PROGRAMS
A vital aspect of WAA’s mission is the ongoing training and education of artists, agents, and presenters. Arts professionals today work in an environment that is constantly shifting as we adapt to the challenges and rigors of our current social, economic, cultural, and political climate. WAA’s programs seek to enhance artists’ and organizations’ ability to realize their artistic and public service goals by offering an array of opportunities that advance careers, build capacity, grow cultural competency, stimulate ingenuity, and foster leadership.
ADVANCING INDIGENOUS PERFORMANCE
Established in 2018, AIP deepens support for Indigenous performing artists and touring networks in ways that are rooted in the shared values of openness, inclusion, equity and generosity.
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Image credit: 2019 Native Launchpad Artist Delbert Anderson, Courtesy of Corporate Close Ups
WAA AWARDS
The annual awards identify and acknowledge those members or organizations whose innovation, hard work, and dedication advance our field and association.
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WAA Showcase
Our juried showcase features artists chosen by your peers and representing the pinnacle of WAA. Since 2003, we’ve presented impactful acts integral to both onstage and offstage dialogues. Spotlighting proven artists, we aim to help you activate audiences as we collectively rediscover the power of the performing arts in uniting our communities.
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Image credit: 2023 Official Showcase & Native Launchpad Artist Tau Dance Theatre, Courtesy of Jo Cosme
PERFORMING ARTS DISCOVERY
PAD aims to connect international presenters to U.S. performing artists and companies.
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BLACK ARTS @ WAA
Drawing on Black leadership, perspective, experience, and voice, Black Arts @ WAA focuses on the performing arts of the Black arts diaspora.
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Pamela Green at the 2019 Black Arts @ WAA pre-conference; image credit: Corporate Close Ups
CONEXIONES
Latinx Arts @ WAA is WAA’s special interest group for artists, agents, presenters, and anyone interested in building authentic, sustainable, and equitable relationships with Latinx artists or audiences.
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Antonio Gómez at the 2015 WAA Conexiones pre-conference event
HYPHEN+ASIAN
Hyphen+Asian (pronounced HyphenAsian) is WAA’s Asian Pacific Islander (API) affinity group – a collective of API community members and allies with a shared interest in advancing API engagement, opportunity, intersectionality, equity, and programming in the performing arts across the West
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Nava Dance Theatre, 2019 WAA Conference. Image credit: Corporate Close Ups
QWAA
Queer WAA — is WAA’s affinity group for queer identities. QWAA, established in 2021, is one of WAA’s newest affinity groups. QWAA hosted its first affinity session virtually during the 2021 hybrid conference in Portland, offering WAA’s LGBTQIA+ community an open and equitable space for connection and space to discuss individual and collective experiences in the performing arts sector.
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Centering Queer Work panel at WAA 2021