Saturday, December 7, 2013

Ben Cameron of Doris Duke Charitable Foundation to Give Keynote at Jazz Connect Conference at APAP|NYC 2014

Ben Cameron of Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
to Give Keynote at Jazz Connect Conference
at APAP|NYC 2014

Illuminating the Theme of This Year's Conference
"The Road Ahead," the Keynote Session Also to
Feature "Solo" Presentations From Five Leading
Jazz Artists and Professionals

 

The Jazz Connect Conference at APAP|NYC 2014, organized by JazzTimes in conjunction with the Jazz Forward Coalition, has announced that Ben Cameron, Program Director for the Arts at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, will be the keynote speaker for the conference. One of the largest gatherings of the professional jazz community, the Jazz Connect Conference will be held January 9-10, 2014 at the Hilton New York in New York City and will feed into the annual APAP (Association of Performing Arts Presenters) Conference as well as Winter Jazzfest.

In his leadership role at Doris Duke, Cameron oversees a $13.1 million grants program focusing on organizations and artists in the theatre, contemporary dance, jazz and presenting fields. In 2012, the Foundation announced a special additional allocation to the arts of $50 million initiative designed primarily to serve individual artists. This allocation, which also falls under Cameron's supervision, will support three separate initiatives: the Doris Duke Artists Awards, the Doris Duke Artistic Impact Awards and the Doris Duke Building Demand programs, supporting artists in residence at organizations to engage in new ways to build public demand for the arts.

Ben Cameron
Cameron has addressed gatherings of arts communities in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, England, Scotland and Russia, as well as national gatherings of the theatre, chamber music, dance, symphony and choral music fields in the United States. His address at the TED X Conference in Calgary has been featured as a "TED Talk" and was featured in the national commercial campaign for the Apple iPad.

In addition to Cameron's address, the keynote plenary session will feature short inspirational presentations or "solos" by jazz professionals and artists, including Wendy Oxenhorn (Jazz Foundation of America), Eddie Palmieri, Patricia Parker (Arts for Art), Meghan Stabile (Revive Music Group) and Janis Burley Wilson (Pittsburgh Cultural Trust). Focusing on the conference theme of "The Road Ahead," these five soloists will share their experiences and talk about the challenges facing them as well as the jazz community at large.

The rest of the Jazz Connect Conference at APAP|NYC will feature a collection of essential workshops, panels and events held over the course of two days. The conference will bring together a wide cross-section of the jazz community for 12 workshops and 5 plenary sessions, on topics such as: "Navigating Social Media"; "The Role of Education in Presenting Jazz"; "The New Paradigm for Record Labels"; "Cutting Through the Clutter"; "Radio Airplay & Promotion 101"; "Jazz Grantmaking"; "Expanding the Language of Jazz"; "Engaging the Jazz Media Gatekeepers"; and other timely and engaging subjects. Moderators and panelists include an impressive cross-section of artists and professionals. There will also be an "Ask the Experts" networking session organized by Jana La Sorte. For a complete schedule, visit the conference website.

The schedule reflects the input from and collaboration with numerous organizations such as JazzWeek (radio programmers), Jazz Education Network, All About Jazz and the Jazz Journalists Association, each of whom host workshops or panels during the conference. In addition to incorporating the involvement of various organizations, the sessions also include a wide range of voices in and out of the jazz community. The conference has received the support of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters organization, which hosts the world's leading forum for the performing arts every year in New York City. JazzTimes is the official publication for the event.

Pre-registration is only $100 until December 23, with additional discounts offered to members of various organizations. Registration is free for APAP members, although they must pre-register at www.jazz-connect.com.

For more information about the Jazz Connect conference, you can e-mail jazzconnectnyc@gmail.com. To pre-register for the conference, go to the Jazz Connect website. To reserve a table-top display or to advertise in the Conference edition of JazzTimes, contact Miene Smith at 617-706-9092 or msmith@madavor.com.

Attendees can get a special discount at the host hotels for the APAP|NYC conference, but must go through the APAP|NYC website. The Jazz Connect Conference is part of "January in NYC is the Place to Be for the Performing Arts," celebrating the unmatched convergence of performing arts professionals, audiences, and events in New York City. Every January over 45,000 people from around the globe flock to New York City for public festivals and industry gatherings, featuring over 1,500 performances by thousands of world-class artists of all disciplines and genres, including world music, theatre, dance, jazz, and more. For more information, visit www.januaryNYC.org.

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About the Association of Performing Arts Presenters
The Association of Performing Arts Presenters, based in Washington, DC, is the national service and advocacy organization dedicated to developing and supporting a robust performing arts presenting field and the professionals who work within it. As a leader in the field, APAP works to effect change through advocacy, professional development, resource sharing and civic engagement. APAP is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization governed by a volunteer board of directors and led by President & CEO Mario Garcia Durham. In addition to presenting the annual APAP|NYC conference- the world's leading forum and marketplace for the performing arts (Jan. 10-14, 2014)-APAP continues to be the industry's leading resource, knowledge and networking destination for the advancement of performing arts presenting.

About the Jazz Forward Coalition
The Jazz Forward Coalition (JFC) is a consortium of industry leaders focused on enhancing jazz's vitality and cultural relevance for audience development. JFC is focused on developing programs and platforms to support its two central themes of advocacy and infrastructure. By providing a global voice, JFC will cultivate opportunities to motivate growth for current and future generations to expand jazz's cultural footprint. On the web at www.jazzforwardcoalition.com

About JazzTimes
JazzTimes is America's preeminent jazz magazine providing irreverent, uncompromising and often provocative coverage of the American jazz scene. Relying on an award-winning editorial staff, JazzTimes encompasses special themes, directories, comprehensive news reports and an extensive music review section. JazzTimes is a must-read for the jazz enthusiast. On the web at www.jazztimes.com.