Here&Now presents a mixed program of choreographic works, from choreographers and movement/performance-based artists at any career level. We offer audiences the chance to experience the work of Canada’s most exciting up-and-coming choreographers in a vibrant and inviting environment.

Here&Now Mainstage features three to four short-length works with a culminating audience talkback after each performance. All choreographers are part of the talkback, and performers are encouraged to join, too. The format of the evening is subject to change based on the presenters' needs.

The next Here&Now Festival will take place April 16 – 18, 2027, at McMaster University's L.R. Wilson Hall. The Mainstage presentation will be on Friday, April 16, at 7pm, including a mandatory afternoon full dress rehearsal.

Location
Hamilton, Ontario

Fees or awards
Here&Now offers a professional presentation fee ranging from $3,000-$4,000 CAD, depending on length of work.

Womansong of Asheville has announced a new songwriting contest, “Songs of Joy, Justice, and Community” to commemorate 40 years of singing together in Asheville.

The winning original song will be performed by Womansong, Asheville’s premiere social justice-oriented, treble-voice, community chorus. “Our goal is to support songwriters in our region, as well as to increase the repertoire of choral music that speaks to our mission of ‘singing together for joy, social justice, and community,’” said Allison Thorp, Artistic Director.

The contest will award the winner a stipend of $1,000 and the opportunity to perform a choral arrangement of the song with Womansong at their May 2027 concerts.

Location
Asheville, NC

Fees or awards
No fee to enter; $1,000 prize

The Triangle Blues Society’s annual Triangle Blues Challenge is a regional competition to select acts that will represent TBS in the Blues Foundation’s 42nd International Blues Challenge (IBC) in Memphis, Tennessee January 19 – 23, 2027. More than 250 acts from around the world converge on Beale Street to perform before the music industry searching for new talent, with the chance to win recognition and prizes that include major festival performances and more. This year’s TBS Blues Challenge is taking place from 1-6 p.m. on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at The Blue Note Grill in Durham, NC.

Categories include solo, duo and bands playing any and all kinds of blues (and nothing BUT the blues, please!). At least half of any performing band (or one, if a band of three), and at least one from a solo or duo act, must be legal residents of North Carolina as of November 1, 2026. At least one member of the act must be a member of the Triangle Blues Society.

Location
Durham, NC

Fees or awards
$15 admission fee

Now in its third year, the Publisher Work Grant program offers funding to independent presses with a history of artists’ book publishing, acknowledging awardees’ accomplishments in past work and providing the capacity-building funds to enable future book projects and publisher sustainability. In 2026, three unrestricted grants of $10,000 USD will be awarded to three independent artists’ book publishers.

Applications will be reviewed by Printed Matter and a guest jury, taking into account past work and contributions of the imprint, the strength of upcoming projects outlined, and the potential impact of the award.

Fees or awards
No application fee

Take part in an exploration of Light and Shadow and how contrast shapes mood, reveals emotion, and transforms the way we experience art. Blue Koi Gallery invites artists worldwide to submit original 2D and 3D artwork that explores light, shadow, atmosphere, and visual tension. Selected works will be presented in a thoughtfully curated online exhibition, offering artists international exposure and professional recognition.

Fees or awards
Entry fee is $20; $150 cash award for first place as well as exhibition feature, social media promotion, and certificate offered to finalists

Artspace’s 12×12 Member Showcase is an annual celebration of the creativity of our incredible artist community while providing a unique opportunity for our patrons to add affordable works of original art to their collections during the holiday season. This is a non-juried exhibition open to Artspace Members, Studio Artists, and Staff. All works must be 12×12 inches in size, completed within the last three years, and priced at $100, $250, or $500.

Exhibition dates: Nov 6, 2026 – Jan 17, 2027

Location
Raleigh, NC

Fees or awards
No entry fee

The Southern Prize for Literature supports writers developing book-length manuscripts and represents one of the South’s largest recent investments in literary artists. One writer will receive a $25,000 unrestricted fellowship, and two runners-up will each receive $10,000 awards.

Fees or awards
$25 application fee

Literary Arts Project Grants offer up to $5,000 to literary organizations and small presses supporting contemporary poetry, fiction, creative and literary nonfiction, young readers’ literature, and drama.

Selected awardees will have the option to publish completed work in a summer 2027 edition of the Oxford American.

Fees or awards
South Arts will award up to $5,000 per project to eligible literary arts organizations and small presses.

Event details
Fri – Mon, Oct 16 – 19, 2026, from 4 - 8pm
Studio opens at 3pm for warm-up
*Attendees must attend all hours*

Location
ADF Scripps Dance Studios
721 Broad Street, 2nd Floor
Durham, NC 27705

Fees or awards
$125 registration fee

VAE invites artist groups to submit proposals for exhibitions to be held in the Birdland gallery space. We are seeking groups of 2–4 artists for a 6-week exhibition run, offering an opportunity to present cohesive, ambitious, or experimental work in a professional gallery setting. This opportunity is for creatives looking for the opportunity to build their skills in installation, curation, and exhibition management.

*Note* Because of the scarcity of gallery space in the area, we will not be doing solo shows in order to give more artists opportunities to exhibit.

Gallery Space: Birdland, 706 Mountford Ave., Raleigh, NC

Fees or awards
$250 stipend