Present / Produce / Perform at The Ford
For three decades, The Ford has partnered with LA’s creative community, evolving into the six-month intensive FordLab Producers Program. The program supports independent artists, presenters, and collectives with production mentorship, marketing support, and financial stipends to bring their work to The Ford’s historic 1,090-seat amphitheater.
Due: August 1, 2025 at 11:59pm PT
Questions? Email fordlab@laphil.org
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
Join our mailing list for yearly application information
“As a FordLab producer I am grateful for every opportunity the FordLab has given me. When I began in 2018, I had no knowledge of the production/theater world. Thanks to the FordLab program I’ve been given all the resources to empower myself. Now I see myself as a mentor for other producers.”
– Roberto Carlos, Creative Director, Boleros De Noche
“Even though I've been on producing teams for many years, as a first-time, fully independent producer I'm learning a new landscape in terms of details and process that producers like me aren't usually exposed to. I'm grateful to The Ford for understanding this and seeing the importance of my growth and more importantly, the importance of seeing more of my community on stage and in the seats.”
– Kat Carrido Bonds, Producing Director, AKB Media
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 summer season.
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
Welcoming environments encourage participation, innovation, and collaboration
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Three hysterically funny guys turn The Ford into a comedy club.
A multimedia love letter to the City of Angels
Celebrate Mexican Independence Day with a night of lysergic music and visual art performed and illustrated live.
The acclaimed duo reprise their 2021 collaboration.
A stellar cast of LA’s mariachi musicians honor legends of Mexican music.
The “King of Latin Soul” Joe Bataan and the Mexican folk-rock and Afro-Cuban jazz stars Quetzal sparkle on the Ford’s stage.
Questions? Email fordlab@laphil.org
May 13, 2025: Letter of Intent Form Opens
July 16, 2025, 6pm PT: FordLab 101 - Program Informational via Zoom
August 1, 2025, 11:59pm PT: Letter of Intent form due
September 1, 2025: Invitations to submit full applications are sent are sent
September 17, 2025, 6pm PT: FordLab Application Workshop via Zoom
October 31, 2025, 11:59pm PT: Full applications due
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
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
Due: August 1, 2025 at 11:59pm PT
Questions? Email fordlab@laphil.org