Performing Arts Global Exchange
Introduction
Each year, a country or region is featured with a selection of artists across multiple disciplines. The program provides fee support directly to nonprofit presenters programming artists from the roster, and presenters host both public performances and community engagements in achieving the program’s goals of cultural exchange and understanding.
Presenting international artists offers an opportunity to engage in the rich diversity of cultural expression throughout the world, but it also requires resources that aren’t always available. Travel expenses, visas, and routing are often barriers to presenting international artists, especially in the U.S.’s more remote communities. PAGE seeks to ease some of those burdens for U.S. presenters by working with international curators to identify a region’s most exciting, tour-ready artists and provide grant support to bring them to the U.S.
Eligibility and Schedule
Eligibility
In order to be eligible for this program a presenting organization must:
- Be based anywhere in the United States and its territories (American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands).
- Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or a unit of state or local government or Federally recognized Indian tribal government. Units of state or local government must provide a document on official letterhead to confirm status as a government entity. Fiscal sponsorship is not permitted for this program.
- Be in good standing with Mid Atlantic Arts, with no overdue or outstanding required reports and/or grant documents.
- For this program, a presenter is defined as an organization that regularly schedules and engages professional artists to perform before general audiences in its community and manages the related performance logistics as an ongoing and significant component of their organization’s activity.
Schedule
This is an annual opportunity. Roster announced each winter.
Webinar
2024-2025 PAGE Webinar
Wednesday, March 6 at 1:30 PM Eastern | Click on this link to view a recording.
Learn more about the 2024-2025 PAGE artists from Colombia and Brazil. Agents will be present to discuss the band’s tour, and staff will walk through the grant process, followed by a Q&A session.
Guidelines and Application
Booking Guidelines
The program guidelines below are for information purposes only. The 2025 Performing Arts Global Exchange deadline was April 15, 2024.
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A group of musicians stands on a stage with their instruments and microphones. This is a posed publicity photo.
Current Grantees
Artist Selection
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Image: Ana del pilar Copete Álvarez. Credit: Courtesy of Ana del pilar Copete Álvarez.
Ana del pilar Copete Álvarez
Mother of Iakim, Ana is part of the 50 most creative individuals in Colombia, as recognized by Forbes magazine. She has a background in law and a Masters in Public Management from Santiago de Cali University and furthered her expertise in negotiation at the University of London. As the Director of the Petronio Álvarez Music Festival, she orchestrates a harmonious celebration of culture and music. Previously, she directed the Social Management division of the Buenaventura Port Society Foundation and its Business Development Center. Here, she led the legalization of the traditional Afro communities’ drink, “Viche/Biche,” on the Colombian Pacific coast. Her contributions have earned recognition from Women Working for the World in the culture sector as an Exemplary Colombian and a nomination for Afro-Colombian of the Year in the public sector.
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Image: Alejandra Gomez Quintero. Credit: Courtesy of Alejandra Gomez Quintero.
Alejandra Gomez Quintero
As the founder and director of Biche, a pioneering music production house in Bogotá and Cali, Alejandra focuses on the development of atypical, roots, and avant-garde Latin sounds. In addition to Biche, she serves as the manager of Frente Cumbiero and works as a booking agent for a diverse roster of independent artists, including Ondatrópica, Romperayo, Nidia Góngora, Canalón de Timbiquí, Semblanzas del Río Guapi, Las Áñez, Dani Boom, Minyo Cumbiero (Japan-Colombia), and Son Rompe Pera (Mexico). With over thirteen years of experience in the independent music scene, Alejandra specializes in strategically advancing and globalizing alternative Latin bands with local identities and futuristic outlooks. Her multifaceted roles include DIY publicist, educational agitator, vinyl selector, and underground promoter, reflecting a steadfast belief in collaborative and horizontal work.
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Image: Natalia Mallo. Credit: Courtesy of Natalia Mallo.
Natalia Mallo
Natalia Mallo is a multi-artist, curator, and consultant born in Argentina and based in Sao Paulo, Brazil. She has 25 years of experience in developing projects in the performing arts as a composer, musician, dramaturge, performer, and director. Natalia is also a creative producer and cultural diplomat and was a fellow at the Institute for International Cultural Relations (University of Edinburgh) and most recently appointed as Global Connector for IETM (International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts). Currently, she is a global fellow at ISPA (International Society for Performing Arts). She is a programming consultant for organizations, governments, and the third sector, and is currently lead producer and co-curator at the queer arts collective Kuir.org, artistic director at RISCO Festival, and co-curator and ram coordinator at Cultura Inglesa Festival.
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Image: Petrit Pula. Credit: Courtesy of Petrit Pula.
Petrit Pula
Born in NYC and raised partly in Kosovo, Petrit Pula is a music industry professional who has held multiple functions in the industry over the past 20 years. His music journey started as club DJ, having playing many notable clubs in the underground circles of NYC. From 2006-2014, he was manager and A&R at Nublu Records, an independent record label based in the East Village. During that period, in 2011, he started Brasil Summerfest, a music and arts festival dedicated to contemporary music and culture of Brazil. The festival has grown to the largest of its kind in the united States presenting between 10-20 artists each year. Simultaneously, he launched People Time Entertainment, a boutique agency that curates and produces bespoke music events for various clients. He is currently the heads of music and events programming at The Ned, a private members club.
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Image: Pedro Salazar. Credit: Federico Rios.
Pedro Salazar
Pedro Salazar is a Colombian theater and opera director. With a poetics that articulates classicism and the experimental, he has directed more than thirty works of different genres. Since 2007, he has run his own production company in Bogotá, La Compañía Estable, which collaborates with the main theater venues in Bogotá. Salazar trained as a stage director at Columbia University in New York , the Jacques Lecoq School in Paris, and at Brown University. He is currently director of the Performing Arts area at the Universidad de los Andes, in Bogotá, Colombia.
2024-2025 Artist Roster
Espiral 7 (Colombia)
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Image: Espiral 7. Credit: Courtesy of the Artist.
Espiral 7 is a band born from the rich rhythmic patterns of Colombian Pacific Coast Folk music, blending Latin-pop, Latin-rock, Afro-Latin music, and more. Their music is a constant dialogue with the diverse arts of the region, creating a genre-defying experience that resonates with a broad audience. On stage, Espiral 7 transforms into a captivating sonic narrative of the city of Cali, delivering an explosive show backed by a powerful live band and compelling animated visuals. With a lineup that includes Tenor Saxophone, Trumpet, Electric Guitar, Bass, Drums, Percussion, and a vocalist who adds her light to the stage, the ensemble creates an immersive and vibrant musical experience.
Watch: Cara o Sello (Live) | Las Tumbas (Cover)
Traveling: 7 Artists + 1 Support Staff
Technical specifications: Tech Rider
Web: YouTube | Instagram | Facebook
To book, contact: Justine Bayod Espoz | justine@ToritoArtists.com
Las Guaracheras (Colombia)
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Image: Las Guaracheras. Credit. Courtesy of the Artist.
Las Guaracheras is an all-women salsa sextet born in the city of Cali, Colombia in 2017. The ensemble´s cultural and artistic objective is to uplift a female voice within Afro-Latin music and build a more inclusive, diverse and respectful cultural space for all. Their music communicates joy, memory and transformation. With vibraphone, percussion, bass, piano and vocals, Las Guaracheras present an explosive show that provokes dancing, singing as well as reflection.
Among multiple presentations in the best salsa forums in Colombia, Las Guaracheras have performed on stages and festivals such as: Salsa al Parque in Bogotá, Portamérica Latitudes in Guadalajara, Mexico Las Fiestas del Pitic in Hermosillo, Mexico, Sunfest in Canada, Feria de Cali, Sevijazz, the Colsubsidio Theater in Bogotá, BIME Spain, Madrid, and Barcelona and they closed last year with a presentation before 12,000 people in the Zócalo of Mexico City.
Las Guaracheras do a diversity of bilingual outreach and educational programming. From workshops on salsa, percussion and Colombian Pacific music, lyrics creation sessions with a feminist approach, to talks about the ensemble´s experiences in the music industry that motivate women to follow their musical passions, Las Guaracheras engage diverse audiences of all ages and skill-sets.
Watch: Ahora mírala en vivo | Lo Que Soy | Lo Que Somos
Traveling: 6 Artists + 1 Support Staff
Technical specifications: Contact Agent for Tech Rider
Web: YouTube | Instagram | Facebook
To book, contact: José A. Curbelo | jose@hometeammgmt.org
Luciane Dom (Brazil)
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Image: Luciane Dom. Credit: Marcos Hermes.
Luciane Dom – multilingual singer, songwriter, and producer – is part of the new generation of contemporary artists from Rio de Janeiro. She brings poetry to themes of Black diaspora, feminism, empowerment, and other social reflections that impact the construction of her emotions. Luciane´s performances incorporate various musical influences: from Afrobeat, to Urban Jazz, Reggae, and Ijexá, and are calls to action, inviting audiences to dance, sing, and free their bodies. She has been featured at venues such as Brasil Summerfest at Lincoln Center and Celebrate Brooklyn, and was named Rising Star of the Year by the 2022 African Entertainment Awards.
Possessing a History degree from the Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, in addition to songwriting workshops, Luciane´s multilingual educational work primarily revolves around masterclasses with a focus on the Afro-Brazilian Candomblé and interactive classes covering traditional Brazilian rhythms including Samba, Bossa Nova, Forró, Axé, and Maracatu.
Watch: Blue Note São Paulo | Kabile (Live Sessions Labsonica) | Brasil Summerfest at Lincoln Center
Traveling: 5 Artists + 1 Technician
Technical specifications: Contact Agent for Tech Rider
Web: YouTube | Instagram | Website
To book, contact: José A. Curbelo | jose@hometeammgmt.org
Luedji Luna (Brazil)
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Image: Luedji Luna. Credit: Henrique Falci.
Luedji Luna, one of Brazil’s most powerful voices, presents the “Bom Mesmo É Estar Debaixo D’água Deluxe” tour. Exploring sound styles from neo-soul, R&B, and jazz, her music will heal and soothe the soul, from start to finish. She shares with audiences recently released songs from the album of the same name and revisits the successes from previous works of her career (“Um Corpo no Mundo” and “Bom Mesmo É Estar Debaixo D’água”).
Luedji has become a reference in contemporary Brazilian popular music (MPB), has been nominated for several awards including Best MPB Album at the 2021 Latin Grammy Awards, and has performed on global platforms like Colors and Tiny Desk. An active voice in racial and feminist activism, Luedji dives into her ancestry and brings to her art powerful messages of resistance, beliefs, depth, and love.
Watch: Tiny Desk Meets AFROPUNK: Luedji Luna | Sinais | Lençóis – Luedji Luna feat. Be-Atrz
Traveling: 6 Artists + 1 Technician + 1 Support Staff
Technical specifications: Tech Rider
Web: YouTube | Instagram | Facebook
To book, contact: Mira Silvers | mira@fort-agency.com
La Muchacha (Colombia)
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Image: La Muchahca. Credit: Courtesy of the Artist.
La Muchacha, the one who is in search of her roots, has built a sound manifesto that connects with other voices and with other lives. Her project was born from an investigation of the musical roots of her people, recognizing their Latin American origins and strong roots in the singer-songwriter tradition. She explores the nuances of Colombian rhythms and the rich mix that is generated between popular, folkloric, and new-world music.
With a voice and guitar, she is accompanied by Miguel Velásquez Matijasevic on double bass and Camilo Bartelsman on percussion, with whom, in addition to a handful of songs that will become a fully new and vibrant album, they have created something almost symbiotic. La Muchacha has successfully circulated three albums: ‘Polen’, ‘Canciones Crus’ and ‘Más Canciones Crus’ throughout the Colombian territory and in festivals, theaters, and cultural markets such as Músicas al Parque, the Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo, the Boom, and Circulart. Her music is also featured in the documentary Igualada that premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. La Muchacha’s music speaks to the defense of life, love, the complicity between humor and satire, and the resistance of communities and territories.
Watch: La Sentada | La Zenaida (Cover)
Traveling: 3 Artists + 1 Technician + 1 Support Staff
Technical specifications: Tech Rider
Web: Instagram | Facebook
To book, contact: Justine Bayod Espoz | justine@ToritoArtists.com
Manage Your Grant
Learn more about managing your Performing Arts Global Exchange grant.
