AMP: Artists' Meeting Place and Resource Collective

from LA Culture Net

Open Call for Puppetry Acts

The Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles seeks ten puppetry acts for its fifth-annual Family Puppet Festival on Sunday, April 17, 2016. This one-day festival will feature a wide range of puppetry, from small to large scale, utilizing diverse media and drawing on a variety of cultural traditions. The general theme will be celebrating community and caring for the earth and each other.

About the Skirball:

For the Skirball Cultural Center, which opened in 1996, the arts serve as a vehicle to explore and forge connections among individuals, cultures, and communities. Rooted in Jewish heritage and the values of community, diversity, and caring for the world around us, the Skirball realizes its mission through exhibitions, performances, films, festivals, and educational offerings for people of different ages and backgrounds. With the 2007 opening of Noah’s Ark at the Skirball, an award-winning exhibition that contains nearly 400 life-sized animals—including more than thirty puppets made from repurposed materials—the Skirball established itself as a major venue for diverse family audiences to experience the power of the arts and of community.

What we’re looking for:
· Puppetry acts that represent diverse styles and cultures
· Stories told through puppetry that connect to the Skirball’s mission (see above) of connecting people across cultures, examining history and identity, celebrating diversity, and making the world a better place by caring for the earth and one another
· Acts that tell original stories or—like the Noah’s Ark exhibition—provide a new take on folktales
· Family-friendly acts that engage audiences across generations
· Acts that can be performed in traditional and nontraditional performance spaces like outdoor patios, museum galleries, or public spaces (special consideration will be given to performances that do not require technical support)
· Shows running approximately 10–30 minutes
· Pageant/strolling puppets and acts

What we’re not looking for:
· Non-narrative work that would prove challenging to a mixed-aged audience· Performances geared toward adults (e.g. depictions of sex, violence, or storylines and situations that might be too sophisticated for young children)
· Performances with significant technical needs, requiring elaborate sets, lighting, or sound Stipend

· Each participating group will be offered a stipend, marketing opportunities, and amenities on the day of performance.

How to apply:

Send an e-mail introducing yourself, including the name of the proposed piece, along with the following:
1) A brief description of the performance
2) Links to video clips and/or high-definition images of the performance
3) A list of the technical requirements and number of performers
4) Your contact info
5) A résumé and a list of at least two references
6) Any other work samples you’d like to share

Send your message to familyprograms@skirball.org with the subject line PUPPET. Deadline for submissions: Monday, February 1, 2016

If we are interested in setting up an in-person interview/audition, we will contact you after receiving your materials.