Professional Development

Upcoming Webinars

Intro to International Contracts with Katherine McVicker

Tuesday, November 4, 2:30-3:30 PM ET | Register Here
Captions will be provided for this session in English and in Spanish and a recording of the session will be made available on YouTube.

International performance contracts can often introduce artists to unfamiliar laws, currency issues, tax obligations, and unexpected cultural or logistical complexities. Join us for an informative webinar with international touring expert Katherine McVicker of Music Works International as she breaks down the essentials of international contracting. This session will be tailored for musicians or music managers, but will include broadly applicable contract tips for entrepreneurial performing artists in other disciplines.

The session will cover key contract elements including payment terms, cancellation clauses, visas, insurance, technical riders, and more. Learn negotiation tips and red flags to watch for so that you can confidently navigate agreements across borders. Whether you’re new to international work or looking to strengthen your skills, this webinar offers clear guidance to help you protect your interests and build successful partnerships while advocating for yourself professionally on the global stage.

Speaker:

Katherine McVicker
Director, Music Works International
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Katherine McVicker is a well-established professional in the music industry. She has launched the European touring careers of several artists including Norah Jones, developing Jones’ European profile for 7 years. After three decades in the music industry, as an agent developing the touring careers of dozens of internationally renowned Jazz and world artists, Katherine founded boutique agency Music Works International (MWI) in 2014. Today, with agents based in Europe, the United States, and Latin America, MWI books over 600 performances annually worldwide and represents over 40 of the top Jazz, Americana, and world music artists performing today. During the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, Katherine developed a course for musicians and those struggling to book shows. The aptly named Anyone Can Book a Gig is a self-managed online course that aims to give artists the no-fluff tools and strategies they need to successfully book shows at any stage of their careers. For more information on this course, you can visit http://anyonecanbookagig.com. Katherine is also active in the international cultural community as an organizer of Arts Connect Africa and Cultural Connections of Latin America (CCLA). Both networks share the mission of connecting cultural stakeholders for professional development and mentorship, creating and supporting educational initiatives, facilitating cultural exchange, and supporting economic development through the cultural arts. Katherine is available for artist consultation, interviews, appearances on the state of the industry, international touring, and artist development.

Recorded Webinars

Stories and Strategies for International Dance Touring

Curious about what it takes to tour internationally as a U.S.-based dance artist? Join this interactive session designed specifically for early- to mid-career dance makers looking to take their work abroad. We’ll kick things off with personal stories and lessons learned from Gaspard Louis of Gaspard&Dancers (NC) and Ariel Grossman of Ariel Rivka Dance (NY), two companies that have recently made international touring a regular part of their work. They’ll share how they first started touring internationally, the unexpected challenges they faced, and how performing internationally has shaped their work and visibility at home. This chat will be followed by a Q&A and then attendees can join breakout rooms to network with other peers that are seeking to tour abroad.

Speakers: 

Gaspard Louis is the Founder and Artistic Director of Gaspard&Dancers (G&D). He received a BFA in Dance from Montclair State University and continued his dance studies on scholarship at Gus Giordano’s in Chicago and Nikolais/Louis Dance Lab in New York. Following his studies, he joined the New York based company called AllNations where he performed traditional dances from many parts of the world for US troupes across the globe. Subsequently, he performed and traveled worldwide with Pilobolus Dance Theater. He collaborated on the choreography of nine major dance works with the company and taught master dance classes both nationally and internationally. Gaspard received an MFA in Dance from the Hollins University/American Dance Festival Program and became the Director of ADF’s year-round creative movement outreach program which provides free dance classes to youth in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill community of North Carolina. His passion for dance has continued to lead him to work with local dancers and musicians. Additionally, Gaspard has been a guest teacher at Duke, Elon, and North Carolina Central Universities. 

Ariel Rebecca (Rivka) Grossman is a native New Yorker, who trained at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and the Performing Arts and Joffrey Ballet School under Gerald Arpino. She earned a B.S. in Dance, with honors, and a Minor in Women’s Studies from Skidmore College, and a masters in Early Childhood Education from Bank Street College. In 2008, she founded an all-female contemporary company, Ariel Rivka Dance.  Ariel Grossman received a 2023 Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Ariel’s work has been presented worldwide, including BAM Fisher, NJPAC, The Place, London, England, Bryant Park, NYLA, Baruch Performing Arts Center, Martha Graham Studio Theater, NYU Tisch, Rutgers University, Roxbury Performing Arts Center, and in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Houston, Cleaveland, Florida, Oklahoma, Detroit, Memphis, Istanbul, TR, Paris, FR, Perigord, FR and Bari, IT, Portugal, France, Rwanda and the UK. Dance Lab NY, Konverjdans, Breathing Art Company, Ballet Vero Beach, and Skidmore College have commissioned choreography by Ariel in addition to Heritage and Harmony, which featured NYCB Principal Dancer Chun Wai Chan. Ariel is a past recipient of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (New) Moves Fellowship, DanceNYC, Dance New Jersey, and Jersey City Dance Artist Relief Fund by Nimbus, with support from the New Jersey Arts and Culture Recovery Fund. ARD is an awardee of Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, The Charles & Joan Gross Family Foundation, Jersey City Council of the Arts, and New Jersey State Council on the Arts and more.

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U.S. Taxes on Income Earned Abroad

Whether you’re winning prizes or awards, participating in residencies, or earning income from gigs outside the U.S., there are important tax rules to keep in mind. In this session, we’ll cover: 

• General tax rules that apply to non-U.S. income 
• Tax treaty provisions that may benefit you 
• Foreign tax credits and how they reduce your income tax 
• Key records to maintain for your taxes 

Bring your questions and stories—there will be plenty of time for both.

Speaker: Dr. Elaine Grogan Luttrull (she/her) is the founder of Minerva Financial Arts, a company devoted to building financial literacy and empowerment in creative individuals through education and coaching. Her workshops and presentations have been featured nationally by a long list of arts funders and advocates. 

Elaine has experience in both academic and industry settings, and she is a collector of letters and certifications. She holds a doctorate in instructional design leadership, plus active licenses as a Certified Public Accountant with a Personal Financial Specialist designation. She is also an Accredited Financial Counselor and completed a graduate certificate in Financial Therapy. 

Elaine is the author of Arts & Numbers (Agate, B2 2013), she contributes regularly to industry guides and research journals and has served on a variety of non-profit boards. She is based in Dublin, Ohio (Kaskaskia and Hopewell indigenous and cultural lands).