projects include:

BIRGET; ways to deal, ways to heal | Carte Blanche - The Norwegian National Company of Contemporary Dance | Norway

Classical:NEXT A soft wind stirs | The Third Orchestra | United Kingdom/Germany

Demon Fruit Blues | indigo muse LLC | United States

Ink | Huang Yi Studio + | Taiwan/Japan

Marceline | La petita malumaluga | Spain

Nigamon/Tunai | Productions Onishka | Canada/Colombia

OIWA - The Ghost of Yotsuya | The Finger Players | Singapore

Ring of our Time - the eternal battle for resources | World Opera Lab | Iraq/Netherlands/Nigeria/Indonesia/Kurdish Autonomous Region

She Dances in April | Fengling Productions | United Kingdom/China

The Great YES, The Great NO | THE OFFICE performing arts + film | South Africa

                                                                      Photo credits: Øystein Haara, Helena Valles, Arts House Limited, Hoo Tao

The Pitch New Works projects were selected from a pool of 101 applications by ISPA’s Pitch New Works Committee. The committee was chaired by Hanako Yamaguchi, Independent Arts Consultant and former Director of Music Programming at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Also serving on the committee were Igor Lozada Rivera Melo, Director at Universidad de Guadalajara, Cultura UDG; Jochem Valkenburg, Programming Director of Music and Music Theatre at the Holland Festival; and Meiyin Wang, Producing Director at the Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center.

Delegates of the upcoming New York 2024 ISPA Congress can catch these ten remarkable projects at the Pitch New Works session, Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at the Perelman Performance Arts Center. Immediately following the session, delegates will have an opportunity to meet the presenters at ISPA’s ProEx (Professional Exchange).

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About ISPA: The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) is a global association of 500 arts leaders from 60 regions, who come together with the shared goal of strengthening and developing the arts internationally. ISPA achieves this by building leadership ability, by recognizing and discussing field-wide trends and new developments, and by deepening global exchange through the arts. ISPA members include presenters, performing arts organizations, artist managers, festivals, funders, artists, consultants, and other professionals working in the performing arts. Founded in 1948, 2024 marks ISPA’s 75^th anniversary.

About Pitch New Works: ISPA's Pitch New Works Program provides a forum for creators and arts professionals to share and discover new performing arts projects. Twice a year, ten submissions are selected to be presented to hundreds of performing arts professionals at ISPA's Congresses. More about Pitch New Works. View roster of past Pitch New Works projects. Read Pitch New Works success stories.

Media Contact: Zooey Cheng (zcheng@ispa.org; 1 212 206 8490 x205)

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Registration Now Open for New York 2024 ISPA Congress
Bridging the Gap

January 9 – 11, 2024 

The performing arts have long provided an effective platform for exploring greater societal issues. However, the arts sector itself grapples with the same challenges, including inequities, regional conflict, generational shifts, climate change, and scarcity of funding and training resources. These are just a few of the issues currently at hand. As we recover from years of significant upheaval, how can our sector overcome the gaps that currently exist? By reconciling these gaps in the performing arts, how can we affect positive change on greater society?

New York, NY, USA (September 5, 2023) – Registration is now open for the New York 2024 ISPA Congress, Bridging the Gap. Representing the ecosystem of the performing arts including, presenters, festivals, artist managers, funders, and other professionals within the field, more than 500 delegates from around the world are expected to attend in-person.

“Under the leadership of chair, Govin Ruben of TerryandtheCuz, the 2024 Planning Committee thoughtfully offers a dialogue that is relevant and timely given the current global environment.” said CEO David Baile.

The Congress theme will be explored through a variety of sub-topics presented in various formats ensuring a highly interactive discussion. Popular programs including Pitch New Works and ProEx (Professional Exchange) will once again be held. The Congress will unfold for the first time at the newly opened Perelman Performing Arts Center.

Online registration is open through January 2^nd. For more information on the New York 2024 ISPA Congress, visit https://www.ispa.org/page/congress_ny24 .

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About ISPA: The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) is a global association of more than 500 arts management leaders from 56 regions, who come together with the shared goal of strengthening and developing the arts internationally. We achieve this by building leadership ability, by recognizing and discussing field-wide trends and new developments, and by deepening global exchange through the arts. ISPA members include presenters, performing arts organizations, artist managers, competitions, funders, consultants and other professionals working in the performing arts. Founded in 1948, 2023 marks ISPA's 74th anniversary. Watch for future releases on ISPA’s 75^th anniversary, a year-long celebration of what ISPA has accomplished and the vison for its global future.

About ISPA Congresses: ISPA Congresses bring together performing arts leaders to discover the next great idea, strengthen relationships, and rejuvenate their passion for the arts. Programming is geared toward administrators, presenters, managers, agents, artists and government/cultural leaders.  ISPA holds two Congresses annually, one every January in New York City and a second Congress in a different region of the world. Recent International Congress locations include Melbourne, Australia (2016), Montréal, Canada (2017), Leeuwarden-Friesland, Netherlands (2018), Guadalajara, Mexico (2019), Hong Kong, China (2022), and Manchester, UK (2023). For more information about ISPA congresses, visit https://www.ispa.org/page/congress_landing .

Photos: http://bit.ly/ispacongresses 

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Hong Kong Fellowship Program: Now Accepting Applications! 

Deadline: Tuesday, September 19, 2023 at 17:00 EDT (New York)

More info and apply: https://www.ispa.org/page/fellowship_landing

New York, NY, USA (May 9, 2023) – The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) is delighted to announce the ten selected Pitch New Works projects that will be presented at the Manchester 2023 ISPA Congress, Co-Creating the Future.

These ten projects represent a broad spectrum of genres and disciplines and are an exciting reflection of the new works in development in Manchester, the United Kingdom, and across the globe. ISPA will welcome Kee Hong Low, Creative Director at Factory International, to host the session. The projects include:

12 Last Songs, Quarantine | Theater | United Kingdom
Autofiction, Collective Ma’louba | Theater | Germany
Best Life, Theatre Replacement | Theater | Canada
Fire Songs, Frozen Light | Theater | United Kingdom
Ghosts of Hell Creek, Prehistoric Body Theater | Dance Theater | Indonesia
Mehek, Aakash Odedra Company | Dance | United Kingdom
PENDULUM, Lucy Guerin Inc | Interdisciplinary | Australia
Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World, The Javaad Alipoor Company | Theater | United Kingdom
Trade/Mary Motorhead, Beth Morrison Projects | Opera | United States
We Are As Gods, James Cousins Company | Dance | United Kingdom

The Pitch New Works projects were selected from a pool of 87 applications by ISPA’s Pitch New Works Committee. The committee was chaired by Hanako Yamaguchi, Independent Arts Consultant and former Director of Music Programming at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Also serving on the committee were Igor Lozada Rivera Melo, Director at Universidad de Guadalajara, Cultura UDG; Jochem Valkenburg, Programming Director of Music and Music Theatre at the Holland Festival; Meiyin Wang, Producing Director at the Perelman Performing Arts Center; and Fiona Winning, Head of Programming at the Sydney Opera House.

Delegates of the upcoming Manchester 2023 ISPA Congress can catch these 10 remarkable projects at the Pitch New Works session, Thursday, June 29, 2023 at The Bridgewater Hall. Immediately following the session, delegates will have an opportunity to meet the presenters at ISPA’s ProEx (Professional Exchange).

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About ISPA: The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) is a global association of 500 arts leaders from 60 regions, who come together with the shared goal of strengthening and developing the arts internationally. ISPA achieves this by building leadership ability, by recognizing and discussing field-wide trends and new developments, and by deepening global exchange through the arts. ISPA members include presenters, performing arts organizations, artist managers, competitions, funders, consultants and other professionals working in the performing arts. Founded in 1948 by Patrick Hayes, 2024 will mark ISPA’s 75th anniversary.

About Pitch New Works: ISPA's Pitch New Works Program provides a forum for creators and arts professionals to share and discover new performing arts projects. Twice a year, ten submissions are selected to be presented to hundreds of performing arts professionals at ISPA's Congresses. View roster of past Pitch New Works projects. Read Pitch New Works success stories.

Photos: http://bit.ly/ispacongresses

Media Contact: Mara Driscoll (mdriscoll@ispa.org, +1 (720) 352-1651)

On behalf of the Board of Directors, the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) announces the recipients of the New York 2023 ISPA Awards. The first ISPA Award was presented in 1975 to Beverly Sills. Since then, ISPA has continued to recognize outstanding individuals for their contribution to the arts and their communities. The 2023 award recipients are as follows:

Distinguished Artist Award Recipient

Presented to artists who have made an outstanding contribution of talent, artistry, dedication, and service to the world of the performing arts.

Hideki Noda

Artistic Director, Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre

International Citation of Merit Recipient

Presented for unique lifetime achievement which has enriched the international performing arts. This Award is not for performance but rather for distinguished service working within the profession

Lara Foot

CEO and Artistic Director, Baxter Theatre Centre

Patrick Hayes Award Recipient

Inspired by the legacy of Patrick Hayes, the founding President of the International Society of the Performing Arts Foundation, this Award recognizes an ISPA member in any stage of their career who has demonstrated transformative leadership in the performing arts.

Maria Claudia Parias Durán

Executive President, Batuta Foundation

Angel Award Recipient

Douglas H. Wheeler

President Emeritus, Washington Performing Arts

“While we received many worthy nominations, the Board was unanimous in their endorsement on the 2023 awardees. The recipients reflect the richness of diversity that the ISPA membership represents” said ISPA Chief Executive Officer David Baile.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony to be held during the New York 2023 ISPA Congress, Urgency of Now, on Thursday, January 12, 2023. The ceremony will be hosted by Paul Tam, Executive Director, Performing Arts, West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, Hong Kong (China). 

These ten projects represent a broad spectrum of genres and disciplines and are an exciting reflection of the new works in development across the globe. ISPA will be welcoming back Anthony Sargent CBE, Interim Director, Koffler Center for the Arts to host the session. The projects include: 

Bark of Millions: A Parade Trance Extravaganza for the Living Library of the Deviant Theme, Pomegranate Arts | United States
COMMON GROUND, Upswing, Ltd | United Kingdom
JUDGE ME, BIT Teatergarasjen, Bergen Center of Electronic Art | Norway
LEMNISKATA, MOVES México | Mexico
Stream of Memory, Esplanade Theatres on the Bay | Indonesia
The Book of Life, Volcano, Canada, in association with the Woman Cultural Centre, Rwanda | Rwanda
The Ritual of Breath Is the Rite to Resist, Commissioned and produced by Dartmouth’s Hopkins Center for the Art; Co-commissioned by Stanford Live | United States
The Waste Land, Amsterdam Sinfonietta and ISH Dance Collective | The Netherlands
WAVES (working title), Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan | Taiwan
Wired, Kinetic Light | United States

The Pitch New Works projects were selected from a pool of 92 applications by ISPA’s Pitch New Works Committee. The committee was chaired by Hanako Yamaguchi, Independent Arts Consultant and former Director of Music Programming at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Also serving on the committee were Igor Lozada Rivera Melo, Director at Universidad de Guadalajara, Cultura UDG; Jochem Valkenburg, Programming Director of Music and Dance at the Holland Festival; Meiyin Wang, Producing Director at the Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center; and Fiona Winning, Head of Programming at the Sydney Opera House.

Delegates of the upcoming New York 2023 ISPA Congress can catch these 10 remarkable projects at the Pitch New Works session, Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College. Immediately following the session, delegates will have an opportunity to meet the presenters at ISPA’s ProEx (Professional Exchange).

# # #

About ISPA: The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) is a global association of 500 arts leaders from 60 regions, who come together with the shared goal of strengthening and developing the arts internationally. ISPA achieves this by building leadership ability, by recognizing and discussing field-wide trends and new developments, and by deepening global exchange through the arts. ISPA members include presenters, performing arts organizations, artist managers, competitions, funders, consultants and other professionals working in the performing arts. Founded in 1948 by Patrick Hayes, 2024 will mark ISPA’s 75th anniversary. 

About Pitch New Works: ISPA's Pitch New Works Program provides a forum for creators and arts professionals to share and discover new performing arts projects. Twice a year, ten submissions are selected to be presented to hundreds of performing arts professionals at ISPA's Congresses. View roster of past Pitch New Works projects. Read Pitch New Works success stories.

Photos: http://bit.ly/ispacongresses

Media Contact: Kally Zhao (kzhao@ispa.org; 1 212 206 8490 x205)