Virtual Future Stages Festival Performance Group Application

Application Guidelines:

Performance groups are required to complete the below online application.

Boxes with an asterisk (*) designate a required entry field. YOU MUST INITIAL AFTER EACH REQUIRED SECTION as confirmation that you have read and understand the section.

Application Process:*

Performance groups are required to complete an application to be considered for virtual Future Stages Festival. Please fill out the form below and click “submit” to complete the application process. An application must be completed in its entirety and cannot be saved or revisited throughout the submittal process.

All application materials must be received by Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. They will then be reviewed by the selection committee.

Please read all sections of this application carefully, as there are many changes for our virtual festival this year. Questions may be sent to futurestages@kauffmancenter.org

If mailing in an application, please send to:
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
c/o Future Stages Festival Committee
1601 Broadway Blvd
Kansas City, MO 64108

Important Information About Virtual Future Stages Festival:*

Future Stages Festival will be a virtual event this year. The safety of our performers, partners, staff, volunteers and community are of the utmost importance to us.

This year’s virtual festival will offer groups two unique ways in which they can participate via pre-recorded video content. Selected performance groups will be chosen for either Participation Option 1 or Participation Option 2 based upon type of program, production requirements, previous festival participation and performance sample submitted. Groups will receive further instructions and logistical information after being selected to be featured at virtual Future Stages Festival 2021.

Please read each participation option carefully and initial under the option for which you would like to be considered. You may choose to initial under each option to be considered for both in a single application.

For performance groups chosen to be filmed at the Kauffman Center, cancellations must be made no less than five weeks prior to the filming date. Groups that cancel after the five-week deadline will not be invited to apply for the following year's Future Stages Festival.

Questions may be sent to futurestages@kauffmancenter.org

Participation Option 1:

Selected groups will be responsible for recording a performance video to be featured in the virtual Future Stages Festival portal on the Kauffman Center website. Performers in your video must be primarily between the ages of 5 and 18 years of age and groups are expected to have been actively performing in the community for a minimum of two years. Note: this two-year minimum will be waived if Covid-19 prevented your group from performing in 2020.

Created videos should be between 5 and 10 minutes in length and content must be appropriate for a family-friendly audience.

A stipend of $100 is awarded to each performance group to help offset costs of video creation for virtual Future Stages Festival 2021. In the case a group cannot create a new recording and wishes to submit a previously made recording, the group may not be eligible for the video creation stipend. This will be handled on a case-by-case basis. The Kauffman Center recommends any pre-recorded content follow Kansas City Health Department and CDC guidelines. If chosen for the virtual festival, groups will have until Monday, May 17 to submit their performance video.

Initial below if your group would like to be considered for Participation Option 1. It will be your group’s responsibility to record a video in your own space to submit for the virtual festival.

Participation Option 2:

Selected groups will travel to the Kauffman Center to record a performance on one of our stages. All video production will be handled by an outside production company, and selected groups will not be responsible for recording their video. Performance recordings will take place the evening of Friday, April 23 or the morning of Saturday, April 24, with exact timeslot confirmed after group selection. Groups should be available for either option. This video will debut on the Kauffman Center’s social media accounts on Saturday, June 12 and will later be added to the virtual Future Stages Festival portal on the Kauffman Center website. Performers in your video must be primarily between the ages of 5 and 18 years of age and groups are expected to have been actively performing in the community for a minimum of two years. Note: this two-year minimum will be waived if Covid-19 prevented your group from performing in 2020.

For onsite filming at the Kauffman Center, there will be numerous safety protocols in place including temperature checks, separate spaces for all performers and masks and social distancing will be required at all times. No audience will be allowed during filming, and chaperones will be limited per performance group based on the group members’ ages and group size. Please note, as Covid-19 protocols continue to evolve, the Kauffman Center reserves the right to adjust safety measures as needed and will follow guidance from the Kansas City Health Department and the CDC. Further restrictions by performance type are outlined below:

Instrumental groups:
• Maximum of 20 performers total.
• Maximum of 20 stationary performers permitted on stage per piece.
• No brass or woodwind players.
• Masks and social distancing required.

Vocal groups (includes choirs, singers and theater troupes):
• Maximum of 15 performers total.
• Maximum of 15 stationary performers on stage per piece, 10 per piece if moving.
• No partner work or physical contact between performers.
• Masks and social distancing required.

Dance and Performing Arts groups (includes dancers, aerial artists and gymnasts):
• Maximum of 15 performers total.
• Maximum of 10 performers permitted on stage per piece.
• No partner work or physical contact between performers.
• Masks and social distancing required.

Performances for the video shoot should be between 15 and 20 minutes total in length and must be appropriate for a family-friendly audience. Performance groups are expected to provide their own costumes, music or accompaniment (if needed) and transportation to and from the Kauffman Center for filming. A stipend of $150 is awarded to each performance group to help cover the costs of transportation and associated performance costs.

Initial below if your group would like to be considered for Participation Option 2. You will be responsible for getting your performers to the Kauffman Center on the to-be-determined filming date. The Center will be responsible for filming the group.

Mandatory Forms:*

If your group is selected for virtual Future Stages Festival 2021, we will provide links to the mandatory forms for you to complete. Each accepted performance group must complete those documents by Thursday, April 1, 2021:

1. Performance Agreement – to be completed by main contact.
2. W-9 Form – to be completed by main contact.

Additionally, if your group is chosen to perform and be filmed on-site at the Kauffman Center, each performer will need to complete the following by Thursday, April 1, 2021:

1. Performance/Filming Waiver – to be completed by EACH performer.

ATTENTION: All individual performers will be checked in on filming day. Performers whose completed waiver was not turned in a week prior to the filming date will not be allowed to participate.

Photography and Video:*
Photography and additional video of performers and performances/activities will be taken during the performance filming at the Kauffman Center.

Photography and additional video content will be taken on the day of recording by our approved photographers and videographers. Photo and video content will include performers, performances and additional activities (such as group members entering the building or short interviews). Photos and video may be used in future promotional materials, marketing and communications. Photos and created videos will be shared with performance groups via e-mail after the event and may be used for the groups’ own promotional purposes.

Primary Group Contact Signature (Please Type Name)*

Name of Organization*

Today's Date*
Date Format: MM slash DD slash YYYY

General Info

Primary Contact*
First Last

Primary Contact Title/Position*

Performance Group Name*

Mailing Address*
Street Address Address Line 2 City State ZIP Code

Current Performance Location(s)*

Performance Group Info

Performance Group Name (as desired for Festival Guide inclusion)*

Website (as desired for Festival Guide inclusion)*

Group's Primary Contact*
First Last

Group's Primary Contact Email

Group's Primary Contact Daytime Phone*

Group's Primary Contact Evening Phone*

Number of Performers in video (approx.)*

Has the group performed previously at Future Stages Festival? (if yes, indicate the most recent year the group performed)*

In which CITY is the performance group based?*

In which STATE is the performance group based?*

Please indicate the performance group's social media information below. Include links to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages (if applicable).*

Does the group have an email mailing list?*

Is your performance group representing a non-profit 501c3 organization?*

Performance Details

Performance Type*
Theater
Dance
Instrumental Music
Vocal/Choral
Magic/Circus
Other

Title of Performance Piece(s)*

Short bio about the performance group/organization (100 words maximum.) If selected, this text will be used in the Festival Guide.*

Links to Video Performance Sample(s): Festival performance group selection is largely based on the video sample. Please attempt to share a performance sample that resembles the performance video you will submit to our virtual Future Stages Festival. This will help the selection committee better consider your group for participation. If you participated in virtual Future Stages Festival in 2020 and would like to use the video submitted for that event as your performance sample, please enter “use 2020 virtual FSF video” in the field.*

Technical requests: Only complete this section if you'd like to be considered to record a performance video at the Kauffman Center (Participation Option 2.) Please check all that will be required for your performance.
Power Outlets
Microphone(s)
CD Player/iPod Playback
Chairs
Music Stands
Piano
Marley Floor
Other

Specific Technical Requests: If you have technical needs that expand beyond those listed above, please include those details here.

Short Answer Questions

Please answer each question using one to five sentences.

1. How do you describe your performance group's role in the Kansas City community?*

2. What educational opportunities do you provide for young performers or arts enthusiasts?*

3. Please tell us about a previous performance experience.*

Please ensure all materials are included with submission via this application material checklist.*
Completed Application Form (initialing all required sections)
Performance Sample Video

Name
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Virtual Future Stages Festival Performance Group Application

Application Guidelines: