The Deadline for 2009 proposals has passed

Links Hall plans to select three AAs for 2008/09, and welcomes proposals. The proposal review and selection of AAs will be made by Links Hall’s Programming Committee, which comprises artists (including some past AAs), as well as Links Hall Staff and Board members.

Selected AAs will receive:

* Space: the Links Hall space will be provided for the four weeks of your project:
Evening hours for rehearsals: Tuesday-Thursday
2 hours before each performance showtime: Friday-Sunday
It is important that the multi-use nature of Links Hall is understood – we have commitments to residency artists, classes, and other renters for many daytime hours. The space must be completely cleared after each rehearsal and performance. Additional time can be made available for workshops, classes, and public discussions.

* Budget: Links Hall will provide the following budget for your project:
Curator’s fee $500
Program Budget: $2,500 plus 50% of ticket revenue
The program budget should cover artists’ fees, travel costs, accommodation, and technical/prop/material needs. Public workshop income, if any, will usually be allocated 100% to your budget. In addition, Links Hall will provide marketing (print and electronic publicity) and technical support (Technical Director for the performances and some rehearsals). In some cases, AAs work with Links Hall to secure additional funding, which has allowed for larger scale projects -- including, for example, being able to present visiting artists.

Each year's AAs participate on Links Hall's Programming Committee to select the
subsequent year's AAs.

Eligibility

All practicing artists are welcome to submit a proposal, and no past curatorial experience is necessary.

Past AAs are welcome to submit proposals; in your proposal, please address the opportunities and benefits afforded by returning to curate a second AA program at Links Hall. We will review these proposals on their merits along with all other proposals; we will not necessarily select a past AA for a project in 2008/09.

Criteria for selection

We will review proposals in the context of Links Hall’s mission: Links Hall encourages artistic innovation and public engagement by maintaining a facility and providing flexible programming for the research, development and presentation of new work in the performing arts.

AA programs are the largest scale public programs presented by Links Hall, and past AAs have worked closely with Links Hall and their artists to ensure effective programs. We will select proposals that not only appear to be artistically innovative, but that appear practical in the context of the available resources (time, space, and budget), as well as the proposer’s likely ability to conceptualize, develop, and realize a large scale project.

Proposal requirements

Please include the following items in your proposal. Do not exceed three pages in total:

* Contact information: Your name, contact mailing address, telephone number, and email address.

* Project title: Please provide a working project title, and identify the artistic discipline(s) your project falls into.

* Creative process: Please summarize how participation in the AA program would assist your creative process and development, and include a summary of your arts-related experience (within the three page maximum noted above). Briefly describe your current areas of interest as an artist, and whether or not you have past experience as a curator (past curatorial experience is not required).
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* Project summary: Summarize your proposed curatorial project. Please explain your interest in curating this project, as well as your goals and objectives. Is there a pressing need for the project (for example, a gap in programming in the City?) and what are the challenges involved in your project?

If you know which artists you would like to curate, please include a list of their names; we do not require bio information about them. If you do not know artists’ names, please make sure your proposal demonstrates a clear picture of the likely content of your program.

If available, please indicate a general plan for your performance schedule. Beyond the expectation that AAs will program four weekends of performances (Fridays-Sundays), we have no requirements regarding the structure of the schedule: e.g. full length pieces vs mixed programs; different programs each week, or longer runs etc. Please review past AA programs to see different approaches which have been undertaken. AAs are welcome to curate themselves into their programs.

Identify any special technical requirements your project may have. The Links Hall ground plan and Technical Handbook are available online at http://linkshall.org/a-tech.shtml

Note: we recommend scheduling artists with a focus on quality before quantity. Please be sure you are not curating a busy and technically demanding program which will unreasonably stretch Links Hall’s office and technical staff – or yourself! However, a packed schedule of work which is low tech and low maintenance could nonetheless be effective.

* Additional programming/fundraising: Please indicate opportunities for additional programming you would like to consider – for example, workshops, discussions, off-site partnerships. Also include any ideas for additional fundraising you or Links Hall may like to pursue. Additional programming and fundraising ideas are welcome in your proposal, but are not required.

* Audience development: Please describe the audience you plan to attract. How does this align with your understanding of Links Hall’s current audience base? What opportunities for new audience development does your program provide?

* Additional materials: Please include your resume. No artists’ documentation (your own or the artists you plan to curate) is required. No project budget is required. Please do not use folders or binders.

Important dates

* APPLICATION DEADLINE: POSTMARK BY 5PM, FRIDAY OCTOBER 19, 2007 OR DELIVER BY 5PM, FRIDAY OCTOBER 19, 2007 TO: LINKS HALL, 3435 NORTH SHEFFIELD #207, CHICAGO IL 60657.

All written application materials should ALSO be emailed as a Word attachment/document to jthornton@linkshall.org BY 5PM, FRIDAY OCTOBER 19, 2007.

* Notification: Selected artists will be notified by November 30, 2007.

* Schedule: AA programs to take place between October 2008 and May 2009.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT JENNIFER THORNTON AT LINKS HALL: (773) 281-0824 OR jthornton@linkshall.org