Artists in Schools Program Guidelines for Artists

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2015–2016

Artists in Schools

Program Guidelines for Artists

The Artists in Schools program is a partnership program of the United Arts Council of Raleigh &

Wake County, the Wake County Public School System, and local schools. Support is provided by

the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources.

Antonio Rocha

Michael Beadle Holly’s Harps

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ARTISTS IN SCHOOLS PROGRAM

The Artists in Schools (AIS) Program is a partnership between the United Arts Council of Raleigh & Wake County, the Wake County Public School System, and local schools. For more than 30 years, the AIS Program has placed professional teaching artists in public, private, and charter schools in Wake County. These artists and arts organizations work as creative educational resources with faculty, students, and cultural arts representatives to implement curriculum-based arts in education programs. The AIS Program annually supports more than 160,000 contact hours between artists and students in more than 135 local schools.

UNITED ARTS COUNCIL OF RALEIGH & WAKE COUNTY

The United Arts Council of Raleigh & Wake County, a private nonprofit organization, builds better communities through support and advocacy of the arts. Relying on individual, business, foundation, and government support, United Arts builds community by:

 Enhancing arts education in local schools and communities  Nurturing diverse programming and new initiatives

 Bringing more arts to towns all over Wake County  Supporting and funding local artists and arts groups

To learn more about the United Arts Council of Raleigh & Wake County, visit www.unitedarts.org.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Helen Meyer Program Coordinator (919) 839-1498 x 210 [email protected] Ragen Carlile Vice President for

Education & Community Programs (919) 839-1498 x 209 [email protected] United Arts Council of Raleigh & Wake County

410 Glenwood Avenue Suite 170 Raleigh, NC 27603

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ARTIST APPLICATION PROCESS

The United Arts Council accepts applications each spring from professional teaching artists and companies wishing to participate in the Artists in Schools (AIS) program. Individual artists, ensembles, and arts organizations are eligible to apply for inclusion in the AIS program. Applications are accepted in the following disciplines:

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Dance

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Literary

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Multi-Disciplinary

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Music

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STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math through the Arts)

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Storytelling

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Theatre

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Visual Arts

Accepted programs have formats that are performances, workshops, or residencies.

Artists in the AIS program are selected through a competitive application process and are evaluated by a panel comprised of arts education specialists, professional artists, parents, and United Arts Council staff. Applicants should submit proposals that are well thought-out and carefully designed to be appropriate for school age children in grades K–12.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Panelists consider the following criteria for AIS artists and programs. All AIS artists must:

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Have either a BA or BFA in theatre, dance, music, or visual arts OR the equivalent in training or experience. Writers must have a college degree and evidence of professional writing experience.

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Be active in a professional community and regularly perform/exhibit/publish in their discipline.

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Demonstrate ability and skills to work in an educational setting with K–12 students. Returning artists must have satisfactory evaluations from past participation in the AIS program.

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All AIS programs must:

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Be of high artistic merit.

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Reflect the artist’s professional training and experience.

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Place primary emphasis on teaching students about or through an arts discipline.

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Offer more than what a classroom/arts teacher could provide.

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Be appropriate for students in the grade levels that participate.

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Support educational guidelines as set forth in the Common Core curriculum and North Carolina Essential Standards. These curriculum standards can be found at http://www.learnnc.org/scos/.

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Include supplementary educational materials (study guides, teacher guides, lesson plans, etc.) provided to the school before the program.

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Occur on school premises.

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Occur during the school’s regular hours (unless otherwise arranged with United Arts).

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Have only adult artists in a performing group.

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Have set rates for ALL expenses, including travel, food, lodging and supplies.

Programs focusing on areas such as acrobatics, aerobic dance, clowning, cosmetology, juggling, karaoke, magic, and martial arts are not eligible for inclusion in the Artists in Schools program.

ARTIST AGREEMENT

Artists accepted into the program are required to sign an agreement confirming that they will adhere to the terms and guidelines outlined in this document. This agreement must be renewed annually.

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ARTIST DIRECTORY

Artists accepted into the Artists in Schools program are included in the Artist Directory, a catalogue of approved teaching artists. The Directory is an online searchable database that allows users to search by certain criteria, including artistic discipline, program type, grade level, or cultural context of program. Artists have one page per approved program that contains contact information and specific details about their curriculum-based performances, workshops, and residencies. The Directory is updated annually every August.

DIRECTORY USERS

The Directory is compiled for the use of Wake County-based schools to identify and book artists

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It is also available to the public and utilized by local community groups and municipalities to program classes, performances, and festivals. In addition, the Johnston County Arts Council utilizes the Directory to administer its own Artists in Schools program.

ARTIST FEE COMMITMENT

The Directory includes artists’ fees for each program. Artists set their own fees and must honor the fees for the entire school year, as published in the Directory.

BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIREMENT

All AIS artists are checked and cleared annually using the National Sex Offender Registry. This practice safeguards the integrity of the Directory and artists whose programming the United Arts Council endorses. Artists must submit the full legal names and birth dates of all artists and group members who could enter a campus on behalf of the AIS program. Artists must update the United Arts Council with that information for new artist members or substitutes added during the year. The United Arts Council uses this personal information solely to check the publicly accessible National Sex Offender Registry website. Once cleared, individuals are added to the United Arts Council Cleared Artist List, which is then distributed to school principals. Individuals not on this pre-approved list may not be permitted on any AIS school campus. The United Arts Council is not responsible for providing compensation should an artist neglect to comply with this requirement.

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TYPES OF ARTIST PROGRAMS

The United Arts Council uses the following definitions for its Artists in Schools program. These definitions correspond to the three grant areas in which a school can apply for funding.

PERFORMANCE: a musical, dramatic, dance or other presentation that educates and entertains an audience.  Artistic Discipline: artists of any discipline may provide a performance.

 Format: presentation/demonstration with audience participation. If a program is not suited for lecture/demonstration, then the artist must provide cultural/artistic context through introductory, concluding and/or transitional remarks.

 Timing: 45–60 minutes.

WORKSHOP/RESIDENCY: instructional session(s) that actively involve(s) students in participatory work.  Artistic Discipline: artists of any discipline may provide a workshop or residency.

 Workshop Format: at least one stand-alone session; or one session in conjunction with a

performance, i.e. a “companion” workshop. Venues range from classrooms to media centers and may involve several classes at one time.

 Workshop Timing: at least one 45–60 minute instructional session.

 Residency Format: multiple sequential sessions working with the same group of students each session; culminates with a student product (i.e. dance, dramatization, anthology, artwork, informance, etc.).

 Residency Timing: at least two 45–60 minute instructional sessions. Residencies do not have to be scheduled on consecutive school days. United Arts must pre-approve any schedule variation.

WRITER RESIDENCY: sequential instructional sessions focused on student writing.

 Artistic discipline: writers with approved residency programs may provide a writer residency

 Format: a minimum of five sequential instructional sessions, working with the same group of students each session.

 Timing: each session lasts 45–60 minutes so that each participating student receives approximately five contact hours. Residencies do not have to be scheduled on consecutive school days. United Arts must pre-approve any schedule variation.

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SCHOOL BOOKINGS

CULTURAL ARTS BOOKING FAIR

Artists accepted in the AIS program are invited to participate in the annual Cultural Arts Booking Fair. The Booking Fair is a day-long event with a tradeshow format that takes place at a Wake County public school on a Saturday in August. The Booking Fair offers artists an opportunity to meet representatives who book programs for schools, communities, and organizations.

All AIS artists are eligible to reserve a booth at the Cultural Arts Booking Fair, although booth space is limited and assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Detailed registration information about the Booking Fair is sent to eligible artists in early summer.

SHOWCASE

Some artists showcase a program during the Cultural Arts Booking Fair. Artists interested in showcasing a program must submit the Showcase Application, which is sent to eligible artists with other registration information about the Booking Fair.

Approximately 40 artists are chosen to demonstrate seven-minute excerpts of their programs on one of two stages. Priority is given to artists who are new to the AIS program and who did not showcase in previous years. Writers with approved residency programs are automatically given a five-minute allotment on the Writers Showcase upon registering for the Booking Fair.

CULTURAL ARTS REPRESENTATIVES

To book and arrange programs at schools, artists work with Cultural Arts Representatives, who are volunteers serving as the primary liaison between a school and an artist. These volunteers are either parent members of the school’s PTA or teachers within the school. Some have served their schools for many years, while others are new to the AIS program. Cultural Arts Representatives coordinate arts programming for their schools by collaborating with faculty, administration, and the PTA to identify a school’s cultural arts programming needs and make decisions about which artist(s) to invite to work with their students. Cultural Arts Representatives are required to attend an annual training session and the annual Booking Fair in order for their schools to be eligible for grant funding.

Cultural Arts Representatives may choose to work together to arrange “block booking”, in which they schedule an artist to facilitate programs at different schools on back-to-back days. However, Cultural Arts Representatives are not responsible for coordinating block bookings on behalf of an artist.

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SCHOOL ELIGIBILITY & GRANT APPLICATIONS

Schools that meet the following criteria are eligible for funding from the United Arts Council to support arts programming in their schools:

 Be a public, charter, or nonprofit private school located in Wake County  Attend a Cultural Arts Representative Training Session

 Attend the Cultural Arts Booking Fair  Choose artist(s) from the Directory

 Schedule programs that take place during the school day  Submit grant application by the deadline

Eligible schools may apply for a maximum of four (4) grants. 1. PERFORMANCE GRANT

Schools are eligible to apply for up to 50% of artist fee or $325 (whichever is less) for one or more performance(s). Schools may apply for up to two grants in this category.

2. WORKSHOP/RESIDENCY GRANT

Schools are eligible to apply for up to 50% of artist fee or $375 (whichever is less) for one or more workshop(s) or residency(ies).

3. WRITER RESIDENCY GRANT

Schools are eligible to apply for up to 50% of writer fee or $375 (whichever is less) for one Writer Residency. Programs must be designated as writer residencies in the online Artist Directory.

Grant applications from schools are due in early September and must specify the artist, tentative date, and artist fee for each grant for which they are applying.

Schools are notified of grant awards mid-September. The award notification specifies the dollar amount awarded in each grant area. The maximum total award per school is $1,400 annually, contingent on the availability of funds.

If a school grant request is not approved, and a school/PTA cannot afford to pay the entire artist fee, schools are instructed to notify the artist(s) immediately.

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SCHOOL CONTRIBUTION

Because grant awards do not cover the total cost of an artist fee, schools also contribute funding to support artist(s) working with their students. A grant awarded to a school by the United Arts Council is combined with a school’s matching payment to cover the total artist fee. A school’s portion of the artist fee must be submitted with the corresponding signed contract to the United Arts Council prior to a grant-supported event.

SCHEDULING IN YEAR-ROUND SCHOOLS

More than 25% of schools in the Wake County Public School System follow a year-round calendar. The United Arts Council supports these schools’ needs by offering the option to apply for one grant to be used in the summer months (July, August, and September). A separate schedule is used for summer programming, with the grant application and signed contract due in the spring.

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CONTRACTING

As the Artists in Schools program is a three-way partnership between the artist, the school, and the United Arts Council, specific contracts must be used when booking artists through this program. United Arts Council contracts must be used. Neither a contract provided by the artist nor one provided by the school may substitute or supersede the United Arts contract. Technical riders as provided by the artist are allowed but may not site any technical requirements that are not specified in the Artist Directory.

TYPES OF CONTRACTS

Three contract templates are used for the AIS program. Each template corresponds to one of the three grant areas in which schools can apply for funding: Performance; Workshop/Residency; Writer Residency. Once a school receives the official notification of its grant award(s), it must complete the correct corresponding contract and obtain the required signatures. All signatures must be on the same page in the contract. Once the signatures of the artist, the school principal, and the PTA President are obtained, the school sends the contract with its portion of the artist’s fee to the United Arts Council for the fourth and final signature. Copies of the executed contract will then be forwarded to the school and the artist.

CONTRACTING DEADLINES

The United Arts Council must receive signed contracts, accompanied by the school’s portion of the artist’s fee, at least two weeks before the grant-supported event, or no later than December 10, 2015—whichever date is earlier. It is the responsibility of schools to submit all signed contracts and their portion of artists’ fees by the published deadline. Contracts and payments received after this deadline will not be accepted and grant funds will be forfeited. Contracts may not be faxed to the United Arts Council.

OTHER CONTRACTS

Because local community groups and municipalities also utilize the Artist Directory, artists may receive bookings that are not funded by a United Arts Council school grant. These organizations, like the Johnston County Arts Council, use their own contracting and payment procedures and may follow different guidelines than those set forth in this document.

Wake County-based schools may choose to book a Directory-approved program for which they did not receive a United Arts Council grant. In this case, any contract may be used. If a United Arts contract template is used, the money owed an artist comes through United Arts and is paid after completion of the

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SCHEDULING CHANGES

Inform United Arts of any deviations from the executed contract. If a performance/workshop/residency must be rescheduled or cancelled, the artist and school should work together. If an artist is ill or otherwise unable to get to a school for the program, the artist must notify the school immediately and attempt to reschedule the program. If inclement weather or school closing prevents a program from occurring, the school should notify the artist immediately and attempt to reschedule the program. If a program does not occur on the contracted date, there are five options:

1. School and artist reschedule for the current school year

2. School and artist reschedule for the next school year (United Arts holds the grant for the next year) 3. If the school cannot reschedule, the school must pay the artist, as bound by the contract

4. If the artist cannot reschedule, the school may use its grant to schedule another artist for the current school year; or the school may forfeit its grant and have its matching funds returned 5. If both the school and artist are unable to reschedule, the school’s grant is forfeited and its

matching funds are returned.

PRE-VISIT PLANNING

PLANNING MEETINGS

For residency and workshop activities, it is required that at least one teacher from the grade level(s) participating in the residency or workshop meet with the artist in a planning session. This can be accomplished through face-to-face meetings, email, phone conversations, or a combination of the above, depending on the needs of the program. During this session, the goals, activities, and outcomes of the residency should be discussed and defined in writing. Classroom management styles should also be discussed. Even if an artist has worked with a school in the past, a planning meeting is important, as the results of a residency or workshop may be impacted by changes in teaching staff, students, curriculum standards, and/or programs.

EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

Artists must provide educational materials such as lesson plans, teacher guides, or study guides to help teachers prepare for an artist visit. At least two weeks before the United Arts-supported program, the artist is responsible for forwarding one copy of his/her educational materials to the school’s Cultural Arts Representative. The Cultural Arts Representative is then responsible for distributing educational materials to school faculty prior to the artist’s arrival.

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PAYMENT PROCESS

PAYMENTS TO ARTISTS

A check for the amount due to an artist will be issued to the artist by the United Arts Council within ten (10) business days of both the artist’s and school’s submission of an online program evaluation (see below). Payment for service is rendered by the United Arts Council if, and only if, a school and artist use a United Arts contract, and the program is completed in accordance with the contract submitted.

ONLINE PROGRAM EVALUATIONS

Prior to a grant-supported activity, a link to an online program evaluation will be emailed to both the artist and the school. Once the program has concluded, evaluations must be completed by the artist, the Cultural Arts Representative, and the teacher(s) involved in the grant-supported activity. The completion of these online evaluations will trigger payments to artists.

NON-RESIDENT WITHHOLDING TAX

The State of North Carolina requires that a 4% withholding tax be deducted from the total payments to individuals who do not reside in North Carolina, provided that the total amount earned during a calendar year is $1500 or more. If an artist’s total payment does not reach $1500, the United Arts Council will reimburse the withholding tax.

Tax is not required to be withheld from a corporation or limited liability company that has obtained a Certificate of Authority from the Secretary of State or from a partnership that has a permanent place of business in North Carolina. No tax is required to be withheld from any organization that is exempt from federal income tax under the Internal Revenue Code. Exempt entities must provide documentation of tax exemption, such as a copy of the Certificate of Authority, a copy of the organization’s federal determination letter of tax exemption, or a copy of a letter of tax exemption from the North Carolina Department of Revenue.

Individuals may apply for an exemption from this requirement. To learn more about the process of applying for a Certificate of Authority through the Corporations Division Certificates of Authority, visit the NC Secretary of State’s website, www.secretary.state.nc.us.

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ARTIST REVIEW

Cause for artist review and possible grounds for removal from the AIS program include, but are not limited to the following:

 failure to abide by the contractual agreement;

 programs presented fail to reflect approved programs as described in the online Artist Directory, or as modified to fit curricular needs based on pre-program discussion with school;

 low skill or proficiency in implementing artistic program with K–12 students;  a lack of professionalism (promptness, appearance, demeanor, interaction);

 lack of responsibility in communicating with Cultural Arts Representatives or the United Arts Council;

 unsatisfactory evaluations (either from outside evaluators or school evaluations).

SITE VISITS

United Arts staff frequently visits schools in order to see an artist and/or a program in schools. Seeing artists and programs in action helps United Arts staff to informally asses an artist’s work in schools, better visualize a program, and offer appropriate recommendations to schools.

EMAIL USAGE

Every Fall, the United Arts Council provides Directory artists two lists: one list of schools with their mailing addresses and one list of emails of Cultural Arts Representatives who have elected to receive correspondence from AIS artists. United Arts expects that artists will follow the terms of use, as provided when these lists are sent, such as:

 always blind carbon copy (Bcc) email addresses

 remove Cultural Arts Representatives from distribution list if requested to do so  send no more than one email per week to Cultural Arts Representatives

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2015–2016 CALENDAR AND DEADLINES

FOR ARTISTS AND SCHOOLS

April 1, 2015, 5:00 pm Applications from artists due

April 2015 Panel convenes to evaluate artist applications May 8, 2015 Artist Directory notifications sent to applicants May 13, 2015 Booking Fair information distributed

June 5, 2015 Booking Fair registration from artists due

June 30, 2015 Booking Fair Showcase notifications sent to artists August 2015 Online Artist Directory updated

August 15, 2015 Booking Fair at Wakefield High School September 9, 2015, 5:00 pm Grant Applications from Schools due September 16, 2015 Grant Award Notifications sent to Schools

September 16 – December 10, 2015 Signed contracts and schools’ matching payment due. United Arts contracts and matching payments for programs must be received at least two weeks before the event, or no later than December 10, 2015 (whichever date is earlier) September 28, 2015 Grant funded programs begin

December 10, 2015 Last day signed contracts and schools’ matching payments will be accepted for 2015-16 school year from schools

YEAR-ROUND SCHOOL DEADLINES

May 6, 2016 Grant application from year-round schools due for summer 2016 (July–September) programs