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USAAF 2025

Posted on Festival by · November 12, 2024 8:57 AM

 

THE 28th ANNUAL UNITED STATES OF ASIAN AMERICA FESTIVAL: CRITICAL REFUGE

 

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL


Each year, the United States of Asian American Festival (USAAF) presents up to 20 different programs reflecting the artistic accomplishments and cultural diversity of San Francisco’s Pacific Islander and Asian American communities. USAAF showcases artists representing a diverse range of ethnic and cultural groups and aims to heighten the visibility of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) artists working in all disciplines - theater, music, dance, film, literature, visual arts, and more! Our goal is to nurture and empower these groups to be self-sufficient while providing the support they need to grow. 

This year’s theme, Critical Refuge, asks us to reflect on our journey as immigrants, refugees, and generations of descendents and/or mixed race people in the diaspora as we seek necessary sanctuary within ourselves and in our communities in times of unrest and uncertainty. The festival will honor AAPI arts and culture reflecting on where we have been, where we are now, and what our collective future holds while acknowledging our roots as immigrants, refugees, and mixed-race descendants.

Thank you to our many partners and funders including the San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, California Arts Council, Zellerbach Family Foundation and startsmall. 

 

CALL FOR ARTISTS PROPOSALS 

CLICK HERE TO APPLY!

SUBMISSION DEADLINE

Monday, December 9 at 12:00PM PST

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES 

Individual artists, art groups, and art organizations are welcome to submit applications for art events occurring in San Francisco, Alameda, and San Mateo counties between May-June 15, 2025.

FESTIVAL THEME

Subject(s) of your program(s) and/or event(s) focus on themes related to Pacific Islander and Asian American themes and culture, connecting specifically to this year’s theme, Critical Refuge:

  • What does it mean to create and build spaces of protection, healing, and safety for ourselves and our AAPI communities?
  • How are AAPI, BIPOC, and/or other marginalized communities historically and presently affected by global wars and conflict? In leaving our homelands and being displaced what is gained and what is lost?
  • How are we as immigrants and refugees in the diaspora using arts and culture to show solidarity for those facing the brunt of war and violence while critiquing the systems perpetuating harm in our struggle towards collective liberation?

 

USAAF SUPPORTS

All mediums of art and culture (e.g., theater, storytelling, stand-up comedy, dance, performance art, solo performance, literary, panel discussion, music, visual art exhibition, performance poetry, film, spoken word, variety showcase, multimedia productions, multi-art productions, etc).

ELIGIBILITY

In order to be eligible to participate in USAAF:

  • Pacific Islander and/or Asian American artists must be centralized within the artistic creation process, and constitute a majority of participating artists.
  • Lead producing artist(s) must be based in the Bay Area 9 counties (if outside Bay Area, contact us at [email protected] to assess participation).
  • Lead producing artist(s) must be over 18, but artists participating in the program can be all ages.
  • Lead producing artist(s) must demonstrate the ability to produce their own event (i.e., including managing and executing all production, creative, technical, promotional, etc. responsibilities).
  • Events must occur in May through June 15, 2025.
  • Agree to attend APICC’s professional development workshops (it is highly recommended that you attend all workshops, dates listed below).
  • Be able to meet all marketing and artistic deadlines (see below).
  • Be a legal resident of the United States (if you are not a legal US resident, contact us at [email protected] to assess participation).

 

USAAF DOES NOT FUND

  • Benefits or fundraisers.
  • Events not open or accessible to the general public.
  • Events that do not take place in San Francisco, Alameda, or San Mateo counties.

 

LEVELS OF SUPPORT

Our awards support up to $5,300 across 4 award levels. 
Click here to review the AWARD LEVELS & EVENTS that will be supported.

**NEW** 

  • Producing artists returning to USAAF will be prioritized at the self-produced award level.  
  • Emerging and first time applicants to USAAF are encouraged to apply for co-produced, co-presented and promotional award levels

DEADLINE & SUBMISSION FORMAT

ALL SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE AT 12:00PM PST ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2024.

No late submissions will be accepted. All files must be submitted through the online submission form.

If you have any problems with the submission form, please contact us at [email protected]. No phone, post-mail, or in-person submissions will be accepted. Incomplete or incorrectly formatted submissions will also NOT be accepted.

Students and emerging artists are encouraged to apply.

APPLICATION CHECKLIST

It's recommended you draft your proposal on a separate document on a computer before submitting it through the application. The application is not compatible with tablets or phones.

Click here to view a checklist of important items required to submit through the application.

 

IMPORTANT DATES

Application Q&A #1 – Tuesday, November 19 @ 6-7PM Online via Zoom Register Here!

Application Q&A #2 – Saturday, December 7 @ 1-2PM PST, Online via Zoom Register Here!

If you cannot attend these scheduled Q&A sessions and have questions about your application, please contact us at [email protected]

Application Deadline – Monday, December 9 @ 12:00PM PST

Artists Notified – end of January 2025

 

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS AND SPONSORS

San Francisco Arts Commission, California Arts Council, SF Grants for the Arts, SF Office of Economic & Workforce Development, Zellerbach Family Foundation, APA Heritage Foundation, The Ruby SF,  and SOMArts Cultural Center.

 

USAAF 2024

Posted on Festival by · November 10, 2023 12:37 PM

 

THE 27th ANNUAL UNITED STATES OF ASIAN AMERICA FESTIVAL: BE(LONG)ING HERE

FESTIVAL EVENTS ⚈ SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER ⚈ PRESS KIT

CLICK HERE FOR THE USAAF 2024 RECAP REPORT

 

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL


Each year, the United States of Asian American Festival (USAAF) presents up to 20 different programs reflecting the artistic accomplishments and cultural diversity of San Francisco’s Pacific Islander and Asian American communities. USAAF showcases artists representing a diverse range of ethnic and cultural groups and aims to heighten the visibility of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) artists working in all disciplines - theater, music, dance, film, literature, visual arts, and more! Our goal is to nurture and empower these groups to be self-sufficient while providing the support they need to grow. 

This year’s theme, Be(long)ing Here, asks us what being and belonging means for ourselves and our communities. The festival will honor AAPI arts and culture reflecting on where we have been, where we are now, and what our collective future holds while acknowledging our roots as immigrants, refugees, and mixed-race descendants.

 Thank you to our many partners and funders including the San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, California Arts Council, Zellerbach Family Foundation and startsmall. 

 

2024 FESTIVAL EVENTS

Click the links below to purchase tickets or RSVP to upcoming festival events! 

WEEK 1

  • 4/25/2024 USAAF 2024 Festival Kick Off Event and Where Is Your Body Exhibition Opening 
    Join APICC, the Featured Arts Exhibition Festival Curator Delaney Chieyen Holton and exhibiting artists for a special gathering to celebrate the beginning of the 27th Annual United States of Asian America: Be(long)ing Here from 6:00–9:00 pm at SOMArts Cultural Center (934 Brannan St, San Francisco). 
  • 4/25/2024 - 5/24/2024 Where is Your Body Art Exhibition is Open to the Public (see below for more details!) 

 

WEEK 2

 

WEEK 3

 

WEEK 4

 

WEEK 5

 

WEEK 6

 

WEEK 7

 

APICC X SUNDAY STREETS TENDERLOIN ARTIST SHOWCASE 

June 23, 2024 @ 1:00 - 5:00 PM 
Golden Gate Ave (between Jones & Hyde Streets, San Francisco)
RSVP Here

Performing Artists Include: 

  • duy-ên-yeon by Johnny Huy Nguyễn & Tim Kim 
  • Curve Wrecker by Sun Park
  • bound by dNaga Dance Co.
  • The Panchakanyas Project by Swetha Prabakaran Productions // Nirmathi
  • Between Arrivals and Departures Poetry Reading by Preeti Vangani, Shikha Malaviya, and Maw Shein Win

 

2024 FEATURED ARTISTS


Megan Lowe Dances


Megan Lowe Dances' production Just a Shadow brings together 7 powerful artists to make 6 distinct duets, in a process that nourishes the soul, supports healing, acknowledges resilience, celebrates life, and honors the memories of loved ones. It welcomes diverse perspectives, cultures, and backgrounds, recognizing that the narratives surrounding death and processing grief are multifaceted and deeply personal. Through dance performance, MLD aims to provide a platform for catharsis, empathy, and collective understanding, fostering connections that transcend individual stories and unite us in a shared journey toward solace and healing. Learn more at https://www.meganlowedances.com

Show Dates and Times:
Fri, May 31 @ 7:30-9PM
Sat, June 1 @ 7:30-9PM
Sun, June 2 @ 7:30-9PM
Fri, June 7 @ 7:30-9PM
Sat, June 8 @ 7:30-9PM
Sun, June 9 @ 7:30-9PM
Venue: The Joe Goode Annex

PURCHASE TICKETS NOW

 

Ramon Abad

 
Ramon Abad's Duck Soup is an immersive theater experience for children and families at Bindlestiff Studio. The one-hour show will engage the audience by guiding them to various sections of the theater, where they will witness short stories brought to life through captivating puppet performances. "Duck Soup" is Depression-era slang for something that's "easy to do" or a "piece of cake." No actual ducks will be cooked. Tickled perhaps, but not cooked! Learn more at www.ramon-puppetry.com

Show Dates and Times:
Sat, June 8 @ 11AM-12PM
Sat, June 8 @ 3-4PM
Sun, June 9 @ 11AM-12PM
Sun, June 9 @ 3-4PM
Sat, June 15 @ 11AM-12PM
Sat, June 15 @3-4PM
Venue: Bindlestiff Studios (185 6th St, San Francisco, CA 94103)

PURCHASE TICKETS NOW

 

FEATURED VISUAL ART EXHIBITION 

 

Exhibition Curated by Delaney Chieyen Holton




Where is Your Body highlights the body and its needs as the lowest common denominator for solidarity. Thinking of the body – in its capacities and vulnerabilities – as a site of both violence and resistance, the exhibition gathers women/trans/queer artists of API diasporic experience engaged in practices of the body to explore questions of labor, memory, and desire. Rather than gesturing towards an identarian collectivity, the racial and gendered angle of the exhibition recognizes how systems of disenfranchisement are interlocked, co-constituting, and mutually sustaining.

Exhibiting Artists:
Nibha Akireddy
Erina Alejo
Sholeh Asgary
Bhasha Chakrabarti
Edi Dai
Theo/Tina Kashiwagi
Private Practices Collection (via Kayla Tange and Hailey Loman)
Thuong Hoai Tran
Kim Ye
Rachel Youn
Learning Palestine

Venue: SOMArts Cultural Center

Event Dates and Times:

Thurs, April 25 @ 6-9PM Exhibition Opening Reception and USAAF 2024 Festival Kick-Off
RSVP FOR THE OPENING RECEPTION AND USAAF FESTIVAL KICK OFF

April 25 - May 24 Exhibition Open to the Public

Sat, May 4, 1:30–3:30 pm
Artist Workshop with Chia Amisola
Chia Amisola will give a hybrid performance and participatory workshop on digital ritualmaking, gathering, and identity. Chris Giang will offer tea service using handmade ceramic teaware during the event.

Sat, May 18, 1:30–3:30 pm
Tattoo Ritual with Kelsey Chen
Kelsey Chen will be performing a tattoo ritual for viewing and visitors will be offered temporary tattoos. Chris Giang will offer tea service using handmade ceramic teaware during the event.

Fri, May 24 @ 6-9PM: Closing Reception
RSVP FOR THE CLOSING RECEPTION

 

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER

APICC is seeking for volunteers for USAAF's Opening/Closing Reception and Outdoor Showcase in April, May & June. Please fill out our Volunteer Sign-Up Form to support AAPI artists!

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS AND SPONSORS

San Francisco Arts Commission, California Arts Council, SF Grants for the Arts, SF Office of Economic & Workforce Development, Zellerbach Family Foundation, APA Heritage Foundation, The Ruby SF,  and SOMArts Cultural Center.

 

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API Cultural Center, 934 Brannan Street, San Francisco, CA

415.829.9467 | www.apiculturalcenter.org | [email protected]

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