Chicago Dancemakers Forum Accepting RFPs for Upcoming Chicago Dance Lab

The Chicago Dancemakers Forum (CDF), together with the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), are initiating plans for a 10-day dance lab in Chicago, related professional development, and a citywide showcase for dance artists. Request for proposals is now available online at chicagodancemakers.org. Deadline for applications is Monday, November 2, 2015 at 5:00PM.

The dance lab is part of the Regional Dance Development Initiative (RDDI) of NEFA's National Dance Project (NDP). The RDDI provides professional growth for dance artists in regions across the U.S. through a 10-day dance lab designed to clarify goals, develop strategies, hone public presentation skills, and strengthen partnerships between artists and presenters. NEFA and CDF will engage a cohort of national dance leaders to work with Chicago dance artists in an immersive curriculum. Since 2004, dance labs have been held in the Pacific Northwest, the San Francisco Bay Area, New England, and Minnesota.

Together with other local partners, NEFA and the Chicago Dancemakers Forum have hosted exploratory meetings, establishing the interest of the dance community and how a Chicago lab would be specifically tailored to meet their needs. Additional key planning partners include Museum of Contemporary Art, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and Audience Architects.

In October, CDF will lead work sessions to support artists in preparing competitive proposals. These sessions will focus on the current language artists are using to describe their work and how artists define their goals. Six sessions across Chicago's neighborhoods will be offered. See details here.

"We are thrilled to be working with NEFA and to have the opportunity to bring this impactful program to the Chicago dance community," said Ginger Farley, Executive Director of the Chicago Dancemakers Forum. "We've seen the effectiveness of this program in other cities and can't wait to see what it does to reveal and elevate dance in Chicago."

With a $200K challenge grant from The Reva and David Logan Foundation and a $75,000 grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Chicago Dance Lab is projected to occur in the summer of 2016, with post-lab activities following in the fall and winter. A city-wide dance showcase would follow in the fall of 2017 and would feature the lab artists as well as other local artists, along with regional, national, and international dance presenters. The project would culminate with grants to support residencies, presentations, or other projects with lab and showcase artists.

"We are very excited that this generous challenge grant from the Logan Foundation has already leveraged significant support in the form of a grant from the MacArthur Foundation. This advances NEFA's partnership with Chicago's dance community through significant investment in realizing a multi-year RDDI program," said NEFA executive director Cathy Edwards.

Outcomes for previous lab artists have included national funding, commissioning of new and collaborative projects, national and international festival residencies, and extended engagements and partnerships with presenters. More information on the previous RDDI labs can be found on NEFA's website. Information on the Chicago Dance Lab can be found on CDF's website.

NEFA launched the National Dance Project in 1996 to encourage the creation of new dance work to share with audiences in communities throughout the U.S. Since then, the program has distributed more than $28 million in grants and remains one of the most significant sources for dance funding in the U.S. NDP has reached over 3.6 million audience members in all 50 states, Washington D.C, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. NEFA's National Dance Project is generously supported with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with funding for special initiatives from the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and the French American Cultural Exchange.

About the Chicago Dancemakers Forum
CDF strengthens the field of dance in Chicago overall by supporting deep investigation, bold risk-taking, and artistic rigor. CDF provides multi-layered support for Chicago choreographers through its Lab Artists program, as well as through public workshops, events, and residencies, all with a strong emphasis on artistic and professional development. The CDF Lab Artist Program makes four $15,000 cash grants to choreographers annually, each supplemented by mentorship throughout the research, development, and performance of the grantees' newly choreographed work. Visit chicagodancemakers.org.

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