Mid Atlantic Tours
Mid Atlantic Tours increase audience access to the arts from the region and abroad and promotes the richness and diversity of the area’s resources by supporting tours of regional and international performing artists. The Foundation offers support to presenters from the nine states and jurisdictions it serves (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, and West Virginia) who book artists on the annual Mid Atlantic Tours roster. Priority is given to engagements taking place in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, and West Virginia. Presenters are eligible to receive support toward artist fees for their engagements.
The Foundation selects artists for Mid Atlantic Tours based on a number of goals and criteria:
Affordability: Fees for selected artists normally range between $5,000-$15,000 enabling a diverse range of presenters to easily participate in this program. Artist affordability and appeal also help ensure that the Foundation’s funds get distributed in a broad and equitable manner across the region.
Support of Key Artistic Disciplines: Preference is given to artists working in disciplines that may be more challenging for presenters to program because of cost, risk or unfamiliarity, such as contemporary dance and theater.
Promotion of regional and international art forms and artists: The Foundation is committed to celebrating art forms with deep roots in the region, such as jazz and folk and traditional arts, and promoting artists based in the mid-Atlantic and from outside the United States.
Strong Artist Representation: Priority is given to ensembles with strong artist management and/or booking representation capable of identifying appropriate venues and maximizing available resources to fully realize the program’s goals of broad regional participation and access to high quality performing arts in underserved communities.
2010-11 Mid Atlantic Tours Roster
The 2010-2011 Mid Atlantic Tours Roster includes the following groups.
DANCE
 STEP AFRIKA! (Washington, DC)
http://www.mcmarts.com/step_afrika.html
http://www.stepafrika.com/home.htm
Click here for video clip.
Step Afrika! is the first professional company in the world dedicated to the tradition of stepping, a unique dance tradition created by college students and the fraternities and sororities of the historical African-American colleges of the early 1900s. In stepping, the body is used as an instrument to create intricate rhythms and sounds through a combination of footsteps, claps and spoken word. Founded in 1994, the company has received critical acclaim for its efforts to promote an understanding of and appreciation for stepping and the dance tradition's use as an educational tool for young people worldwide. Step Afrika! reaches tens of thousands of Americans each year and has performed on stages in Africa, Europe, and North and South America.
Booking contact: Thomas Gallant, MCM Arts and Entertainment; Phone: 845/691.4960; Email: tgallant@mcmarts.com
ROOTS, FOLK & TRADITIONAL:
 The Wailin’ Jennys (Winnipeg, Canada)
http://www.herschelfreemanagency.com/jennys/jennys.html
Click here for audio clips.
Click here for video clip.
The Wailin' Jennys, a female trio of stunning voices and talented singer-songwriters, continue to charm North American roots fans and a rapidly growing international base since it emerged with its fresh acoustic sound from the Canadian heartland five years ago. The group has toured three continents to international acclaim and continues to garner rave reviews for their 2006 Firecracker album that stayed in the Top 5 on the Billboard Bluegrass chart for more than 30 weeks. The Wailin’ Jennys have appeared on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion and performed alongside Roseanne Cash and Phil Cunningham. The group is available for mid-Atlantic touring in October 2010 and February and April 2011.
Booking contact: Herschel Freeman, Herschel Freeman Agency; Phone: 901/757.4567; Email: hfreeman@herschelfreemanagency.com
JAZZ:
 Joe Lovano & John Scofield Quartet (New York, NY)
http://www.imnworld.com/artists/detail/18/joe-lovano
http://www.joelovano.com/
Click here for audio and video clips - on right side of page
Grammy-winning saxophonist/composer Joe Lovano and the equally lauded guitarist/composer John Scofield partner in the 2010-11 season to bring audiences a satisfying musical partnership – the sum of their collective years, experience and creativity. Lovano stands out as one of the most successful saxophonists in jazz today. He has released over 20 celebrated albums on the Blue Note label, including 2007's Grammy-nominated Kids. Scofield, considered one of the "big three" of current jazz guitarists along with Pat Metheny and Bill Frisell, is a masterful jazz improviser. He has recorded over 35 albums as a leader and collaborated with the likes of Miles Davis, Charlie Haden, Eddie Harris, Mavis Staples, and Herbie Hancock.
Booking contact: Jeanna Disney, International Music Network; Phone: 978/283.2883; Email: jeanna@imnworld.com
THEATER:
 Walnut Street Theater (Philadelphia, PA)
http://www.baylinartists.com/artist/walnut_street_theatre/
Click here for video clip - scroll down under "Watch".
Founded in 1809, Walnut Street Theatre is the oldest continuously operating theatre in the United States. This venerable institution has become a staple of Philadelphia and America’s theatre community. Some of America’s most legendary performers have graced its stage, including Ethel Barrymore, Marlon Brando, Sidney Poitier, Helen Hayes and Kathryn Hepburn. In 2011, the Walnut Street Theatre will tour a new production of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie. The 2011 tour marks the centennial of Williams' birth.
Booking contact: Marc Baylin, Baylin Artist Management; Phone: 267/880.3750; Email: mbaylin@baylinartists.com
WORLD:
 Buika (Mallorca, Spain)
http://www.cami.com/?cat=World+Music+%26+Dance&webid=1999
Click here for audio clips.
Click here for video clip.
In a relatively short time span Buika has gone from struggling artist to a trailblazing force in contemporary Spanish music. The daughter of political refugees from the African nation of Equatorial Guinea who grew up in a gypsy neighborhood on the Spanish island of Mallorca, Buika is at the crossroads of many genres, including jazz, funk, gypsy rumba, flamenco, copla (female-centric Spanish torch songs) and neo-soul come together in a sublime, musical pact. Her U.S. debut album Mi Niña Lola released last year by Warner Music Latina, was met with critical acclaim and went on to win Spain’s answer to the Grammys for Best Produced Album.
Booking contact: Toby Tumarkin, Columbia Artists Management; Phone: 212/841.9563; Email: tumarkin@cami.com
Funding Guidelines and Process
Presenters in the mid-Atlantic region (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, and West Virginia) are eligible to receive fee support grants toward the contracted artist fees. Artist fees may also include hotel and lodging expenses. Not all artists are eligible for fee support in all states. Please contact the artist’s agent for details.
Supported engagements must include at least one complementary activity that builds appreciation for and a greater understanding of the performance or the art form. Complementary activities may include but are not limited to exhibitions, readings, master classes, lecture-demonstrations, workshops, open rehearsals, or pre-or post-performance discussions. While the Foundation encourages presenters to involve the featured artists in the planning and presentation of the complementary activity, it is not a funding requirement that the artist participate in the activity. Presenters should discuss the complementary activity and the artists' involvement with the artist's booking agent and include these activities in their negotiations.
There are no restrictions on the number of Mid Atlantic Tours grants a presenter can receive in a given year.
Presenters interested in booking any of the 2010-2011 Mid Atlantic Tours artists and receiving fee support should contact the group's agent directly to negotiate terms of the engagement. There is no application process involved for Mid Atlantic Tours funding, but funds are limited, and fee support grants will be available “while supplies last.” Presenters are encouraged to pursue this opportunity and secure artist engagements as soon as possible.
Presenters reaching communities underserved by the arts will be given priority consideration for support. For the purposes of this program, an underserved community is one in which individuals lack access to arts programs due to geography, economic conditions, ethnic background, or disability.
For questions about the program and funding information, contact Krista Bradley at Krista@midatlanticarts.org or 410/539.6656 x 110.
Funding for these tours is made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program.
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