The Arsht Center for the Performing Arts wants you to submit proposals for the Miami Made program, which has been supporting the work of local performance artists since 2005. “Our goal is to find high quality …ideas from artists who have the ability to implement their vision,” says Scott Shiller, executive vice president of the Arsht Center. “We hope to help as many artists as we can, develop as many art works as we can. There is no limit.”

Artists interested in expanding boundaries by creating, writing, composing, or choreographing a new work that may be presented as a workshop during the 2010-2011 Miami Made Weekend are being encouraged to apply now.

“The Miami Made program has been created to help artists through all aspects of the creative process – from artistic development and finance to production,” explains Shiller.

This includes professional counsel, invitations to showcase their works in progress through the Incubator program; play readings during Miami Made Weekend’s Out Loud program, participation in panel discussions, as well as the possibilities for projects to be developed into fully staged productions.

Examples of the latter are impressive — some truly innovative projects have been produced through this program. Like the satirical Cabaret Unkempt, a media, music, poetry, and body exploration by Elizabeth Doud and Jennylin Duany, who passed away so prematurely this January. Or 1000 Homosexuals, by writer Michael Yawney and choreographer Octavio Campos, a comedy-performance based on actual events from the anti-gay crusade of the juice queen Anita Bryant in our very own Sunshine State. Over the past five years, works in all disciplines have been selected for various stages of development.

It goes like this:

•Professional development opportunities will be made available for all of the submissions and is recommended for interested applicants.

•The Arsht Center will select several projects for further review, which will result in a second round review of the project, where more fully developed concepts will be made and commissions awarded.

•In addition to the above, the Arsht Center is seeking two to four projects to be work-shopped in March of 2011 as part of the Incubator program, as well as one to two scripts to be read as part of the Out Loud sessions.

Chosen projects will be funded in stages, starting anywhere from $50 for professional development to $2,000-$5,000 dollars for fully commissioned works. Sums up Shiller, “Commissioning and producing new work contributes to a thriving artistic community, the hallmark of any world-class city.”

The proposal deadline is Friday, JUNE 4, 2010 at 5 p.m. For guidelines, please go to www.arshtcenter.org/miamimade or contact [email protected], or call 786-468-2094.