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Aaron Thielen, Co-founder / Artistic Director, Marriott Theatre
Dr. Ryan T. Nelson, Co-Founder / Professor, Northwestern University
Emerging Global Artist Exchange
With your support we aim to bring four of our Broadway Across Borders GLOBAL ARTISTS to the United States this July (2022) for our inaugural 10-day Arts Leadership Program. These inspiring artists represent the countries of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, and Germany.
Help us raise $15,000 by the end of 2021 to kick-off this exciting campaign!
Your contribution will be MATCHED by a generous ANONYMOUS DONOR who believes in the mission of Broadway Across Borders!
This life-changing initiative is an investment in the EMERGING GLOBAL ARTISTS who are at the very core of the Broadway Across Borders community and who will inevitably transform the future of musical theatre abroad.
$15,000 funds ONE Broadway Across Borders Global Artist, giving them the opportunity to:
- Perform in a SHOWCASE CONCERT at Chicago's Marriott Theatre
- Participate in ARTS LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS with several Chicago theatres
- Participate in MASTERCLASSES at Northwestern University
- Attend Chicago theatre productions
- Experience Chicago culture, restaurants, and attractions
- Perform in a CABARET CONCERT in New York City
- Participate in a PANEL with BROADWAY ACTORS
- Attend BROADWAY PRODUCTIONS and experience "behind the scenes" tours
- Experience New York City!
Our GOAL is to fully fund TWO international artists by the end of December 2021.
This is just the beginning...
We plan on bringing at least four of our artists to the United States this summer - more if we can!
Your contribution can help make this a happen!
For many of our artists, this would be their very first visit to the United States!
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Emerging Global Artist Exchange Itinerary
Day 1
- Rehearsal at the Marriott Theatre
- Marriott Theatre Artistic Leadership Training - Commercial Theatre Topics (budgeting, developing new works and for-profit musicals)
- Tour of a Chicago theatre, participate in a Chicago Actor Forum
- Dinner with Chicago Actors
- Stay at Marriott Lincolnshire Resort
Day 2
- Rehearsal at the Marriott Theatre
- Visit and Tour Northwestern University
- Northwestern Musical Theatre Program- faculty voice master class, and student exchange
- Visit a Chicago casting agency - Contemporary Audition Techniques and Branding
- Dinner in Chicago
- See a show in theatre district
- Stay overnight in a downtown hotel
Day 3
- Chicago Architectural Boat Tour and Chicago Art Institute
- Tour another Chicago theatre - International Collaboration in Theatre with artists and theatre leadership
- See show in theater district
- Stay overnight in a downtown hotel
Day 4
- Tech rehearsal at the Marriott Theatre for the concert
- Celebration Dinner with BAB Board of Directors and Embassy Officials
- Stay at Lincolnshire Marriott Resort
Day 5
- Performance at the Marriott Theatre
- Broadway Across Borders Gala following the performance
- Stay at Lincolnshire Marriott Resort
Day 6
- BAB artists and staff fly early to New York City
- Evening Broadway show
Day 7
- Rehearsal for Monday cabaret concert at iconic New York City rehearsal space
- Attend Broadway Shows and experience "behind the scenes" tours
Day 8
- BAB artists meet with Broadway artists in the morning
- Perform in a cabaret show at one of NYC’s performance spaces
Day 9
- Tour NYC (Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, shopping, etc.)
- Time for the artists to see the city on their own schedule
- Goodbye Dinner with BAB staff and donors
Day 10
- Final NYC Tourist Fun
- Travel home!
OUR ORGANIZATION'S MISSION
To build international and cross-cultural collaborations through musical theatre performance that create a shared understanding of humanity by cultivating and connecting emerging artists across borders and empowering their artistic and social entrepreneurship.
We believe that musical theatre, the quintessential American art form, transcends languages and nationalities. It is an incredibly powerful tool for eliminating prejudice and discrimination and furthering human rights. We provide a unique access to training and offer performance opportunities that develop and nurture individual artistic expression while building a Global Community of Artists.
OUR STORY
In 2017, the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo, reached out to Ryan Nelson and Aaron Thielen and asked them to create a cultural exchange program using the American art form of musical theatre to bring together artists in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The program, called BiH Broadway, created a series of workshops and productions over two years in Bosnia that connected young performing artists from across the country. We produced two shows in Sarajevo, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the National Theatre and Moja Pjesma ("My Song") in the historic Kamerni Teatar 55. Both productions toured the country and were seen by thousands of people.
The success of BiH Broadway prompted the U.S. State Department to support expansion of the program to Poland for ten days in June 2020, and to return in September 2020 to produce another music theatre project.
Covid-19 unfortunately put the program and any travel on hold. Rather than wait a year, we decided to pivot and pitched a new "virtual" collaboration project to the U.S. State Department. We came up with the idea of bringing artists from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Serbia, Germany and the United States together on one project…an online production of the musical SPRING AWAKENING.
The idea of Broadway Across Borders was born! Cross-cultural collaboration between artists from multiple countries is at the core of Broadway Across Borders's mission. SPRING AWAKENING premiered in October 2020 and again in November 2020 due to its popularity.
Since the start of the pandemic, the organization has worked hard to maintain programming, even through virtual platforms. During Summer 2021 the artists engaged in a project titled "Happy Days Are Here Again" which was sponsored by the US Embassy in Berlin and in cooperation with the US Embassy in Prague, Sarajevo, and Warsaw. This project allowed the artists to continue collaborating virtually, and was a huge success.
That summer also brought an opportunity for the artists to meet virtually with Tony Award winning actor Jessie Mueller, who originated the title roles in "Beautiful" and "Waitress" on Broadway. Jessie is a significant artist and figure in the theater community, so having the opportunity to meet her and ask questions was exciting for our artists. Although the pandemic stalled some of Broadway Across Borders' in-person plans, it did bring unique virtual opportunities like the project with the US Embassy in Berlin, and the opportunity to meet an influential artist like Jessie Mueller.
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WHAT'S NEXT?
After four years of programming virtually and abroad, we are excited to announce the 2022 Emerging Global Artist Exchange. This is an opportunity for the organization to bring international artists to the United States for the first time. Broadway Across Borders will be hosting international program alumni in the United States, in July 2022. The artists will come from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, and Germany, to spend ten days in Chicago and New York City. They will engage in rehearsals, workshops, leadership training, and networking opportunities with local artists and organizations. Their time in both cities will end with exciting performance opportunities, including a showcase and gala at the Marriott Theatre in Chicago to celebrate their talent and the success of the organization. Both performances and the Chicago gala will be open to the public through ticket sales, and we hope to see you there!
We are excited for this inaugural event and hope to continue this in future years with additional artists coming too. Bringing the artists to the United States to do leadership training, networking with arts leaders, and performing is significant because it allows them to grow as artists and leaders for their own communities. When they return home after this experience they will be able to share what they learned, and help expand the impact of musical theater in their own countries. Having this exchange is part of our mission as a collaborative, international organization, and finally having this opportunity is exciting.
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
With your generous support, our goal is to bring at least four artists to the United States for this amazing experience. We are starting with this online campaign to cover the costs of bringing one artist to the United States. Your generous support will help to cover the costs of the artists’ transportation, lodging, food, training experiences, and cultural activities. Your contribution will be matched by an anonymous donor, thus bringing at least two artists.
If we are able to exceed our goal of $15,000, all additional funds will go towards covering the costs of additional artists coming for this event. We hope to continue this exchange with other artists in years to come, so we are looking forward to the support we hope to receive for this inaugural exchange.
We appreciate all of your support, and look forward to seeing you at the performances and gala in July 2022!
Other Ways You Can Help
There are lots of other ways to support the organization aside from giving. Please like our Facebook page (linked here: https://www.facebook.com/bwayacrossborders), check out our website where you can sign up for email updates: http://broadwayacrossborders.org, and follow us on Instagram @broadwayacrossborders. Thank you for all that you do to support this organization!
