Annenberg Community Beach House

Santa Monica, CA

Introduction:

The City of Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Division seeks applications from choreographers residing in Los Angeles County for an Artist Residency at the Annenberg Community Beach House at 415 Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica.

The Choreographer Residency offers a private office in the historic Marion Davies Guest House and access to designated open spaces of the Annenberg Community Beach House over a span of three weeks for the purpose of creating a work of outdoor, daytime, site-immersed performance. Residencies are offered as part of the City’s ongoing “Beach=Culture” program, a series of free performances, exhibitions, talks and events that provide a stimulating cultural counterpoint to the social and recreational opportunities at this country’s only “Public Beach Club.” Beach=Culture events are designed for adults, but are accessible to a general audience that includes youth. Public practice residencies take place in the context of the high traffic spaces of Santa Monica Beach and enrich the Beach House visitor experience through planned and chance encounters with artistic creation.

The Purpose of Beach House Artist Residencies is to:

• Promote high quality artistic activity in Santa Monica
• Open avenues for discourse between artists and the general public
• Provide a fresh interpretation of the Beach House
• Further the development of LA County-based artists
• Celebrate Marion Davies’ support of her artistic community 

Though the formal period of this residency takes place September 18 to October 7, 2017, the resident has access to an on-site office starting July 10, 2017.

An honorarium of $3,500 is offered, payable in three installments between May and mid-October.

Activities:

During the three-week September/October residency period, the Resident will be asked to share their process and progress with the public through blog and social media posts, open rehearsals, two interim public workshops or events, and a culminating weekend of presentation and discussion. Some of the dates for these activities have been set: October 1 for one of the two interim events, October 6 for an open rehearsal/performance, and October 7-8 for the culminating weekend. Successful applicants must be available on those dates.

Location:

The performance is set primarily in the Courtyard area, a large flat site between the Marion Davies Guest House and the Event House, featuring moveable café seating, callistemon and palm plantings, a work of public art by Roy McMakin, and a water feature. Indoor spaces will be available for the two interim public events as well as occasional rehearsal use depending upon availability, but choreographers should plan to do most movement work in the public eye, on sand and concrete. Access to other performance areas throughout the site may be allowed, depending on availability.

Access:

The Residency is non-residential: no room/board is offered. The Beach House will provide an office in the Marion Davies Guest House with desk and chairs, accessible from 8:30am-10pm, except when the Guest House is booked for private events. The office is not suitable for rehearsals. Access to showers can be arranged for performers. There is a café onsite, and a kitchen in the Guest House.

Parking:

Please note that weekends are quite busy through September and parking can be challenging at certain times – we encourage carpooling. Parking passes will be provided for the choreographer, performers and crew as needed.

Technical support:

The Beach House has powered speakers, microphones, stands, and cables, and free wireless internet access is available. Choreographers should be prepared to source their own stage management and technical crew, however, depending on their needs. Live acoustic music is preferred. All technical plans should be proposed with the idea that projects should be “light on the site.”

Eligibility:

The Residency is open to all choreographers residing in Los Angeles County. Individual choreographers and collaborations are eligible. Applicants who have received a Beach House Residency in the past two years, or are currently arts grantees or resident artists through another City of Santa Monica program, or are currently employed by the City of Santa Monica, are not eligible to apply. If chosen, the Resident must sign a contract with the City of Santa Monica and maintain liability insurance and a Santa Monica business license during their residency.

Selection Process:

After review by a panel of dance professionals, one applicant will be recommended for the Residency. The panel’s evaluations are based on the excellence of the proposal, its use of the site, its potential to engage or transform the public’s experience of the Beach House, and the quality of the applicant’s past work as demonstrated by the work sample. The City of Santa Monica may request additional information from, or schedule interviews with, selected applicants. The City also reserves the right to not select an artist for this project and and/or recall or cancel the Call for Artists at any time at its sole discretion.

Notification: All applicants will receive email confirmation that their proposal was received. Notification of the selected choreographer will take place in early May.

Submission Requirements:

Submissions should be sent via email to the contact information below. Every eligible application must contain the following, in three PDF documents:

1. Proposal: Up to three pages detailing the applicant’s plan for the Residency period, titled Applicant Name.Proposal.pdf, including:
   • Plan and process for overall project and culminating presentation
   • Plan for the two interim public events
   • Past experience interacting with the public and with site-specific work.
   • Draft production budget for dancers, musicians, or other production needs, with the sources of any additional funds if applicable
   • A schedule of desired dates and times for rehearsals.
2. Work Sample: 3-5 minute video featuring one or more sustained clips, production photographs, and/or reviews. For video work samples, we require links to streaming web-based video (such as YouTube or Vimeo). Please list the links to your samples on a separate page, along with a brief description of each sample. Title this document  Applicant Name.Sample.pdf.
3. Resume/References: A resume, 3-5 sentence biography, and a contact list of three professional references. Title the document Applicant Name.Resume.pdf. Please include a scan of document, such as a driver’s license or utility bill, indicating the applicant’s LA County residency.

Please email applications to [email protected] and cc [email protected]

Due Date:

Applications must be received by 12:00 PM on Thursday, March 23^rd, 2017.

Contact and info:

• For questions about the Residency, please contact Naomi Okuyama, Cultural Affairs Supervisor, by March 16, at [email protected] or call (310) 458-2257.
• For information about the Annenberg Community Beach House, visit annenbergbeachhouse.com and/or call (310) 458-4904.
  (No Residency questions, please.)
• Beach=Culture events: annenbergbeachhouse.com/beachculture.
• The Resident Blog: beachhouseair.blogspot.com.
• Photographs from previous Beach=Culture events: facebook.com/annenbergbeachhouse/photos.

Annenberg Community Beach House:

The Southern California beach occupies a unique place within the physical and cultural landscape of America, and the Annenberg Community Beach House at Santa Monica State Beach has quickly become a popular destination for those seeking a quintessential day at the beach. Consisting of several structures on the historic site of the Marion Davies estate, the Beach House includes the refurbished Guest House and Pool, the contemporary Event House and Pool facility, and various outdoor areas. For information and images of the site, please visit annenbergbeachhouse.com.