Call for Applications: Western Arts Alliance’s Native Launchpad Award

Application Deadline March 27, 2020, 5:00 pm Pacific

Western Arts Alliance (WAA) is pleased to announce that applications are open for the third round of Native Launchpad, a fellowship award of its Advancing Indigenous Performance (AIP) program. Native Launchpad aims to highlight Indigenous voices, and directly support artists to achieve their career goals via direct financial assistance, as well as providing them career development tools. Selected Fellows receive a $17,000 cash reward, as well as membership to WAA and the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP), travel support, and mentoring. The total estimated value of each award is 40k, over three years.

For the 2020 round, AIP will make five Native Launched Artist awards. AIP will also feature the artists in a showcase at WAA’s Annual Conference taking place in San Diego, CA, with a pre-conference in Tijuana, Mexico (August 29 - September 3, 2020). The artists will also travel to New York to attend the Association of Performing Arts Professionals conference in New York in January 2021.

About Native Launchpad & Advancing Indigenous Performance

Established by WAA in 2018, Native Launchpad and Advancing Indigenous Performance are a response to the need among US-based Indigenous performing artists for support and visibility. The program works to build capacity and networks for Indigenous Performing arts. AIP and Native Launchpad are made possible by generous lead support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and additional funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Native Arts and Cultures Foundation.

About Western Arts Alliance

Since 1967 Western Arts Alliance (WAA), a non-profit membership association, has brought together artists, artists managers, presenters, and those working in the field around the shared goal of presenting and promoting the performing arts. WAA’s annual booking conference, as well as year- round programs, convene over 800 artists, managers, arts services organizations, and state agencies. WAA’s mission is to advance excellence in the performing arts presenting in the west by connecting and serving members and the field at large.

Contact Info

For all program questions and application information, please contact:

Ed Bourgeois
Advancing Indigenous Performance Program Manager 503.925.6774 | ebourgeois@westarts.org

For general media inquiries, please contact:

Harper Brokaw-Falbo
Membership & Communications Manager 503.274.4755 | hbfalbo@westarts.org

Program Links & Resources

• Advancing Indigenous Performance

• Native Launchpad

• Direct Link to Application

• FAQ Page

• Past Native Launchpad Artists