muppets

Grants: Jim Henson Foundation is accepting letters of intent for Production, Workshop, and Family grants (National)

Description: The Jim Henson Foundation awards grants each year for the creation and development of innovative works of puppet theater. Production Grants of $7,000 are awarded for the production of new works ready to be presented in the coming year. Workshop Grants of $3,000 are for the development and workshopping of these pieces. Workshop Grants and Production Grants can be combined over a two year period for the greatest benefit to the piece; keep in mind, however, that a Production Grant does not need to be proceeded by a Workshop grant and a Workshop Grant in no way ensures a future Production Grant.

Family Grants of $4,000 fund the development of new and innovative work specifically for children, families, and teenagers. Please keep in mind that Family Grants will be evaluated by the same high artistic standards as works for adults.

Grants are made only for the development of new works of live puppet theater. The Foundation does not award funds for the presentation or remounting of existing work. Grants cannot be applied retroactively; substantial portions of a proposed project must take place after the funds are awarded. The foundation does not fund publications, parades, pageants, exhibitions, spectacle, festivals, film or television projects, projects for school credit, workshops, education or outreach activities, or purely digital performance.

Geographic Focus: National

Deadline: March 13, 2017

Call for Performers: Kaidan Project, Greater Los Angeles, CA

We are seeking fearless, Asian, Latina/o, African-American, mixed race and diverse artists to act, perform music, bring spirits to life, dance, puppeteer, sing, scare people and more in a site specific event currently titled Kaidan Project. Kaidan Project is as a collaboration between Rogue Artists Ensemble and East West Players with a script written by Naomi Iizuka and will be directed by Rogue Artistic Director Sean Cawelti. 


Kaidan Project will be a multi-sensory experience (sight, sound, smell) and will involve the Hyakumonagatari Kaidankai (the telling of 100 supernatural tales) a tradition dating back to 1660 and was also involved in Samurai Warrior endurance training. The experience will involve taking small groups of participants on a ‘ghost tour’ of Little Tokyo, while the 100 tales unexpectedly unfold around them, revealing a higher level of paranormal activity, resulting in a thrilling finale. This piece will not be for the faint of heart and will involve moments of sudden darkness, loud noises and frightening imagery. 


We are seeking artists to help with the development of Kaidan Project which begins this August with a reading in West Hollywood and continues Fall 2016 in a site-specific performance experiment in the Japanese Gardens in Van Nuys. There is a small honorarium for artists involved in both the reading and workshop and the hope is that participants will remain involved through the premiere of the work in Fall 2017. Kaidan Project will include community events/engagement examining the traditional ghost stories through a modern lens and will feature puppet, mask and traditional folk art workshops. 


‘Kaidan Project’ - dates and info
Reading - August 6th @ 8pm and 7th @ 2pm, 2016
City of West Hollywood - Plummer Park
Rehearsals August 1st - 6th 
Honorarium $50


Workshop - Fall 2016
Van Nuys - Japanese Garden
Honorarium $100


Additional workshops and rehearsals will be planned in preparation for the premiere in Fall 2017 in Little Tokyo. 


We are looking for a fearless diverse group of artists to realize this project: 
Any age or ethnicity
All experience levels in theater, music, performance art and artists who have performed at haunted houses or scare attractions
Artists that sing, dance or can play unique instruments
Great collaborators and artists who understand the challenges of creating a new work
Physical theater, movement (puppeteers, mask performers) experience preferred but not required
People interested in the paranormal


Submission Instructions: 
Fill out the form and submit - Photo, resume, brief introduction, share a favorite ghost story or experience you’ve had and why you are interested in this project. 


Submission Form - http://www.rogueartists.org/kaidan-project-artist-submission/ http://www.rogueartists.org/kaidan-project-artist-submission/ 


‘Kaidan Project’ is supported by the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, Los Angeles County Arts Commission, City of West Hollywood Arts Commission, Japanese Garden in Van Nuys and the Jim Henson Foundation. 


Rogue Artists Ensemble - http://www.rogueartists.org http://www.rogueartists.org 
Rogue Artists Ensemble is a unique American theatre ensemble that is focused on design. Our original plays use an arsenal of international storytelling techniques which include puppets, masks, theatrical magic, projection, sophisticated technology, audio sampling, dance and more to create an unforgettable and totally different kind of experience for young and old alike. Our goal by using this varied approach is to attract a new generation of theatergoer who has come to expect more in this tech savvy world. 


East West Players - http://www.eastwestplayers.org http://www.eastwestplayers.org 

Established in 1965, East West Players has been hailed as the nation’s leading Asian American theater troupe for our award-winning productions that blend Eastern and Western movement, costumes, language, and music. EWP has premiered more than 100 plays and musicals about the Asian Pacific American experience and has held more than 1,000 readings and workshops. EWP continues to provide unique opportunities for Asian-American artists and is committed to advocating for more diverse representations of the Asian-American experience on TV and across all media.