Join the NETneXt Livestream!
Friday, October 20, 2023 - 5:00 PM CT - Sunday, October 22, 2023 1:00 PM CT
Open to all current & past NET members; tiered registration rates. Need-based travel/lodging/registration subsidies, COVID safety protocols, remote participation options, and support for individual access needs.
At the heart of our community process, this NETneXt National Circle Up will activate our work both in person in New Orleans and virtually for those who can’t attend in person. Taking place over three days (October 20-22), this Circle-Up gathering is designed and produced by the NETneXt Bridge Ensemble with the support of NET’s staff and local NET members, and focuses on:
Co-creating a shared vision for NET’s future through a collectively-devised, dreaming and planning process;
Convening NET members to (re)build community;
Story-gathering and engagement to explore NETneXt’s core questions;
Identifying additional research and next steps needed in NETneXt’s iterative investigations; and
Forming online community Work Circles to move us forward in the months ahead.
Throughout the weekend, we will ground ourselves by asking:
To evolve to a co-created, thriving, and sustainable future for the ensemble arts, and for NET – what collective commitments for engaged action and shared accountability are needed from the NET community?
What’s NEXT? And what does the NET that gets us there look like?
WAYS TO PARTICIPATE
We are excited to offer our full community devising program for the NETneXt New Orleans National Circle-Up weekend, which provide three different ways to participate:
HOME: Circle-Up from your own location via Zoom with NET virtual facilitation [register using the “Virtual Registration Only” option];
HYBRID: Circle-Up with a group of NET members locally or regionally at a Host Hub site via Zoom, with NET virtual facilitation [register using the “Virtual Registration Only” option; respond to our Call for Local Host Hubs below if you’d like to host!]
HERE: Circle-Up with the NETneXt Bridge Ensemble, NET staff and Board on the ground in New Orleans to reconnect face-to-face with the local and national NET community [register using one of the “In Person” options; please note our COVID safety protocols].
IN-PERSON SCHEDULE
Friday, October 20th, 5:00 pm - 8:30 pm CT
Welcome Dinner & Opening Program
at Catapult, 609 St Ferdinand St, New Orleans, LA 70117
Saturday, October 21st, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm CT
Community Devising: What’s NEXT for NET?
at André Cailloux Center For The Performing Arts, 2541 Bayou Rd, New Orleans, LA 70119
Saturday, October 21st, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm CT
Optional Dine-Arounds
Across the City
Sunday, October 22nd, 8:30 am - 1:00 pm
Reflections, Collective Planning, & Celebrations
at André Cailloux Center For The Performing Arts, 2541 Bayou Rd, New Orleans, LA 70119
Optional Recommendation: Saturday, October 21st, 7:00 pm CT & Sunday, October 22, 3:00 pm CT
Back In The Day by Harold Ellis Clark- World Premiere
Produced by No Dream Deferred and HEC Communications
at André Cailloux Center For The Performing Arts, 2541 Bayou Rd, New Orleans, LA 70119
VIRTUAL SCHEDULE
Saturday, October 21st, 9:00 am - 1:30 pm PT // 11:00 -3:30 pm CT // 12 - 4:30 pm ET
Community Devising: What’s NEXT for NET?
via Zoom
Sunday, October 22nd, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm PT // 11:00 -3:00 pm CT // 12 - 4:00 pm ET
Reflections, Collective Planning, & Celebrations
via Zoom
The NETneXt New Orleans National Circle-Up is made possible through the generous support of our NETneXt lead funding partner, the Mellon Foundation, and our local host partners: No Dream Deferred NOLA and Mondo Bizarro.
REGISTRATION FEES
Virtual Registration ONLY
All member types: $35
In-Person Registration
Includes all Fri-Sun programming + Friday Dinner, Saturday lunch, Saturday Late-Night Party with refreshments, daily coffee, tea, and light morning refreshments & snacks
General rate: non-member $400
Solidarity rate: $550
supports access subsidies
NET member rate $200
Local rate: New Orleans area $100
Student rate $40
REGISTRATION SUBSIDIES
We are able to offer a limited number of need-based full or partial Registration Subsidies to support NET members’ in-person or virtual attendance at NETneXt New Orleans:
To request a Registration Subsidy, you must be a current NET member in good standing (at time of subsidy request, registration payment, and event attendance);
Limited to 1 Registration Subsidy per NET membership (i.e. 1 per ensemble company);
Registration Subsidies are intended to remove barriers to attendance and enable the full participation of all members of our community. In order to stretch the small pool of subsidy funds to support as many members as possible, we ask that you self-identify an amount for your request that:
reflects your immediate need – the partial or full amount of subsidy that you would need to be with us, without significant hardship;
and that is mindful of your overall financial stability and access to other means of support, relative to other members of the NET community.
Process for Registration Subsidy Requests & Payments:
Register for NETneXt New Orleans, and select the “Requesting Registration Subsidy" option when you check out. This will allow you to complete the registration process without being charged a registration fee at this point.
Once you complete your registration, submit a Registration Subsidy Request Form, which will ask you to self-identify the amount of subsidy you are requesting.
NET staff will review your request and email you within 3 business days to let you know the approval status of your Registration Subsidy request, and provide an invoice for the adjusted registration fee amount due. Online registration payment must be received within 5 business days after notification is delivered, or the Registration Subsidy will be forfeited and returned to the subsidy pool for reallocation to another member.
TRAVEL SUBSIDIES
To support access, we are able to offer a limited number of need-based full or partial Travel Subsidies to support NET members’ in-person attendance at NETneXt New Orleans:
To request a Travel Subsidy, you must reside outside of Louisiana, and must be a current NET member in good standing (at time of subsidy request, registration payment, and event attendance);
Limited to 1 Travel Subsidy per NET membership (i.e. 1 per ensemble company);
Travel Subsidies are intended to remove barriers to attendance and enable the full participation of all members of our community. In order to stretch the small pool of subsidy funds to support as many members as possible, we ask that you self-identify an amount for your request that:
does not exceed your actual round-trip travel expenses to New Orleans;
reflects your immediate need – the partial or full amount of subsidy that you would need to be with us, without significant hardship;
and that is mindful of your overall financial stability and access to other means of support, relative to other members of the NET community
Process for Travel Subsidy Requests:
Register for NETneXt New Orleans (including Registration Subsidy Request, if applicable) before submitting your Travel Subsidy request.
Once you complete your event registration, submit a Travel Subsidy Request Form, which will ask you to self-identify the amount of Travel Subsidy you are requesting.
NET staff will review your request and email you within 3 business days to let you know the approval status of your Travel Subsidy request. We must receive email confirmation from you accepting the awarded Travel Subsidy amount within 3 business days after notification is delivered, or the Travel Subsidy will be forfeited and returned to the subsidy pool for reallocation to another member.
Travel Subsidy payments are customarily issued as reimbursements, and processed after you submit receipts from your actual travel expenses incurred. If waiting to receive your Travel Subsidy as a reimbursement is a financial challenge, please be in touch with us at netnext@ensembletheaters.net and we will work with you to make other arrangements.
Process for Travel Subsidy Payments:
Once you’ve received notification of your awarded Travel Subsidy, confirmed your acceptance, and have fully completed and paid for your event registration, you are able to request payment of your Travel Subsidy amount.
If you are traveling by air, train, or bus: book your tickets. Email us at netnext@ensembletheaters.net and attach PDF copies of your travel receipts (air, bus, or train).
If you are traveling by car and want to request payment in advance: email us at netnext@ensembletheaters.net and use the 2023 standard mileage rate of $0.65 per mile: attach PDF copies of a Google map image of your route that shows the total mileage, as your receipt. Or, if you’d prefer to wait until after the event, you can submit your actual fuel receipts for payment.
NET will issue your Travel Subsidy Reimbursement through Bill.com, our payment processor. We are able to reimburse electronically or via mailed paper check. Please indicate on the form your preferences.
COVID PROTOCOLS
NET has modeled our COVID protocols for the NETneXt National Circle-Up in New Orleans on those developed by our beloved colleagues at the National Performance Network (NPN)’s Department of Racial Justice and Movement Building (DRJAM) and our shared learning with those leading disability justice.
We believe it is our collective responsibility to be rigorous about keeping ourselves and each other safe when we have the autonomy to do so. Our COVID protocols utilize a disability justice and consent based framework that center our communities' most vulnerable members in our co-created gatherings.
In this spirit of collective care, we are asking all in-person attendees to abide by the following COVID guidelines for the NETneXt gathering:
During the Event:
Each attendee will be provided with
a fresh N95 mask for each day (and an extra just in case);
3 self- administered COVID tests (2 for use Saturday & Sunday before arriving at venue, and 1 to test 5 days post-gathering).
Hand sanitizer will be available at both venues. Self-administered COVID tests will be required on Friday upon arrival at the venue. On Saturday and Sunday morning, attendees will be asked to self administer COVID tests before arriving at the event space and email negative results to netnext@ensembletheaters.net. Outside of mealtimes, we will ask attendees to keep masks on at all times during our time together; presenters may remove their masks while actively speaking, if they are able to remain physically distanced from all other presenters and attendees.
Attendees will be asked to practice consensual unmasking around one another throughout the event activities: not assuming others’ comfort, but making an explicit ask and not unmasking unless you receive permission from those around you.
After the Event:
We will send attendees home with an additional COVID test, which we ask that you self-administer 5 full days after the gathering and let us know if you receive a positive result so that we can inform other attendees (your identity will be kept confidential).
LODGING
NET has arranged for a group rate for NETneXt NOLA attendees at the Holiday Inn Express New Orleans-St Charles, 936 Saint Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130. You may access the group rate of $219 a night ($255.47 with taxes per night) per room per night for single or double occupancy until Oct 8th. After that, the rate will be based on availability. This rate is valid for October 19-22. [Looking to reduce your costs? Use this Roommate Requests form if you are interested in finding another NET attendee to share a hotel room with.]
To Reserve: Book your reservation online here or call the hotel at (504) 962-0900 and specify that you are reserving for the NETneXt: New Orleans National Circle-Up!
CALL FOR LOCAL HOST HUBS
Are you deeply invested in participating in the National Circle-Up community process, but can’t make the trip to New Orleans? Sign up to host a satellite NETneXt NOLA in-person Circle-Up in your hometown on Sat Oct 21 & Sun Oct 22! If you have some great wifi, a projector or a TV, and are ready to host some of your ensemble colleagues and others in the area, let us know! NET will offer online, live facilitation via Zoom that follows the programming on the ground in NOLA. All you have to provide is space—from local community studios to your living room—for as small or large a group as you feel comfortable with.
Submit your interest using this form. We ask that you commit to hosting for the full virtual programming schedule, which will run Sat Oct 21 from 9am-5pm CT, and Sun Oct 22 from 9am-12:30pm CT.
NET will provide the programming and agenda.
Up to 3-5 Local Host Hubs will directly interact with and report out to the New Orleans participants on camera; additional local groups will share their report-outs in the online space.
Once submissions close, NET will support a shared spreadsheet of all approved Local Host Hubs, and provide social media templates for you to use to spread the word to your local networks.
Please see NET’s Covid-19 protocols for NETneXt: New Orleans here. Please think about what your local protocols will be in order for everyone to make informed decisions. Clarity in your protocols will be required in your submission form. While they do not need to mirror ours, we ask that they are rooted in our values of collective care for the most vulnerable in our communities, are clearly communicated to your guests in advance, and are fully honored during your events.
About the NETneXt National Circle-Up Series
Join us online and in New Orleans for Fall 2023 NETneXt National Circle-Up events!
Click here for the Sept-Oct 2023 series schedule, additional registration links, and more information.
The national ensemble arts community is uniquely poised to navigate this moment of cultural change. NOW is our moment to come together to dream, plan, and actualize an evolutionary pivot to ensure a vital future for ensemble companies and artists, and for NET. Help turn the transformational practices of ensemble creation on NET itself to ignite our collective imagination and co-create what’s NEXT!
Designed and led by the NETneXt Bridge Ensemble (a transitional team drawn from the NET membership), the NETneXt National Circle-Up events are a call to action. The Fall 2023 series invites all current and past NET members into the community engagement phase of NETneXt, our collaborative process to devise and plan the future of NET.
This second phase of NETneXt is organized as a series of participatory community investigations that will “circle up” the NET membership for collaborative research and development (Co-R&D). To start, six online sessions (Sept 20-Oct 16) will lead up to an weekend-long, in-person/hybrid national gathering in New Orleans (Oct 20-22) with regional and online options for remote participation. Following these Fall 2023 events, we will continue this work through additional online NETneXt Co-Creation Circle sessions (through the end of 2023) with our national membership, colleagues from the broader arts field, and natural allies beyond our sector. We will then synthesize our learning into a formal operational plan (Winter/Spring 2024) to chart our path forward to what’s NEXT for NET.
Want to know more? Click here for additional details, or connect with us at netnext@ensembletheaters.net!