Apply for an L’s GA Commission
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
L’s GA (Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address) is a 1967 anti-war classic by American composer Salvatore Martirano for gas-masked politico, helium bomb, three 16mm movie projectors, and two-channel tape recorder. The film was created by Ronald Nameth, the gas-masked politico and additional text were created by Michael Holloway, and the nurse assisting with the administration of the gas was played by Denise Tipei. Historically, the politico has always been portrayed by a non-disabled white male. The role of the nurse (or assistant) has been played by persons of all genders (and has also been omitted altogether, with the alteration in voice done electronically). That was then; this is now. The politico and the nurse can be any one of us, any race, any orientation, any age. And although the original language of the Gettysburg Address—and of L’s GA—is English, we welcome responses in any language.
As part of The Memory Project initiative, NON:op is commissioning new responses to L’s GA—either performed (re)interpretations or entirely new (re)compositions—created using the original production materials together with whatever you want to add. What hasn’t changed since 1967—or gotten worse? What can the Gettysburg Address possibly mean to you? Who are today’s gas-masked politicos? What masks do you wear—and by force or by choice? What are you forced to breathe—or prevented from breathing? What “nurse” controls your air supply? What drowns out your voice?
Send your proposal to us by March 1, a decision will be announced by March 10, and the completed work is due June 1, 2021.
Productions must incorporate original L’s GA production materials and may result in either video or audio files (or both), with or without a live component, and include any media in which you choose to create. NON:op will provide technical and logistical support if needed, whenever possible.
You may create a work that matches the duration of Martirano’s L’s GA (about 25 minutes) or something of a shorter duration, with a minimum response duration of five minutes.
Artists’ fees are calculated on the basis of $15 per hour. We anticipate that it will take approximately 30 hours to create a 25-minute response. This includes approximately five hours of conceptualization and 25 hours of production time. Thus, if you create a 20-minute response, you would spend 25 hours and receive a fee of $375. (NON:op doesn’t have an abundance of resources, but it does feel that all persons should be paid for their time. And yes, we probably agree with you: if the world were as it should be, the basic wage—for everyone—would be closer to $100 per hour.)
Distribution of funds will be $150 when the commission is awarded, with the remaining amount paid upon completion of the commission.
We hope to include completed productions in a live event—a manifestation—later in 2021.
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Application Requirements
You must include a description of your project and process, including the anticipated duration of your response—300 words or less, please!
You may choose also to include the following to strengthen your proposal:
- Audio samples
- Video samples
- Text samples
- Sketches or preliminary scenarios
Please send your completed application form and questions to Christophe Preissing at non [at] nonopera [dot] org.