Spotlight Showcases provide artists and ensembles with a forum for presenting work to a large, diverse audience in a professional setting, and offer attendees the opportunity to experience a wide range of performances. Arts Midwest strives to present high-quality artists selected from a pool of national and international applicants representing dance, music, theater, variety, and family programming, ranging from large ensembles to solo artists. An integral part of the Conference, the panel-selected artists/ensembles each present a 15-minute performance and gain main stage exposure to potential presenters and audiences.

Apply

The deadline has passed. New applications are no longer being accepted for 2018.

I Want To Showcase is a collaboration of over a dozen performing arts conferences. It offers a streamlined application system that saves artists wishing to showcase both time and money.

Download the Application Guide

Review the application guide before starting online. This guide will take you through each section of the I Want to Showcase application to help you prepare the information you need to provide. The website allows you to save your work and return to it multiple times prior to submission. Be sure to review the guidelines and recommendations for video work samples.

There is a non-refundable fee required for each submitted application, payable by credit card only.

Deadline: Thursday, March 1 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time.

Eligibility

Performing artists/ensembles with the capacity to tour are eligible to apply. Those who were awarded a Spotlight Showcase at the 2015 (Kansas City), 2016 (Milwaukee), or 2017 (Columbus) Arts Midwest Conference are not eligible to apply this year.

Applications are only complete when the online application is submitted and the fee is received. There is a limit of one application per artist/ensemble and its corresponding individual members.

Those selected to showcase must:

• Pay a $800 fee to help defray production costs.
• Be available on Thursday, September 6 and Friday, September 7, 2018 to perform in Indianapolis, Indiana. Performance times are assigned based on technical needs as determined by Conference management, and scheduling requests cannot be accommodated.
• Participate in a soundcheck/rehearsal on the day of performance.
• Purchase exhibit space at the 2018 Conference or be represented by an agency/organization that has done so.
• Attraction will be solely responsible for all necessary licenses and permissions to perform, promote, broadcast, transmit, and/or display all elements of their performance, including without limitation elements protected by copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy, rights of publicity, trade secret, and contract.

Performance + Technical Specifics

Stage type	Proscenium
Stage dimensions	40’ wide and 25’ deep with additional space backstage and for onstage crossover.
Capacity	600 seats
Sound	Professional sound reinforcement system suitable for dance, theater, and music performances. Artists/ensembles are limited to 6 monitor mixes and 16 audio inputs on the mixing console.
Lighting	Lighting plot suitable for dance, theater, and music performances. No follow spots or lasers.
Floor	Resilient floor is suitable for all performances, including dance.
Projections	Limited projection capability is available upon request.
Other tech	Haze is not available at this venue.
Timing	Showcase performance is 15 minutes in length, with a 5-minute changeover to tear down and set up next artist/ensemble.

Arts Midwest will work closely with each of the selected artists/ensembles to best meet their needs for the 15-minute showcase and 5-minute changeover, but certain technical modifications may be necessary due to the production timeline and/or the theater’s limitations. If extensive additional equipment is required and can be accommodated, shared costs will be discussed.

Selection Process

A panel composed of presenters, managers, and agents review eligible applications and select artists/ensembles to perform. Selection is based primarily on artistic excellence and artistic merit as displayed in video work samples. Promotional materials and the submitted application are also reviewed to evaluate the artist/ensemble’s capacity to tour. No more than two artists represented by a single manager/agency will be recommended to perform, and Arts Midwest is committed to presenting artists who represent a range of disciplines.

All applicants are notified in April following the panel review and receive a summary of comments and feedback from the panelists.