LEAF VTA Welcome Packet

________________________________________ Welcome Packet | Visiting Teaching Artists

OCTOBER 2017

A guide to LEAF residencies and navigating LEAF Festival.

WELCOME VISITING TEACHING ARTISTS!...

Twice a year, LEAF invites performing artists from around the globe to lead Visiting Teaching Artist Residencies with elementary, middle, and/or high school students in the Asheville/Western NC area.

It is an opportunity for youth to take the next step toward becoming global citizens.

Each student gets the opportunity to be treated like a rockstar with two free guest passes for the day of their performance, a LEAF swag bag sponsored by French Broad Food Coop, a cool LEAF t-shirt, and other perks. This is the opportunity for youth to truly become global citizens and artistic leaders by working with role models of different cultures and see beyond right now into the possibility for the future!

As a Visiting Teaching Artist, you will serve as an ambassador for LEAF Schools & Streets and LEAF International working directly with community youth the week before the festival. The following pages include some tools to better prepare you for your residency. In this packet, please find: • Important Details for your Residency at the School or Community Center • Important Details for your Role at LEAF Festival • Tech Rider for your LEAF Schools & Streets Festival Performance Thank you again for accepting this role and joining LEAF to share the love of music and arts with youth!

LEAF Love & Have Fun! LEAF Cultural Arts Team (LEAF Schools & Streets and LEAF International)

#LEAFLove

MISSION

theLEAF.org | 828.68-MUSIC [686-8742]

LEAF Community Arts is a non-profit organization, building community, connecting cultures and enriching lives through the arts – locally and globally – with festivals, community events, and arts education programs.

LEAF RESIDENCIES ENGAGE STUDENTS WITH CULTURAL ARTS EDUCATION. LEAF Schools & Streets cultural arts programs use the arts to bridge cultures and create life-affirming, community building experiences – empowering our youth to become global citizens, leaders and agents of positive change.

Questions about LEAF Schools & Streets? Contact Cortina at outreach@theLEAF.org.

LEAF International is dedicated to cultural preservation, exchange, and fostering global citizenship. LEAF collaborate with communities to support Culture Keepers who teach local youth their traditional arts.

Questions about LEAF International? Contact Schree at international@theLEAF.org.

AFTER TIME WITH THEIR TEACHING ARTISTS, STUDENTS SHOWCASE AT LEAF FESTIVAL! LEAF Festival is LEAF’s founding event. For over 20 years, an inter-generational community gathers at Lake Eden for a dynamic experience of music, art and culture for around the globe. #1 Festival for Kids, Music & Camping in Western NC.

HOW TO GET TO THE FESTIVAL:

DIRECTIONS TO LEAF FESTIVAL:

Note: You MUST have your parking pass on rearview mirror and have badge to get in.

From West: 1-40 to Swannanoa Exit 59. Left at end of ramp. Right at light onto US 70.

Left at next light, cross small bridge, right at yield onto Old US70. Right into Owen Pool lot.

From East: I-40 to 1st Black Mountain Exit #65. Exit merges to Hwy. 70. 3.5 miles, pass lots of small businesses, Marine Boats & see large Ingles Warehouse on left. Right at traffic light onto Grovestone Road. Left at next light onto Old US 70. Just past the 1st light, left into Owen Pool parking lot, 117 Stone Drive Black Mountain, NC 28778.

Important Contacts: Before & At Festival Staging and Performance Questions: Ehren Cruz | ehrencruz@theLEAF.org Residency Questions: Cortina Caldwell | cortina@theLEAF.org

Technical Rider for LEAF Festival Performance w/ youth: ARTIST NAME____________________________________________________ • On this page please list all stage and sound requirements and return to LEAF office by Monday.

• If you have an input list and stage plot, just attach or e-mail to ehrencruz@theLEAF.org.

• Please include # of microphones, outlets, chairs, stage area, who stands where, plays what, needs what equipment, etc. Include where the youth will stand/perform and their amplification needs.

• If backline was part of your contractual agreement, please communicate your needs here.

• The more complete your information is, the better we can prepare to give you great sound. Thanks!!

• Note to performers participating in a LEAF Schools & Streets residency: Please keep in mind that your sound and stage requirements will probably shift for your performance with the LEAF Schools & Streets students at the festival. Once you have begun the residency, you will have a better idea as to what you will need for the students and can communicate the information to LEAF Schools & Streets coordinators.

Please give to representative at the end of the first day of your residency. Thanks!

IMPORTANT DETAILS FOR YOUR RESIDENCY: Communication: Communication is KEY to the success of coordinating these residencies. Please let us know if you will be on tour or have any limitations on your communication in the months of September or October. Exchange contact information with your LEAF coordinator and/or teacher before the first day of the residency. Share with us any additional resources you may have, including but not limited to cultural, experiential, etc. that will deepen the impact of the residency.

Cultural Exchange: Please plan on building time into your lessons to share the unique culture of your art form or genre during the residency. If you have any questions about what the students are studying or their skill level, please reach out to the classroom teacher.

The First Day of the Residency: Be at least 15-30 minutes early to the residency to meet the site staff and be set up and ready for students when they arrive. Be sure to check in at the main office of the school or center and introduce yourself and mention your cooperating teacher’s name. There will be a representative from LEAF Schools & Streets (a volunteer LEAF Cultural Ambassador) to greet you on the first day for general support and to collect your LEAF Schools & Streets Tech Rider. In situations where we will be providing transportation, your LEAF Cultural Ambassador will coordinate with the artists’ pickup and drop-off times to & from the residency.

Tech Rider: When you meet your LEAF students, consider your stage set-up and sound needs for the festival. Make sure to think about any needs specific to student performers such as extra chairs, extra mics, instruments, etc. Complete the tech rider with this information and turn it in to the LEAF Schools & Streets representative or email to ehrencruz@theLEAF.org by the end of day one of the residency. This Tech Rider is different than your regular festival performance tech rider(s). This LEAF Schools & Streets Tech Rider will be just for your performance with the kids and needs to include them in the plan.

Scheduling: Be flexible with your schedule. Schools and teachers often have to adjust times and dates at short notice. We hope these residencies are as successful as possible despite schedule shifts. If your schedule changes due to an emergency, notify Cortina Caldwell at 828-686-8742, as well as your sponsoring school or teacher. Please make every effort to make up missed time as the school is paying for your time with them.

The Last Day of the Residency: Please make sure you talk with your students about arriving for check-in 1 hour and 45 minutes prior to performance time. This will be your chance to greet the students at the festival, go over any last minute questions, and review your performance plan before you go on stage!

Important Details for your Performance at the Festival: PERFORMER CHECK-IN: Even though your LEAF Schools & Streets residency has already begun, you will need to check in for the festival at regular performer check in. All performers and their guests will check in at The Grey Eagle Lodge: Gate 3. For Thursday night performances only, and those performers who have made prior arrangements with Ehren Cruz, check-in will be open on Thursday from 2pm -7 pm.

For Friday through Sunday performances check-in hours are: Friday 11am - 9pm, Saturday 8am - 9pm, and Sunday 8am - 2pm.

If you must arrive at times other than these please make arrangements well in advance with Ehren Cruz. If you are running late to your set, please call Ehren. See performer advance emails for phone numbers.

PERFORMING WITH YOUTH: Students will be excited and nervous. Make an effort to greet the youth before and after the performance as it will help to calm their nerves and get them focused. The youth will have chaperones from their site as well as LEAF Schools & Streets staff to direct and get them backstage when they need to be. You will need to give stage directions to the youth about how to enter onto the stage and what the performance plan is going to be.

AFTER PERFORMANCE: Make sure to fill out a survey with the LEAF Schools & Streets Staff. These surveys help us to understand your experience and to keep improving our programming. Be sure to thank your students and encourage them to continue in their new craft! If you aren’t able to complete a survey on site, we will email you the following week (: GET INVOLVED WITH FESTIVAL: Please visit the Global Outpost in the Easel Rider Village to learn more about LEAF Schools & Streets and LEAF International. If you are interested in supporting LEAF cultural arts education programming further, enter the raffle to win awesome donated items or consider joining LEAF MemberSHIP.

Festival map (october 2017 version):