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Performing & Visual Artists Application
Be part of First Night Worcester ~ the largest New Year’s Eve festival in Central
Massachusetts on December 31, 2010.
First Night wants you!
Music • Dance • Puppetry • Comedy • Vaudeville • Storytelling • Theater
Juggling • Visual installations • Improvisation • Ventriloquism • Mime • Magic!
Let Worcester be your stage…both inside and out…
think big…be creative…
Performance and visual
artists of every genre are welcome to apply.
First Night Worcester Event
Overview & Activities
December 31, 2010
Family Festival (2:00 pm – 7:00 pm)
Performances are geared towards young children and family entertainment and may include interactive
participation. Performances/activities should be appropriate and vary accordingly for
ages 2-10 years. Examples include puppetry, storytelling, music, Sing-alongs, juggling, mime,
movement, magic, yo-yo workshops.
Evening Entertainment (7:00 pm – midnight)
More adult and sophisticated, performances span every genre. Musically, there is everything
from rock to Bach; examples in dance include Irish Step and Chinese Swords; comedy spans
improvisation and impersonation to vaudeville. Everything and anything is considered in order
to offer audiences arts experiences that are diverse, traditional, untraditional, or unexpected.
Visual Arts (outdoor and indoor)
The First Night Worcester outdoor footprint connects indoor performance venues and presents
an opportunity for artists to create spontaneous street surprises and large-scale installations.
Proposals can, but do not have to, include celebrant participation. Past examples include
illuminating the tops of parking meters with hand-decorated lanterns, ice and snow sculptures, a
human chess set. (A sculpture created by artists and celebrants for a past celebration is now
outside the Worcester Public Library.)
Community Outreach (September – December)
As a means to make the arts even more accessible and involve community members in the
creative process of developing and fabricating artwork, outreach programs take place in the
weeks and months preceding the First Night celebration and culminate at the event. Programs
have been designed with church groups, schools and community organizations and have included:
African mask-making, construction of an artistic miniature golf course, choral productions, and
a Deaf Youth Theatre. Some residency programs may commence with professional development
workshops for arts teachers that are integrated into curriculum.
Venues and Technical Considerations
First Night "borrows" over 20 locations in churches, civic buildings and concert
halls to present the celebration. As such, there are limitations of space and
technical conditions. First Night tries to accommodate artistic requests with
specific requirements. However, being flexible is often necessary and very
much appreciated.
First Night Worcester Applicant Guidelines
Selection Process:
Complete the attached application and submit with requested support materials. This
application may be photocopied or downloaded at www.FirstNightWorcester.org. Please
submit a separate application and support materials for each proposal.
Indicate if any artists are participating in multiple groups that are applying to perform.
Applications MUST INCLUDE labeled support material in the form of a CD, DVD, Video,
or Web-link that reflects the artist's proposal and is representative of their work.
Press kits or images alone are not an acceptable substitute but may be included.
Proposals without specified support materials will not be reviewed. Support material
will only be returned if a self-addressed container with sufficient postage is included.
Program committee members, who are representative of a wide range of disciplines,
review proposals which are considered based on artistic merit, total cost, appropriateness
for different audiences, technical and space feasibility, and how it fits within the context
of the overall event.
Outreach programs and residencies should take place in schools or in the community from
September to December and must culminate in a performance, activity or installation at
the event.
In order to fit within First Night scheduling, most performances take place within a
45-minute period and might be repeated 2 or 3 times consecutively with 15-30 minute
breaks between sets to clear the house for new audiences.
If submission is for an outdoor installation, artist must commit to oversight of set-up,
implementation and breakdown on December 31, 2010. Be sure to include any associate
costs and volunteer support needed in your proposal.
Agents applying on behalf of artists should provide an application form and support
materials for each artist wishing to be considered.
Artists are eligible regardless of race, gender, national origin, or physical
ability.
Submit by mail to:
First Night Worcester
PO Box 351
Worcester, MA 01614
Additional Questions:
Phone ~ 508.799.4909
Web ~ www.FirstNightWorcester.org
Email ~ info at firstnightworcester dot org
Click here to download application form (PDF)
Deadline for Proposals: April 9, 2010 |
