WAA’s Performing Arts Discovery Program is Expanding
New Partnership and $300,000 Grant Award from the International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
We have some exciting news to share: WAA has received a $300,000 grant award from the U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration’s (ITA) Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP) to support the expansion of the Performing Arts Discovery (PAD) program — an initiative launched in 2015 by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and managed by WAA on behalf of the U.S. regional arts organizations. PAD promotes U.S. performing artists to international programmers, festival directors, and venue managers and reduces barriers for American artists overseas.
Thanks to the three-year MCDP grant, we’ll be able to expand PAD’s reach into new target markets, focusing on Australia, Germany, and Colombia — countries whose performing arts industries align closely with the work of artists in our PAD and Advancing Indigenous Performance programs. Our partnership with ITA through the MDCP grant also provides us with technical assistance, market research resources, travel support, access to experts on the ground in international markets; ITA is a strong advocate and collaborator with experience in removing barriers to international markets. We expect the PAD program to generate as much as $8.7 million in new work for U.S. artists over the next three years.
“Our expansion of the PAD program will open the door to international export opportunities in our targeted markets and beyond. Artists, who were hit particularly hard by the pandemic, are eager to re-engage with touring. In a time when performing artists need all the help they can get, we are so grateful to the ITA for their support of U.S. artists for the opportunities this grant will create.”
2021 PAD artist, Mythili Prakash; image credit: Jorge Vismara
The PAD program is open to U.S.-based performing artists with a demonstrated ability to tour internationally. Artists/ensembles selected for the PAD program via panel review process receive support from an expert video production team to create professionally produced live performance videos which are promoted and showcased on a virtual platform for international markets.
In pre-pandemic years, PAD brought international programmers and festival directors to the Arts Midwest, Performing Arts Exchange, and Western Arts Alliance conferences. In partnership with the NEA, WAA transitioned to the current virtual format for the 2021 cycle – a cohort of 30 artists – to ensure the program’s continuation during COVID-19 and to provide U.S. artists with the resources and relationships to support international touring in preparation for travel being restored. With the Market Development Cooperator Program, PAD will once again seek to strengthen relationships and connections through in-person participation in market events.
Applications for the 2022 cycle of PAD will open this November; stay tuned for more details, and in the meantime, check out the work of the 2021 PAD cohort below.
You can read our press release on the MCDP grant here.