UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES

Official Showcase Applications are open now for the 2026 Folk Alliance International Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana (January 21 - 25, 2026). Official Showcases are an excellent way for tour-ready artists to perform their music in front of festival bookers, agents, venues, record labels, DJs, and more. Selected through a competitive jury process, Official Showcase artists often book national or international tours, meet professionals to join their teams, and catch the interest of media based on these performances. ‍ ⏳ Applications close June 6, 2025 at 11:59 pm CT Apply now! Folk Alliance International is the largest and leading non-profit organization for folk music representing the global community of artists, agents, managers, labels, publicists, arts administrators, venues, festivals, and concert series presenters. Founded in 1989 in Malibu, CA, FAI is committed to serving, strengthening, and engaging the folk music community through preservation, presentation, and promotion and produces the world’s largest annual folk music conference as well as the International Folk Music Awards, the Ethno USA gathering, year-round professional development webinars, the Folk DJ Chart, and Global Summits that connect professionals around the folk music world. FAI defines folk broadly as “the music of the people” and supports a diverse array of sub-genres including Appalachian, Americana, Blues, Bluegrass, Celtic, Cajun, Global Roots, Hip-Hop, Old-Time, Singer-Songwriter, Spoken Word, Traditional, Zydeco, and various fusions. Folk Alliance International Conference wants to ensure that there are broad and robust applications from Louisiana, so they are offering 50% off official showcase applications for any artist residing in the state (confirmed through a Louisiana billing address). The discount code OSA50LA applies to both member and non-member rates.

Program Mini-Grants provide support for small-scale projects with limited scope and costs that offer an access point for organizations seeking to expand into public humanities programming. Programs should engage local audiences with Louisiana scholars to explore the history, foodways, folkways, music, and culture that make Louisiana’s towns, parishes, and state so unique. LOI’s from first-time applicants that are new to hosting public programs are particularly encouraged, as well as organizations reaching rural and underserved populations. All viable programs must include the participation of qualified humanities scholar(s) and programs must be free and open to the public. Humanities-based organizations operating within the sixty-four parishes of Louisiana are eligible to apply. Organizations must be nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status; public-facing organizations operating within accredited institutions of higher learning; state and local government agencies; or state or federally recognized Native American tribal governments in Louisiana. Organizations reaching underserved populations are particularly encouraged to apply. Applications: Letters of Intent will be accepted on a rolling, quarterly basis until funds are expended from November – July with awards in January, April, and July Award Amounts: Up to $1,000

Is your organization prepared for an emergency? This grant can help! The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH), with the support of the State of Louisiana, is offering grant opportunities to support cultural organizations in ongoing efforts to mitigate previous impacts from emergency events and prepare for future threats. Purpose: Natural disasters, like hurricanes and floods, and a range of other types of emergency events pose serious threats to Louisiana’s critical cultural infrastructure. The Emergency Readiness Grant will help organizations better prepare for and respond to potential threats, reducing vulnerability and putting in place clear and current strategies for mitigating the effects of future emergencies. Humanities-based organizations within the 64 parishes of Louisiana are eligible to apply. Organizations must be a nonprofit with 501(c)(3) status, public-facing organizations operating with accredited institutions of higher learning, state and local government agencies, or state or federally recognized Native American tribal governments in Louisiana. Organizations reaching underserved populations are particularly encouraged to apply.

Submissions Each year Spectral Sisters highlights Louisiana playwrights and gives them the opportunity to see their original works staged live in our annual Ten-Minute Play Festival. The 2025 festival and playwriting contest theme is “What Had Happened Was…" The festival will be held May 28–June 1 on the Hearn Stage of the Kress Theater in downtown Alexandria. All original entries must be submitted to our e-mail address admin@spectralsisters.com by 11:59 pm on Saturday, March 15th. Full submission guidelines are found here. Interested playwrights may attend our playwrighting workshop with Del Shores on Saturday September 14, 2024. Registration is free! Reading Sessions Two reading sessions are held for entries before the submission deadline. These sessions give writers opportunities hear how their plays sound, receive constructive feedback on their work, get an idea of the running times before finalizing their scripts, and ask any questions they might have. Dates for the reading sessions will be announced. Adjudication Each entry to the Ten-Minute Play Festival contest is adjudicated by a panel of third party judges on how well it interprets the theme, how closely it adheres to the submission guidelines, and the quality of the writing. In addition to being produced, the top three entries receive a cash prize— First Place $100; Second Place $75; and Third Place $50 —as a thank you from us and encouragement to keep on writing!

Friday, December 13th, 2024 the Arts Council of Central Louisiana is hosting A-Town Jazz, a cabaret styled night full of music, food, drinks, a silent auction, fundraising, and fun! We are inviting a Jazz Band or Solo Jazz Musician to play at the ticketed event for our patrons to enjoy. Musicians will be compensated and lodging can be provided. The event will take place in Alexandria, LA at a time and venue to be determined. Interested musicians are encouraged to apply via email by October 1st, 2024.