The 149 Arts Society is proud to announce its 4th Annual LAUNCH! Festival. LAUNCH! is looking for innovative works that push conventional boundaries by emerging artists. Artists in the areas of performance (dance, music, spoken word, theatre, or new forms) and media/film (fiction, documentary, experimental) are encouraged to apply with their original submissions of 8 minutes or less. Artists experimenting in new forms are strongly encouraged to apply.
Winners are given critical exposure to new audiences and professional mentorship which is intended to help artists in their careers. Selected applicants will perform or present their work in a talent showcase on festival night in the state-of-the-art facilities at the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. They will receive live feedback from a panel of top industry experts and will be awarded a professional performance fee. All applicants (even if not selected for the festival) will also be invited to attend a day-long career building workshop the next day. The workshop will be led by industry mentors with a focus on: how to survive in the arts, developing a “plan B’ strategy, financial planning, marketing and building your resume as well as online profile. Past mentors have included Max Wyman, a Vancouver writer and arts policy consultant, and one of Canada’s leading cultural commentators, Jim Smith, producer of DanceHouse Vancouver; award-winning independent film director Mina Shum; and award-winning musician, songwriter and composer Veda Hille.
Application deadline is May 24, 2016 at 5:00 pm. LAUNCH! Festival takes place June 17 and 18, 2016 at SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, 149 West Hastings Street. If interested in applying check out their submission guidelines and application form. You will also find regular updates on their Facebook page. For further information, contact the Festival Co-ordinator Simon Thistlewo
od at vanfestivallaunch@gmail.com.
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