ANNUAL CONFERENCE ARCHIVE
WAA 2024
AUGUST 26 - 29, 2024 | SAN DIEGO, CA
WAA 2024 was about finding the balance of hard work and enjoyment. Many meetings took place outdoors in the beautiful resort setting, which was a big hit with attendees.
Over 600 performing arts professionals joined us in San Diego to focus on getting back-to-business with an eye toward the future. Programming centered on deep conversations about connection and equity in our creative spaces, exploring how to best serve audiences and communities through the thoughtful curation of great art.
Our 2024 Pre-Conference Symposium theme was Conexiones Sin Fronteras, Connections Without Borders, with programming developed in collaboration with our Conexiones: Latino Arts @ WAA Committee. This program held meaningful discussions, as we delve into the heart of "La Latinidad", by celebrating human connections in one of the most vibrant and complex corners of the world.
Registration in full swing! WAA 2024; image credit: Ken Jacques
The Land You're On, WAA 2024; image credit: Ken Jacques
Pitch NOW, WAA 2024, Gail Boyd and Jennifer Morris; image credit: Ken Jacques
Felix Contreras, WAA 2024 Opening Plenary & Keynote; image credit: Ken Jacques
Outdoor reception, WAA 2024; image credit: Ken Jacques
James Pakootas, WAA 2024 Opening Plenary; image credit: Ken Jacques
The Commons, WAA 2024; image credit: Ken Jacques
Digging Roots, WAA 2024 Juried Showcase; image credit: Ken Jacques
Professional Development Session, WAA 2024; image credit: Ken Jacques
Trio Guadalevin, WAA 2024 Juried Showcase; photo credit: Ken Jacques
Professional Development Session, WAA 2024; image credit: Ken Jacques
Conexiones: Latino Arts @ WAA Reception, WAA 2024; image credit: Ken Jacques
WORKSHOPS & PANELS
Emergent Latinidades: Bridging Beyond Diversity
Latine Mujeres Leadership Circle: Unlocking the Trailblazer Within
Cultivating Latine Audiences Through Dance and Music
Censorship Town Hall
Culture of Care
Performing Arts Readiness (PAR): Succession Planning Project Findings & Resource Preview
Leadership Transitions
Off the Couch and Into Your Venue
Leveraging Livestreams for Access, Audiences, and Engagement
Collaborative Marketing - How Agents & Artists Can Support Presenters
Harnessing AI for Enhanced Audience Insights and Personalization
PRESENTER FORUMS
MOVE FORWARD
AIP Seminar: Best Practices for Presenting Indigenous and Native Performance
Beyond Cirque
Dance Success Stories
AFFINITY SESSIONS/EVENTS
Conexiones: Latine Arts @ WAA Reception
QWAA (Queer WAA) Meetup
Producers and Artists of the Global Majority Sharing Session
FIELD TRIPS
Each year, our Host Commmittee curates a selection of pre-conference Field Trips, giving attendees the opportunity to explore the conference city’s unique art and culture scene. 2023 Field Trips included tours of:
La Jolla Music Society & UC San Diego
Dance Place at Liberty Station
Historic Balboa Theatre
La Jolla Cove
KEYNOTE
Felix Contreras and our Immediate Past Board President, Antonio Gómez had a lively conversation about Latine music and culture. Contreras is co-creator and co-host of Alt.Latino, NPR's pioneering radio show and podcast celebrating Latin music and culture since 2010. In addition to his post behind the mic, Contreras programs music from the Latin diaspora for the acclaimed Tiny Desk concerts and appears regularly on NPR's award-winning newsmagazines, All Things Considered and Morning Edition.
SHOWCASES
Showcases at WAA provide attendees the opportunity to see exceptional talent, and artists the chance to present their work directly to programmers. From our Juried (aka ‘Official’) Showcase to independently produced showcases, each year you can expect something for every aesthetic, interest, and budget. The 2024 showcase was held onside at the Town and Country Resort on a custom-built outdoor stage specially for this occasion!
2024 JURIED SHOWCASE ARTISTS
Christopher K. Morgan & Artists | Dance | California
CONTRA TIEMPO | Dance | California
Dan Froot | Theater | California
Digging Roots | Music | Ontario, Canada
Maryna Krut | Music | Ukraine
Las Cafeteras | Multidisciplinary | California
Molodi | Multidisciplinary | Nevada
Seffarine | Music | Oregon
Trío Guadalevín | Music | Washington
Yvonne Montoya/Safos Dance Theatre | Dance | Arizona
PITCH SESSIONS
WAA 2024 featured three different pitch sessions. Join our mailing list to learn about future pitch opportunities.
DITCH THE PITCH
Facilitated networking event. This is an opportunity to listen, respond, and share ideas and solutions in a more co-operative and dynamic environment.
In this dynamic and participatory session, small groups of agents, artists, and presenters sit together to discuss ideas, challenges, and potential solutions around commonly shared interests. Just like a speed-dating event, participants move around the room on a customized schedule. The environment buzzes with energy and excitement as participants make connections and generate leads.
Jean-François Alcolea’s Amplified pitch; image credit: Ken Jacques
PITCH NOW: NEW & OUTSIDE-THE-BOX WORKS
Matching artists & producers with partners & collaborators: a forum for bold artistic ideas.
We heard from:
Minty Fresh Circus, by Monique Martin | Presented by Laura Colby, Elsie Management
T(h)ree, by ANIKAYA | Presented by Wendy Jehlen, ANIKAYA
Keeper of Sadness, by Jade Solomon Curtis | Presented by Gail Boyd, Gail Boyd Artist Management and Jennifer Morris, Siegel Artist Managment
Anima Mundi, by Degenerate Art Ensemble | Presented by Joshua Kohl, Degenerate Art Ensemble
Weaving Spirits Festival Tour, by Weaving Spirits | Presented by Javier Stell-Fresquez, Weaving Spirits Festival of Two Spirit Performance
Murmurations, by Le Patin Libre | Presented by Valerie Buddle, Le Patin Libre
AMPLIFIED
Pitches from artists/agents/managers sharing their tour-ready work.
We heard from:
ASYMM Digital | Presented by Samantha Bryant, ASYMM Digital
Nobuntu | Presented by Shane Cadman, Alliance Artist Management
The Magic of the Drums, by Escuela de Bomba y Plena Tata Cepeda | Presented by Barbara Ortiz and Hector Garcia De Leon, Escuela de Bomba y Plena Tata Cepeda
Right in the Eye, by Jean-François Alcoléa | Presented by Jean-François Alcolea, Alcolea & cie
Omnium Circus | Presented by Jerry Ross, Harmony Artists
ROOM-i-Nation, by Aditya Prakash | Presented by Tim Wilson, Startlet Farm LLC
The Carol Kaye Project, by Boston Dance Theatre | Presented by Jessie Stinnett, Boston Dance Theatre
Pehchaan, by Ishami Dance Company | Presented by Ishika Seth, Ishami Dance Company
Cross That River, by Allan Harris | Presented by Patricia Harris, Pat Harris & Associates
Doodle POP, by Brush Theatre | Presented by Spring Karlo, Holden & Arts Associates
ANNUAL LUNCHEON & WAA AWARDS
We celebrated the amazing 2024 WAA Awardees at our Annual Luncheon. Attendees also enjoyed a special sponsored performance by klezmer-rock band, Mostly Kosher.
2024 Emeritus Award | Cathy Weiss | Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts
2024 Mentoring Award | Michael Sakamoto | University of Massachusetts Fine Arts Center
2024 Service Award | Joe McIalwain | JM Arts Consulting, LLC
2024 Leadership Award | Margo Kane | Full Circle: First Nations Performance
THANK YOU TO OUR 2024 SPONSORS & FUNDERS
We are so grateful to our generous sponsors and funders who make the conference possible and support the ecology of the performing arts field.
Interested in supporting WAA through future sponsorship opportunities? Let’s talk!
WAA 2023
SEPTEMBER 5 - 8, 2023 | SEATTLE, WA
WAA 2023 was about reestablishing relationships and responding to the changes in our field.
Over 600 performing arts professionals joined us in Seattle to focus on getting back-to-business with an eye toward the future. Programming centered on rebuilding our audiences and fostering new ones that better reflect the communities we serve.
Our 2023 Pre-Conference Symposium theme was Advancing Asian American, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian Voices in the Performing Arts, with programming developed in collaboration with our Hyphen+Asian Committee.
Registration is open! Malaveli & Lucy,WAA 2023; image credit: WAA staff
Enjoying the Juried Showcase, WAA 2023; image credit: Jo Cosme
Pre-showcase hospitality, WAA 2023; image credit: Jo Cosme
Hyphen+Asian Pre-Conference Symposium, WAA 2023; image credit: Jo Cosme
New Colleague Orientation, WAA 2023; image credit: Jo Cosme
Opening Plenary, WAA 2023; image credit: Jo Cosme
James Miles’s keynote, WAA 2023; image credit: Jo Cosme
Say cheese! Annual Membership Meeting, WAA 2023; image credit: Jo Cosme
The Commons, WAA 2023; image credit: Jo Cosme
WORKSHOPS & PANELS
APAP Arts Compensation Project Info Session
Expanding Your Audience: Advocating for Disability Inclusion and Access
NEA Grant Workshop
The Community Exists: Successful Partnerships & Lessons Learned From the AAPINH Community
Making Artistic Cents: Collaborative Deal Making
Our Words Are Seeds: A Unique Approach to Developing New Work with Indigenous Communities for Young Audiences
Same ‘Hood / New Audiences: A Conversation With Three Venues
Hyphen+Asian Pre-Conference Symposium: Advancing Asian American, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian Voices in the Performing Arts
COFFEE TALKS
Arts & Activism
Succession Planning Issues in the Arts
Youth & Family Programming
AFFINITY SESSIONS/EVENTS
Conexiones: Latine Arts @ WAA: Coffee Talk
QWAA (Queer WAA) Meetup
Hyphen+Asian Showcase
Women of Color in the Arts: Coffee Talk
FIELD TRIPS
Each year, our Host Commmittee curates a selection of pre-conference Field Trips, giving attendees the opportunity to explore the conference city’s unique art and culture scene. 2023 Field Trips included tours of:
Olympic Sculpture Park
Historic Paramount Theatre
Seattle Opera Center
The Space Needle & Seattle Center
KEYNOTE
A Fresh Perspective by James Miles (aka the Fresh Professor) — Assistant Professor at Seattle University, and Executive Director of Third Stone (Bumbershoot Arts and Music Festival.)
James’s keynote focused on using the arts as a vehicle to help us navigate an ever changing and uncertain future, using examples from history, and the role we, as arts professionals, can play to support our communities.
SHOWCASES
Showcases at WAA provide attendees the opportunity to see exceptional talent, and artists the chance to present their work directly to programmers. From our Juried (aka ‘Official’) Showcase to independently produced showcases, each year you can expect something for every aesthetic, interest, and budget. The 2023 showcase was held at Seattle’s Broadway Performance Hall.
2023 JURIED SHOWCASE ARTISTS
123 Andrés | Family & young; music | D.C. Metro
Anthony Aiu | Multidisciplinary | New York
Ballet Kelowna | Dance | British Columbia
BEYOND BABEL | Dance | California
Eunbi Kim | Music | New York
James Pakootas | Music | Washington
Javier Stell-Frésquez & Weaving Spirits | Multidisciplinary | California
LED | Multidisciplinary | Idaho
Letters Aloud | Theater | Washington
Mamadou Diabate | Music | Austria
Moonfruits | Music | Ontario
Tau Dance Theater | Dance | Hawaii
2023 Juried Showcase image credits: Jo Cosme
PITCH SESSIONS
WAA 2023 featured three different pitch sessions. Join our mailing list to learn about future pitch opportunities.
AMPLIFIED
Pitches from artists/agents/managers sharing their tour-ready work.
Cathy Pruzan Artist Representative / ODC Dance | May’s Letters
Cusson Management Inc. | Margie Gillis Dance Foundation: Literature of the Body
FLi Artists - Sona Jobarteh: Education on African Culture & Music
Holden & Arts Associates | Honolulu Theatre for Youth - The Pa’akai We Bring
Home Team Mgmt / The Kurland Agency | American Patchwork Quartet
Joe Kye | Joe Kye & the Givers
Julia Keefe | Indigenous Big Band
Riot Artists | The Manganiyar Seduction
Tau Dance Theater | INDIGENUITY
PRESENTER PITCHES
Presenters outlined their season, a new project or initiative, or their programming interests for upcoming seasons. We heard from:
Abigail Buell | San Diego Theatres
Ataahua Papa | Auckland Arts Festival
Bonnie Schock | Fox Tucson Theatre
Hazel Delos Santos | Kodiak Arts Council
Joel Aalberts | Lensic Performing Arts Center
Miranda King | Patricia Reser Center for the Performing Arts
Rafael Gonzalez | Grand Performances
Stephen Cummins | Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center at Gonzaga University
Joe Kye’s Amplified pitch; image credit: Jo Cosme
PITCH NOW: NEW & OUTSIDE-THE-BOX WORKS
Matching artists & producers with partners & collaborators: a forum for bold artistic ideas
Dancing Through Prison Walls | Undanced Dances Through Prison Walls During a Pandemic
Dan Froot & Company | Arms Around America
Elsie Management | Craig Walsh’s Monuments
Madeline Sayet | Untitled New Madeline Sayet Storytelling Project
Mixed eMotion Theatrix | The Shadow
Urban Bush Women | Haint Blu
ANNUAL LUNCHEON & WAA AWARDS
We celebrated the amazing 2023 WAA Awardees at our first Annual Luncheon since 2019! Attendees also enjoyed a special sponsored performance by Tien Hsieh, Concert Pianist.
Annual Luncheon performance by Tien Hsieh, Concert Pianist; image credit: Jo Cosme
WAA Board President, Antonio Gómez, 2023 Annual Luncheon; image credit: Jo Cosme
2023 WAA Awardees: Beth Macmillan — Artown; Don Roth; Eleanor Oldham; Walter Jaffe & Paul King; Rika Iino. Image credit: Jo Cosme
THANK YOU TO OUR 2023 SPONSORS & FUNDERS
We are so grateful to our generous sponsors and funders who make the conference possible and support the ecology of the performing arts field.
Interested in supporting WAA through future sponsorship opportunities? Let’s talk!
WAA 2022
AUGUST 29 - SEPTEMBER 1, 2022 | CALGARY, AB
Our first fully in-person conference since the pandemic, WAA 2022 focused on Getting Back to Business.
Over 500 colleagues from the U.S., Canada, and further afield joined us in Calgary, Alberta for four days of networking, learning, connection, and discovery.
Attendees also had access to extended professional development programming online, pre- and post-Calgary.
Our 2022 Pre-Conference Symposium theme was Truth, Reconciliation, and a Path to Change, discussing the impact of colonization on Indigenous peoples, and actions allies can take to help heal traumas, right wrongs, and strenghten community.
Chisa Yamaguchi presents at the Amplified pitch session, WAA 2022; image credit: Julie Vincent Photograpy
WORKSHOPS & PANELS
BlakForm — Career Development Platform Model From BlakDance
TourWest — WESTAF Grant Updates
Your Digital Presence: Let’s Improve It!
NEA Grants for Arts Projects*
ROUNDTABLES
Exploring Black Identity*
Festivals & Outdoor Events*
MOVE FORWARD: Lessons Learned From the Age of COVID*
New & Rekindled Collaborations: Finding Partners, Moving Forward*
Ditch the Pitch session,WAA 2022; image credit: Julie Vincent Photograpy
Tim Wilson at the Closing Plenary, WAA 2022; image credit: Julie Vincent Photography
AFFINITY SESSIONS
Advancing Indigenous Performance*
Black Arts @ WAA*
Conexiones: Latine Arts @ WAA*
Hyphen+Asian*
Our 2022 conference included online and in-person programming. Online sessions are denoted with an asterisk (*)
KEYNOTE
Are We Ready to Create a New Future? by former Mayor of Calgary and visionary civic leader, arts advocate, and educator, Naheed K. Nenshi.
Naheed spoke on the critical role artists play as we emerge from the pandemic and face a reckoning on the issue of equity as well as emergencies in public and mental health, economics and environmental issues; the keynote focused on the “wet clay moment” in which we can mold the future with our own service and in telling our stories.
SHOWCASES
Showcases at WAA provide attendees the opportunity to see exceptional talent, and artists the chance to present their work directly to programmers. From our Juried (aka ‘Official’) Showcase to independently produced showcases, each year you can expect something for every aesthetic, interest, and budget. The 2022 program was held at Calgary’s Martha Cohen Theatre.
2022 JURIED SHOWCASE ARTISTS
Ablaye Cissoko & Cyrille Brotto; Charly Lowry; Elexa Dawson; Huu Bac Quintet; Invoke; Julia Keefe; Koresh Dance Company; The Spirit of Harriet Tubman by Leslie McCurdy; Madeline Sayet; Telegraph Quartet; The McDades; Twin Flames; Olivia Tailfeathers; and Versa-Style Dance Company
FIELD TRIPS
Each year, our Host Commmittee curates a selection of pre-conference Field Trips, giving attendees the opportunity to explore the conference city’s unique art and culture scene. 2022 Field Trips included:
Arts Commons tours — with three tour topic options: Programming & Operations; Arts Education; and Social Impact
Calgary River walk — self-guided
Tour of public art gallery, Contemporary Calgary
Kayaking on Glenmore Reserve
Public art walks — self-guided tours of Calgary’s many public art works
WAA 1967 - 2020
Interested in learning more WAA history? Check out our History Wall!
WAA 1987, San Diego
1967 Los Angeles, California
1968 Berkley, California
1969 San Francisco, California
1970 Do you remember? Let us know!
1971 Do you remember? Let us know!
1972 Do you remember? Let us know!
1973 Do you remember? Let us know!
1974 Do you remember? Let us know!
1975 Do you remember? Let us know!
1976 Scottsdale, Arizona
1977 San Diego, California
1978 San Diego, California
1979 Monterey, California
1980 Monterey, California
1981 Do you remember? Let us know!
1982 Do you remember? Let us know!
1983 Las Vegas, Nevada
1984 Monterey, California
1985 Seattle, Washington
1986 Seattle, Washington
1987 San Diego, California
1988 San Diego, California
1989 Salt Lake City, Utah
1990 Seattle, Washington
1991 Portland, Oregon
1992 Albuquerque, New Mexico
1993 San Diego, California
1994 Phoenix, Arizona
1995 Albuquerque, New Mexico
1996 Portland, Oregon
1997 Seattle, Washington
1998 Salt Lake City, Utah
1999 Denver, Colorado
2000 San Jose, California
2001 San Jose, California
2002 Phoenix, Arizona
2003 Long Beach, California
2004 Spokane, Washington
2005 Albuquerque, New Mexico
2006 Long Beach, California
2007 Los Angeles, California
2008 Seattle, Washington
2009 Phoenix, Arizona
2010 Long Beach, California
2011 Seattle, Washington
2012 Denver, Colorado
2013 Los Angeles, California
2014 Seattle, Washington
2015 Vancouver, British Columbia
2016 Los Angeles, California
2017 Seattle, Washington
2018 Las Vegas, Nevada
2019 Los Angeles, California
2020 Virtual conference with our friends at Arts Midwest
2021 Portland, Oregon & Online