ADVANCING INDIGENOUS PERFORMANCE 2.0

Deepening support for Indigenous performing artists and touring networks.

OVERVIEW

The Advancing Indigenous Performance (AIP) program was established in 2018 by Western Arts Alliance with generous lead support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and additional funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

For six years, the initiative provided educational and career development resources for US-based Indigenous artists and presenters, with the aim to build audiences for Indigenous performing arts.

AIP program funding has expired; the work, however, is not finished …

The path forward for Native performers in touring will be overseen at WAA by the AIP Steering Committee - a group of WAA volunteers which will guide future initiatives and present these upcoming events:

ANNOUNCING AIP 2.0

The future of Indigenous Performance

LEARN ABOUT THE ARTISTS, HISTORY & IMPACTS OF AIP

UPCOMING EVENT: October 13, 2025

AIP SYMPOSIUM 2025

Since the 2018 inaugural gathering in Las Vegas, the AIP Artist Symposium has been an in-person, two-day convening of AIP fellows and associate artists leading into the WAA Annual Conference. With invited presenters and agents, mentors and guest artists providing professional development sessions, feedback and camaraderie, the Symposium has served both as a learning forum and as a network builder for program artists and their peers - from within the WAA membership and around the globe.

This year the 2025 Symposium will be presented ONLINE, and for the first time, will be OPEN TO ALL.

All AIP artist alumni, agents, and allies - the festivals, venues and presenters that program Indigenous performance - are invited to attend this 4-hour program.

Join us Monday, October 13, 2025

(in celebration of NOT Columbus Day)

AIP SYMPOSIUM REGISTRATION

Webinar agenda:

AIP Panel:

I ka wā ma mua, i ka wā ma hope We look to the past as a guide to the future.

A conversation with AIP founder Tim Wilson, Delbert Anderson, Leilehua Lanzilotti, and moderator Christopher Kaui Morgan

AIP Resource Center Launch

Complete documentation of AIP’s first six years, including: artist profiles and info; webinars and other professional development assets; videos, lesson plans, and other assets you can use in your organization.

A benefit for WAA members.

Artists + Allies

Sign up for the new affinity/interest group for both Native artists and their supportive peers in the field.

Members will meet quarterly online and plan activities together for the Annual WAA Conferences in Oakland and Los Angeles.

 I ka wā ma mua, i ka wā ma hope | We look to the past as a guide to the future — Hawaiian ʻŌlelo Noʻeau (proverb)

The Advancing Indigenous Performance (AIP) program has not only empowered individual  artists—it has catalyzed a collective reimagining of what the performance world can become. Grounded in their cultural traditions and lived experiences, Indigenous artists are forging their  own paths across genres, geographies, and generations—while actively reshaping the field  itself. Their call to the sector is clear: invest in mentorship, support visibility, honor cultural  practices, and trust Indigenous artists to lead.

Moderated by 2018 Native Launchpad Artist and AIP Committee Chair Christopher Kaui  Morgan, this panel will open with  I ka wā ma mua  (the  time behind), reflecting on the origins of AIP with WAA’s former Executive Director and AIP Founder Tim Wilson.

The conversation will then turn toward  I ka wā ma  hope  (the time ahead), with Kanaka Maoli composer and multimedia artist Leilehua Lanzilotti and Diné jazz trumpet artist, composer and educator Delbert Anderson offering their visions for the future of Native performing arts.

The panel will conclude with Leilehua and Delbert in discussion with WAA’s Executive Director Joshua Heim and AIP and PAD Program Manager Ed Bourgeois, to dive further into the future  of Native Performing Arts.

Interwoven with reflections from a range of AIP artists, this panel will serve as both a celebration of what has been achieved and a call to action for the work still to come.

AIP PANEL

AIP has always embraced a dual purpose: advocating for Native artists with presenting venues across the West, the nation and the globe; and also providing support - through professional development, mentorship and subsidy - to those programmers dedicated to becoming good hosts for Indigenous performance and Native community. While AIP artists have met regularly to foster peer-to-peer learning and provide mutual support, WAA has not YET had a dedicated affinity group for Native members. On October 13 - at the 2025 Online Symposium - Native and non-Native performing arts professionals alike will have the opportunity to join together in a new AIP Affinity/Interest Group. Join us, sign up, brainstorm, and save space in your calendar to meet quarterly … and continue to build AIP 2.0 together.

AFFINITY + INTEREST | COMMUNITY + SUPPORT | ARTISTS + ALLIES | REPRESENTATION + PRESENTATION

AIP SYMPOSIUM REGISTRATION

COMING SOON

COMING SOON

AIP RESOURCE CENTER

The AIP Resource Center is under construction and we’re busy preparing for the launch on October 13.

WAA members will have access to everything AIP - from artist profiles and contact info, to videos of webinars, professional development sessions and artist showcases. We’re proud to share AIP’s accomplishments and keep you up to date on What They (the artists) Are Up To Now. Plus, resources you can use in your organization, from land acknowledgment and beyond, to practical advice for ramping up your staff’s cultural competency.

Western Arts Alliance announces the development of a NEW Indigenous performing arts festival in Portland, OR - the Portland Native Festival or PDX N8V FST - with an inaugural 2025 Series at ally WAA member venues: Clark College, Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA), The Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, and Boom Arts.

The outdoor summer festival - with international and local Indigenous music acts, Native food and art markets, and more - coming in Summer 2027.

Sign up to join the festival mailing list and don’t miss out on upcoming events.

PDX N8V FST Website

AIP Steering Committee

  • Christopher Kaui Morgan

    CHAIR

  • Delbert Anderson

    MEMBER

  • Madeline Sayet

    MEMBER

  • Laura (Cales) Matalka

    MEMBER

  • Rika Iino

    MEMBER

  • Ed Bourgeois

    MEMBER / Former AIP Program Manager

THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDERS

From 2018 through 2024 Native Launchpad and the Advancing Indigenous Performance (AIP) program were made possible by a lead grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with additional support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

2025 activities are supported by the James F and Marion L Miller Foundation (Portland, Oregon) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

THANK YOU TO OUR AIP TOURING FUND PARTNERS