YES Academy ASEAN is an international music exchange that brings together the aspiring Broadway actors/ singers/dancers, rappers, poets, emcees, b-boys/b-girls and hip hope dancers, music producers and singer/songwriters from ASEAN nations to study and work with their New York-based Artists/Teachers in Broadway, Hip Hop Dance and Rap/Spoken Word, Singer/Songwriting, and Entrepreneurship and Leadership skills and participate in a residency and a tour that focuses on musical study, collaboration and performance engagement. The YES Academy program will be conducted by the award-winning non-profit cultural diplomacy organization, American Voices, with the support of the U.S. Embassy to Indonesia and participating Embassies across ASEAN.

YES Academy ASEAN 2016 Program Goals and Outcomes:

In 2016, in line with the goals of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), American Voices is developing a region-wide program that underscores regional integration, encourages network building among ASEAN youth, leadership development and capacity building in the performing arts as well as the transfer of skills and knowledge from the U.S. to ASEAN nations.

Expected outcomes include increased knowledge of American culture and production values through the specific genres of musical theater, Rap/Spoken Word, Singer/Songwriting and Hip Hop dance, the development of deeper and wider professional networks among participants and nations, increased skills and knowledge of participants leading to greater competitiveness and wider employment opportunities at teachers and performers.

Post-program engagement activities will include maintaining the network through social media and on-line radio broadcasts between faculty and alumni. Participants will also be welcome to participate in other YES programs worldwide.

In 2016, we are adding the youth leadership development program, YES Youth Leadership in the Arts (YYLA) where ASEAN participants demonstrating outstanding talent, organizational and leadership skills are given the opportunity to organize a similar smaller-scale program for underserved youth in their home city or national capital. Under the supervision of American Voices and an assigned faculty member, selected participants will design, promote, recruit and implement a small scale YES Academy program over a 3 to 4 day period.

Timeline

Application Opens: Now
Application Closes: June 17,2016
Acceptance Notified: July 04, 2016
Program Dates: August 1-12, 2016
Program Venue: Jakarta Institute of the Arts, Jakarta, Indonesia

Program Website

Those interested in applying or finding out more information about the YES Academy ASEAN 2016 eligibility criteria can visit: http://www.americanartsfestival.org/yes-academy-asean-2016.html.

Eligibility Criteria

Country: Applicants must be a citizen and resident of Cambodia

Participant Profile: 18 years or older, high school graduate, university student, or young professional with ability to thrive in and take direction in an English language environment with limited translation available. (Rap/Spoken Word and Songwriting artistic content and projects may be done in local language). Demonstrated talent and motivation, previous leadership roles in local arts community is a plus.

Auditions: All prospective participants are required to audition. You will audition by video uploaded to YouTube or Dropbox or Google drive. Please include the exact URL of your audition video in the indicated section on your online registration form. Once accepted, be prepared to audition again on the first day of the class for placement into class, ensemble and/or solo group appropriate for your level.

Final selection will be made based on quality of audition video, demonstrated passion for the performing arts, previous experience in art form, leadership experience and/or potential.

Musical Genres:

Artists from any of the following 5 genres are encouraged to apply.

1. Singer/Songwriters: The Craft and the Business
2. Cultural Entrepreneur Leadership Development
3. Broadway Musical Theater
4. Rap/Spoken Word/Beat Boxing: Performance and Music Production
5. Hip Hop/Break Dance

Photos/Video from YES ASEAN 2015

Contact Information:
Soreimeas Norn
Cultural Affairs Assistant
U.S. Embassy, Phnom Penh
E-mail: NornS@state.gov
Tel: 023 728 048