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FordLab Producers Program

Present / Produce / Perform at The Ford

For the last 30 years, The Ford has invited the Los Angeles creative community to be part of its season through producing partnerships. The LA Phil has expanded the program as FordLab, the next evolution in our commitment to independent artists, presenters, producers, and producing collectives to present in partnership with The Ford.

Subscribe for FordLab Updates

Letter of Intent submissions for the FordLab 2025 Cohort are closed.
Subscribe to receive updates for next year's Cohort.

Mandatory Application Workshop for 2025 Applicants

WED SEP 4 at 6PM via Zoom

If you're an applicant that's been invited to submit a full application, please join us for the mandatory informational workshop. Invites have been sent directly. 
Questions? Email fordlab@laphil.org

FordLab Program Highlights

  • The opportunity for your program to be presented in a historic, 1,090-seat performing arts facility

  • Access to all in-house lighting and sound equipment

  • Producing in partnership with the LA Phil

  • Production mentorship

  • General marketing support to reach important sales milestones

  • Customer service and box office support

  • Financial stipend toward production costs depending on need and partnership type

  • Subsidized operations/house staff by the LA Phil

  • A supportive community of peers and mentors from diverse backgrounds

  • Inclusion in a broad marketing campaign targeting Los Angeles County residents and visitors

About The Ford

The Ford, a 1,090-seat outdoor amphitheater in Hollywood’s Cahuenga Pass, is by the LA Phil in partnership with the County of Los Angeles.

Recognizing that active participation by all communities in Los Angeles County’s cultural life is integral to building a society where all people have a voice, the FordLab program embraces the guiding principles that:

  • The creative and cultural expression of all people of the region is of equal value;

  • Programming that illuminates the complex diversity of the region sparks curiosity and dialogue and opens pathways to greater understanding of Los Angeles’ many communities;

  • Access to top-of-the-line amenities is crucial for under-resourced and growth-ready artists and producers to realize their work and raise their visibility;

  • Skill building and peer-to-peer learning opportunities for artists and producers strengthen the region’s artistic infrastructure; and

  • Welcoming environments encourage participation, innovation, and collaboration.

Artist Partnership Programming at The Ford


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Join our mailing list for yearly application information

The FordLab Opportunity

Each summer, nearly 40,000 Angelenos attend The Ford’s eclectic summer season of music, dance, film, and spoken word events. The season celebrates the region by reflecting onstage the cultural and artistic diversity of the people of Los Angeles County. FordLab is an incubator and accelerator 6-month intensive program for a range of productions with a competitive application process. Reflective of Los Angeles County’s Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative’s values in the areas of music, dance, film, and spoken word, the selection process seeks to increase inclusivity and access, and enable producers to effectively stage work in a major venue.

In this program, you can expect a 6-month intensive program that offers participants a professional-development curriculum to gain new skills in production, sales, and marketing and promotion and to show advancement within a performing arts organization for producers who are ready to take their productions to the next level, culminating in your participation in The Ford’s 2025 summer season.

Program FAQs

Who should apply?

Open to Los Angeles County residents. We are seeking emerging, under-represented, and under-resourced producers with unique curatorial voices and a focused mission centered on presenting or preserving their discipline/genre, who have at least 3-4 years of producing experience, and whose projects uplift the diverse cultural communities of Los Angeles. We also partner with more-seasoned producers who present unique ideas that challenge their creative and professional boundaries while reaching diverse audiences. Selected partners and projects need to demonstrate a strong artistic vision and are additive to The Ford season presented by the LA Phil.

Successful applicants will demonstrate:

  • a strong background in producing artistically excellent events;

  • the skills and team necessary to bring events to fruition from all producing aspects, including financing, budgeting, marketing, and event planning;

  • an existing supportive core audience; and

  • the ability and willingness to communicate with The Ford staff, provide and receive constructive feedback, and meet production deadlines.

Please note that programs cannot be fundraisers or award shows, require solicitations, or represent political issues. This includes galas, red carpets, meet-and-greets, tabling, banners, and/or any VIP experiences. This also includes any solicitation or fundraising for your event if selected for the program. Previously awarded grants and the solicitation of additional grant funding are permitted from local and national foundations or municipalities.

What are the benefits?

FordLab provides production assistance, resources, and peer-to-peer mentorship to strengthen the production journey of participants with various levels of experience.

Participation ranges from curatorial roles to shared risk/revenue models wherein participants may retain about 80% of ticket sales; receive a financial stipend to support various costs, including production, house, and security; and may receive bonus fees, depending on the program model that best suits the producer. There are no upfront fees to participate.

What do FordLab participants provide?

FordLab participants are responsible for bringing the proposed event to fruition at The Ford, in partnership with the LA Phil. Participants are responsible for booking artists, implementing targeted marketing efforts to reach and expand audiences within their communities, and working with the LA Phil’s production team to execute their event. Marketing is a shared responsibility, as LA Phil Marketing supports and supplements efforts. In addition, theater projects require union fee considerations. 

Is The FordLab program right for me?

The FordLab Program may be right for you if you meet the criteria and have one or more of the following goals:

  • At least 3-4 years of producing experience

  • To expand attendance at your event beyond your established core audience

  • To leverage a high-profile production to get additional press, publicity, and visibility for your organization and/or the artists or art form that you present

  • To present an art form or artist that you haven’t before

  • To improve the production values of your work

  • To expand your skills as a producer and apply them to your future work

  • To workshop a concept and receive feedback as preparation to tour

If you have any questions or are unsure of eligibility, please email fordlab@laphil.org.

Application information

FordLab has a two-tier application format to minimize the work for applicants at the first stage. Letters of Intent (LOI) will be considered that reflect The Ford’s mission of providing access to exemplary arts and culture experiences representative of our multifaceted communities and that deepen human connections and broaden cultural understanding. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a complete application. To learn more, join us for our FordLab 101 informational sessions in July and August.

2024 FordLab Cohort

Congratulations to the 2024 FordLab Cohort!

 

season ticket photo
Thu / July 18, 2024 - 8:00PM

DILLA JAZZ featuring DJ Battlecat and Bilal, plus J. Rocc & Special Guests

Produced in Partnership with Just Jazz and Fusicology

Just Jazz presents live jazz music and creates performance opportunities for aspiring young jazz artists and musicians. Powered by Fusicology, its premise and footprint consist of curated music releases, news content, and user-generated event listings in North American cities curated by niche promoters, artists, agencies, talent managers, and venues. 

Learn More

Buy Tickets
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Sat / Aug 17, 2024 - 8:00PM

100 Años de Libertad

Produced in partnership with Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company

Founded by Jose Vences in 2003, Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company is a non-profit performing arts organization with over 30 dancers. The company was formed to advance the field of Mexican folk ballet, to enhance the public’s appreciation for the diversity and depth of Mexican culture, and to present high-quality dance productions.

Learn More

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Wed / Aug 28, 2024 - 8:00PM

Jazz Is Dead:
The Mizell Brothers

Produced in Partnership with ArtDontSleep

Founded in 2017 by music producers Adrian Younge, Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest), concert producer Andrew Lojero and industry veteran Adam Block, Jazz Is Dead is a global movement experienced through community and culture. We travel the world searching for rare records and the artists who created them. We dig through the crates for the music and stories that capture our imagination and unite us.

Learn More

Buy Tickets
season ticket photo
Tue / Sept 17, 2024 - 8:00PM

Jazz Está Morto:
Marcos Valle, Azymuth

Produced in Partnership with ArtDontSleep

Founded in 2017 by music producers Adrian Younge, Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest), concert producer Andrew Lojero and industry veteran Adam Block, Jazz Is Dead is a global movement experienced through community and culture. We travel the world searching for rare records and the artists who created them. We dig through the crates for the music and stories that capture our imagination and unite us.

Learn More

Buy Tickets
season ticket photo
Sat / Sept 28, 2024 - 8:00PM

Blue13: 100 Seconds to Midnight

Produced in partnership with Blue13 Dance Company

For over 20 years, Blue13 has connected audiences through the power of live and aesthetically and culturally daring dance, performing in the U.S. and abroad in its highly energetic and theatrical modern-dance style that is inspired in part by the classical and cultural art forms of the Indian subcontinent.

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season ticket photo
Fri / May 16, 2025 - 8:00PM

(Rescheduled) Jazz Is Dead: Ebo Taylor & Pat Thomas

Produced in Partnership with ArtDontSleep

Founded in 2017 by music producers Adrian Younge, Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest), concert producer Andrew Lojero and industry veteran Adam Block, Jazz Is Dead is a global movement experienced through community and culture. We travel the world searching for rare records and the artists who created them. We dig through the crates for the music and stories that capture our imagination and unite us.

Learn More

Buy Tickets
season ticket photo

The Black Sound Continuum 
In partnership with NÜ AFRICA World 

Curatorial Invitation – Workshop/Development project support 

NÜ AFRICA is not just a party. It’s a metaphysical destination designed to unite the children of the continent by tapping into an ancestral frequency embedded in our DNA. We curate DJs and highlight artists who are pushing the boundaries of Black sound. Through this platform, we also create intentional space for people who are interested in liberation of the mind, body, and spirit—people who are obsessed with world music, funky edits, deep cuts, and transitions that make your head spin.

LEARN MORE

Application Information

Questions? Email fordlab@laphil.org

Key Deadlines

June 1, 2024: Letter if Intent Form Opens
July 3, 2024, 6PM PT: FordLab 101 - Program Informational via Zoom
August 4, 2024, 11:59PM PT: Letter of Intent Form Due
August 26, 2024: Invitations to submit full applications are sent are sent
September 4, 2024, 6PM PT: FordLab Application Workshop via Zoom
October 11, 2024, 11:59PM PT: Full applications due

Letters of Intent (LOI)

The first tier of this process is the Letter of Intent Form (LOI). The Ford will consider Letters of Intent that reflect The Ford’s commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and bring people together for transformative arts experiences that inspire, empower, and ignite cultural exchange. As previously mentioned, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application. Only fully completed applications will be considered. Please return to this page for the most up-to-date guidelines and deadlines. Information subject to change.

Submitting Letters of Intent

This year, the Letter of Intent Form will be a questionnaire. Please return to this page on June 1 when the Letter of Intent Form will go live.

LOI Form Guidelines

Section 1: Applicant Information

  • Applicant and/or organization name and description 

Section 2: Project Description

You will be asked to share your artistic vision for the event and walk us through the show from start to finish. Please include the following:

  • What artistic discipline is represented in the proposed work? (For example, dance, music, opera, multidisciplinary work, spoken word, musical theater, folk and traditional arts)

  • What cultural or ethnic traditions are represented in the production? (If applicable)

  • Describe your event, including title and proposed performers.

  • Describe the core audience for your proposed event. Please be specific and avoid generalizations such as “Los Angeles residents” or “fans of our work.” Consider geographic, cultural, ethnic, generational, and artistic affiliations of your core audiences and the approximate size of these groups.

  • Describe your artistic vision for the event and what the audience is expected to experience.

  • Provide the total estimated budget for the project and describe the various sources you will target to fund the project.

Section 3: Why The Ford?

You will be asked the following:

  • Why is it important to your organization to produce at The Ford’s 1,190-seat venue at this time?

  • How does the proposed event align with the FordLab program’s guiding principles?

Guiding Principles can be found above. For additional context and information please see our EDI statement.

Section 4: Production History

You will be asked the following:

  • Share your overall production experience: How long have you or your organization been producing? Is the event you are proposing typical for you or your organization, or are you looking to expand and try a new challenge?

  • List at least two examples of an event you or your organization produced. It should be recent and as similar in size or scope to the proposed show as possible. Include venue name and audience capacity.

  • Describe how the project was financed and whether it broke even or realized a profit or loss.

Work Samples

Provide only web links (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, Flickr). Samples must be of a previous production of the proposed event or of events that are similar in scale and/or production quality. You may submit up to three video work samples, no longer than three minutes each. At least one sample should show the work of a fully staged production or concert. If you have rehearsal or workshop footage featuring an excerpt of the proposed program, please include it. Samples should feature the proposed artists/company/organization. Avoid including marketing/promo videos or edited montages, except for film or film festival trailers.

References

Provide two references that speak to your production experience. References should represent or be associated with venues, festivals, or other presenting entities. Underneath each reference, provide a short description of its relationship to your work. (Please obtain prior permission for your references.)

LOI Assessment

  • Proposed projects will be assessed by a selected review panel using the following criteria:

  • Artistic quality and proposal detail

  • Applicant’s background/experience producing performing arts events

  • An existing supportive core audience

  • Adaptability to The Ford’s stage, technical capabilities, and audience capacity

  • Alignment with the FordLab program’s guiding principles

  • Professional and creative goals

  • Fiscal feasibility

  • For returning producers:

    • Goals that challenge and push creative and professional boundaries

    • Participation and engagement in previous program enrollment

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