Lama Theater Company residency

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Lama Theater Company is holding an Artistic Residency in Laguna Apoyo, Nicaragua- January 28th- February 18th, 2016 in collaboration with The Peace Project. Lama will offer 14 interdisciplinary artists from the East Coast, USA to live, create and volunteer in The Peace Project for one month.

WHY? Lama wants to encourage interdisciplinary artists from around the globe to create new work within a supportive environment. We will provide artists the space and time to take risks in ways that further the development of their practice. The residency program allows the artists a rural and serene environment in which to work creatively without distractions. Support to the community via the peace project, will consist of group sessions, collaboration, children’s workshops, and potential partnerships.

HOW? Time set aside for revitalizing the creative spirit, pursuing new trains of thought, or concentrating on an idea already in the works are essential parts of being a productive artist. Lama’s opportunity in Nicaragua offers the practicing artist a tranquil, natural environment in which to think, plan, and work.

TO WHOM? We are accepting submissions for the residency from Playwrights, Musicians and Poets. **Advantage to artists with Theatrical /Acting/ performance artists background but this is not essential.

About us: Lama means WHY in Hebrew. WHY – is a central question of human existence, it’s the leaping off point for all that follows in the pursuit of understanding. Once you begin to ask WHY, you embark on a path of limitless possibilities and that quest for the unknown makes for vital theater.

Our Mission:

The Lama Theater Company is a writer/director-driven, nonprofit company that continually raises questions and encourages bold new writing and directing.

We are fearlessly searching for curious collaborators from within the nation and around the world to inspire different points of view and theatrical visions.

Lama generates new work that explores theatrical, psychological, political and social questions through a dialogue between artists of different disciplines and often of different cultural backgrounds. Our goal is to give the artists a platform to create risk taking and thought provoking theater, theater that will inspire the audience to question the world around them and by that to create a community that enlivens our existence.

The residency is an extension of Lama’s main project - The Monthly Question.

Once a month Lama Theater Company asks a question, and receives submissions from playwrights/poets and musicians. Lama then chooses a few short theatrical pieces that address the question differently and we present them at our cold reading event. This project inspired by a desire to encourage new and bold writing and to create a space for an artist’s community and to challenge artists to write and explore their theatrical voice.


About the Residency

Relevant to the Peace project’s mission and in conjunction with Lama’s mission, the Residency will be based around the Question/ theme- ‘WHY GARBAGE?’. A part of the artist’s work will be focused on environmental and peace issues and themes BUT Lama is strongly interested in what inspires you when you read the question? We are interested in what you are thinking about and how the question might affect the work you do. Gather whatever inspiration the question gives you, and use it to fuel your chosen discipline. The question is open to many interpretations.

There are 3 parts of involvement within the Lama’s month long residency:
Using The Peace Project’s (located in Laguna Apoyo) relaxing environment and beautiful setting to work on your personal creations and personal work plan. The residency is focused on practice and process for the artist. The focus is on the artist and not the completion of a specific work. Residents will have the option to participate in a residence group sessions, lead by Lama’s expert dramaturg (Erez Drigus.) During these sessions he will assist with the artist’s work and help them progress. In these sessions the work will be read out loud and open for group feedback.



Artist will be asked to write and create a piece of work (short play/Monologue/Poem/Song) around Lama’s monthly question of ‘WHY GARBAGE?’. This work will be in collaboration with each other and the dramaturg to create an evening of cold reading performance. “Why Garbage?” will be presented at a final performance in The Peace Project, and in The Kraine theater in New York City for 2 performances in March.



In addition to working on a clearly defined project, resident-fellows are asked to make a substantive contribution to the community via the Peace Project. Support to the community by volunteering and holding children’s workshops, such as English/ Drama/ Music etc. Mostly based around the “Why Garbage?” Theme. Lama’s project manager (Hannah Lunn) will create a volunteering schedule, where 2 artists volunteer for a few hours per day. The enjoyment and the inclusion of the community are priorities within the residency. * A performance with the kids at the end of the residency is optional (as part as the artist’s final performance). As process is our priority, we will witness the project develop without the pressure of an end result, but will aim for that goal.




Residency's schedule: Residents time is self-manageable, except the obligatory sessions: two times a week- a group session on 'why garbage' and continues work on the 'Why Garbage' evening; once a week- a collaboration meeting on the personal projects; once a week- a social gathering.




MORE DETAILS:

The Peace project is a nonprofit organization that has inspired over 25,000 artists, donors, corporations, service businesses, art patrons and others in 70 countries to donate art, money, resources and time which have helped The Peace Project transform tens of thousands of lives worldwide. Its ambitious objective is to change what people think about change. The PP’s heartfelt belief is that people working in unison, in community, are the most powerful agents for change and we are extremely excited to be a part of their environment for a month.

Chosen residents will stay at the peace project with room and board (meals) for an all-inclusive fee of 750 U.S dollars. Due to limited space, there will be 2 artists per room.

Residents are responsible for travel and other living expenses.

-However we will try to support and help all artists with the resident’s fee in December as we have some fundraising events lined up. And we will be buying group travel ticket’s to keep the travel cost low.

APPLICATIONS:

Important dates:

December 12th Playwrights/Poets/Song writers submission deadline.
December 14th - 18th Interviews!
December 24th Announcement of chosen artists.


The application must contain the following elements:
Brief Biography or Resume/ C.V. artist
Portfolio, videos, photos
Work Sample
Description of the project you wish to develop at the residency, include Work Plan
Details (specific needs of meals, health and additional information relevant to the work process)
What the question “Why Garbage?” Means to you?
Each completed application must fill his/her personal information here http://www.lamatheatercompany.com/#!nicaragua-2016/k0z2w



BRIEF BIOGRAPHY – Please tell us a bit about yourself and your creative passions in a brief one paragraph biography. Be personal, we want to know the real you! Or include your RESUME/ CV.

**Playwrights/ Musicians/ Poets with Theatrical/ Acting background: Please attach another resume with your acting experience.
PORTFOLIO, VIDEOS, PHOTOS of your previous works. Include different samples from at least two different works.



WORK SAMPLE:

Playwrights: sample of a full length play or 2 One Acts/ Ten Minutes Plays.

Musicians: 3 samples of recorded music or clips.

Poets: 10 pages of poetry.

*If you are a performance artist - you can also attach your reel, clip or 1 CD or DVD from a performance.


WORK PLAN-Include a work plan for your month in Nicaragua. We are not looking for great detail as we want you to enjoy the spontaneity within the residency, but a brief outline of your objectives what you want to get up to and how and why Nicaragua is the best place for your specific project to be developed at; how the local environment and/or community, as well as the other artists in residence, will affect their work. Playwrights include 10-20 pages from the play you wish to develop.



WHY GARBAGE? Send us a short draft, write a few words, make a video, create a song or take a picture and briefly describe your rough take on the monthly question.

Any Questions about Lama's Artistic Residency? Please email us lamatheatercompany@gmail.com and we’ll help you out!

For updates and more info about Lama follow us https://www.facebook.com/lamatheatercompany

Ready to submit?

E-mail your application to: lamatheatercompany@gmail.com



And please fill your contact information in our site http://www.lamatheatercompany.com/#!nicaragua-2016/k0z2w