Visas Workshop

activities
13 November
09:00 - 11:00
Hôtel Bonaventure - Outremont
Room : Outremont 4

Crossing the Canada-US border for artistic companies, whether from here or elsewhere in the world, often involves complex administrative, budgetary and logistical challenges.
CINARS is pleased to offer an information session on the issue of temporary visas to perform in the United States, for artists from Canada and other countries. In order to identify certain strategies in the process of obtaining temporary visas and to better understand the role of host presenters, we have invited Will Spitz, an American lawyer who specializes in this area, to be assisted by Robert Baird, a well-known Canadian consultant. This session will draw on the experiences of two companies that have recently toured in the United States: Le Petit Théâtre de Sherbrooke (Élyse Bruenau) and the artists' agency Station Bleue (Annick-Patricia Carrière), who will be able to talk about their respective experiences. The session will also be open to questions from the audience.

Will Spitz, associated lawyer at CoveyLaw / Tamizdat (USA)
Panelist
Will Spitz heads the performing arts division at CoveyLaw, focusing primarily on the preparation of O and P visa applications for artists entering the U.S. temporarily to perform. He also provides pro bono services to foreign artists and arts professionals as a volunteer attorney with Tamizdat, a non-profit organization promoting international cultural exchange. He has presented and moderated panels on artist mobility issues at conferences such as Amsterdam Dance Event, South by Southwest, Folk Alliance International, Indie Week, Mondo, CMJ, Breakout West and the American Immigration Lawyers Association's ACES conference. Will is also a musician who has played in various rock and electronic music bands, as well as the New York-based Balinese gamelan ensemble Gamelan Dharma Swara. He holds a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School and a B.A. from Boston University. He is admitted to the New York State Bar.

Robert Baird, consultant & president of BAM! Baird Artists Management (Canada)
Panelist
Robert Baird is President of BAM! Baird Artists Management Consulting
in Toronto, and is a recognized expert in international touring, including visas, payroll deductions and taxation. For many years, Mr. Baird ran a booking agency in Toronto, with an international roster of musical theatre artists, instrumentalists, singers and bands in all genres.
He has served in a variety of roles, including NAPAMA (North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents), Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO), OAPN (Ohio Arts Professionals Network), APAP (Association of Performing Arts Professionals) Showcase Coordinator and The King's Singer Global Foundation. Mr. Baird is a booking agent for the A.F.M. and an acceptance agent for the I.R.S. He is well known for his “Crossing Borders” columns in the International Musician and IFEA's.
inter and multi disciplinary arts Official Programming

1 DROP 1000 YEARS + Elusive Matter

Martin Messier

1 DROP 1000 YEARS Homeostasis maintains vital balance by preserving the organism's suitable temperature, symbolizing perpetuity. In 2022, Jaehoon Bang invites Martin Messier to explore this concept through a performance. The Global...

14 November 2024 at 21:30

inter and multi disciplinary arts OFF CINARS

Falla

Julia B. Laperrière

Excerpt as part of the joint showcase | Art Circulation + FLAK + FÔVE & Friends Falla recounts the story of the first time Julia Laperrière wore a strap-on dildo, and then -together with guitarist Pia Achternkamp- takes the audience...

12 November 2024 at 20:45

inter and multi disciplinary arts OFF CINARS

Looper

Dorian Nuskind-Oder | Le Radeau

Le Radeau présente Looper was born from an exchange between choreographer Dorian Nuskind-Oder and circus artist Elena Lev, a pioneer in the hula hoop discipline and an icon of Cirque du Soleil. An intimate and poetic experience, the...

Many dates

inter and multi disciplinary arts OFF CINARS

Outside | In

Théâtre Junction

Outside | In is a hybrid immersive experience, conceived by Mark Lawes and created with Raphaële Thiriet and the Theatre Junction collective, drawing inspiration from the panopticon, science fiction, and escape games. This hybrid work delves into...

Many dates

inter and multi disciplinary arts OFF CINARS

Rot Hat

Nate Yaffe | Le Radeau

Le Radeau présente Rot Hat is a historical fiction, a speculative ceremony to enter the dark forest. With humour and disarming vulnerability, Nate Yaffe taps into the subtle logic of his neurodivergent body to ‘remember’ long lost story...

Many dates

inter and multi disciplinary arts OFF CINARS

The Cloud

Et tu, Machine

A queer anti-capitalist performance, The Cloud grapples with environmental catastrophe related to the eponymous digital storage space. Interrogating our actions and the responsibilities we have as citizens, The Cloud tells a science fiction-fueled...

Many dates