Visas Workshop

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.