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October 14, 2009

October 14, 2009

Call for Break-Out Proposal Sessions: Dance/USA 2010 Annual Conference

We want your ideas!

In June 2010, Dance/USA will hold its Annual Conference in Washington, DC. The theme of the conference is "Dance Beyond Borders."

At the conference, attendees meet in:

Large Plenary Sessions, designed to expand thinking and contextualize current moments
Council Sessions (peer gatherings of members and member organizations)
Break-Out Sessions designed to address the immediate concerns of the field and conference theme
Open Time for attendees to reconnect and form new relationships that will sustain them between annual conferences.

Dance/USA is now accepting proposals for Break-Out Session topics!

Proposal Submission
Submission Deadline: Midnight ET, November 13, 2009

Submit your proposal here
(Before submitting your proposal, please review the PDF of the submission process for Break-Out Session proposals.)

For additional information on the review process and notification, visit the Dance/USA website.

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Engaging Dance Audiences Grantees Announced

Dance/USA is pleased to announce that nine organizations have been awarded funding by Engaging Dance Audiences (EDA), the first national funding program and related study of audience engagement practices focused specifically on the art form of dance. EDA was established through the generosity of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The James Irvine Foundation.

Congratulations to the following EDA recipients:

American Dance Festival, Durham, NC
Minnesota Shubert Performing Arts and Education Center, Minneapolis, MN
Misnomer Dance Theater, Brooklyn, NY
On the Boards, Seattle, WA
Stanford Lively Arts, Stanford, CA
STREB, Brooklyn, NY
Trey McIntyre Project, Boise, ID
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA

The full release includes project descriptions, a panel list, and other information about the selection process and projects.

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Government Affairs Update
IRS Increases Application Fees for Exempt Organizations in 2010
According to recent updates on the IRS website, user fees will increase for all applications for exemption (Forms 1023, 1024, and 1028) postmarked after January 3, 2010:

$400 for organizations whose gross receipts are $10,000 or less annually over a 4-year period
$850 for organizations whose gross receipts exceed $10,000 annually over a 4-year period
$3,000 for group exemption letters.

For more information, visit the IRS website on charities and nonprofits: http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=212562,00.html

Investing in Innovation, Fund Program at the U.S. Dept. of Education (DOE)
As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Department of Education has established the Investing in Innovation fund to support the efforts of local educational agencies (LEAs) and nonprofit organizations that have strong track records of improving student achievement. Secretary Arne Duncan has just released the priorities for this new fund, as can be seen in this link:
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/proprule/2009-4/100909a.html

Further, in the DOE’s current issue of its newsletter, The Innovator, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Innovation and Improvement Jim Shelton noted, "I also see us looking to our arts and financial-literary programs for opportunities to push the envelope and really craft solutions that drive a different level of academic achievement and school performance." Final applications for the Investing in Innovation fund will be released early next year and proposals will be due in spring 2010.

President Obama Issues a Mandate for National Arts and Humanities Month
"As a people, we have an unlimited capacity for self- expression and personal interpretation. While we may not always agree with what we see or hear, it is our open-mindedness that commends the artistic struggle behind the creation and our curiosity that pursues its vision. This month, we honor this artistic spirit that lives and breathes within every American. Creativity and a thirst for understanding are the fuel that has fed our Nation’s success for centuries, and they will continue to be well into our future."

To read the complete Presidential Mandate, visit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/2009natarts_prc_rel.pdf

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