Sask. artists warn about upcoming 'pay-to-play' showcase

Isabella Wishlow felt flattered when an arts organization said they liked her work and told her she'd be a good fit for an upcoming showcase in Regina.

"Why me? I'm not experienced but you want me in this showcase," she said.

At the same time, something felt "fishy," Wishlow said.

It started when Wishlow, a 22-year-old emerging visual artist, was contacted on Instagram by a representative from RAW natural born artists, an international arts organization that hosts showcases in more than 70 cities around the globe. This is the first time it will be in Regina.

Wishlow said the reviews online were polarized. Some suggested it was a great opportunity while others had stronger criticisms.

She started researching more and speaking with other artists, but she also started to sign up.

"I just thought, 'Let's do it. Let's just try it out to see what it is just get under my belt, something to put on my artist's CV.' "

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She said she put her application on hold because of technical difficulties. Then criticisms of the event began to explode online.

"I just started hearing more negative things about it."

Artists who want to participate in the RAW showcase are required to sell 20 tickets at $20 per ticket. If they don't meet the quota, they have to cover the cost themselves.

"Four-hundred dollars that's bonkers," Wishlow said.

She said there are other opportunities in Regina where $400 isn't on the line. She wants artists to know there are more affordable ways to get involved in the arts scene.

"Make an informed decision before you dive into something."

Ten artists are registered for the Regina showcase on June 15 at the Owl. Organizers aim to have 40 artist participants.

Organizers say event is an opportunity

Michelle Bylow, Canadian Executive Director of RAW natural born artists, said most of the public criticism and pushback revolves around the ticket sale model.

"I do think that it's a misconception of people not understanding exactly what we do for the artists," Bylow said.

"It allows the artists to showcase free of charge."

She said it's meant to help people who haven't done their first gig, and added that artists who sell more than 20 tickets get to keep half of the proceeds from those additional sales.

"This gives them the opportunity to be highlighted, meet other artists in the community and make a tighter knit community within Regina."

Furthermore, she said artists who participate can also participate in another showcase in a different city free of charge.

Musician says showcaseis'pay-to-play' format

Val Halla, a Regina-born musician living in Nashville, says the showcase is alarming from a musician's perspective because you are "basically paying to play."

"That's just devaluing what we do,"

RAW denies the showcase is a pay-to-play event and said its an opportunity for artists to showcase for free.

Val Halla is skeptical. She said she understands why some emerging artists are attracted to the event.

"You're like, oh finally someone who believes in me," she said. "You start to just sort of believe this could be a break."

She said organizers see an opportunity to target people with "hopes and dreams" and approach people "in a misleading way."

"They're saying we're a fan of what you're doing, and we've selected you to offer this opportunity."

She said it'd be different if they were simply saying they were hosting an event and it'd cost $400.

Val Halla said it's ultimately up to artists, but she's encouraging people to consider other options.

Furthermore, she said people should consider why an event like this might spark interest locally.

"Is that because we maybe have a little bit of a void that we're not doing that ourselves?" she asked.

She said it's possible to host successful, grassroots events in the province, pointing to a three-day festival called Friends with Benefits in 2015.

For that festival, the bands could sell tickets and keep half of the proceeds, while the other half was donated to charity.

"It brought everybody together," she said. "[RAW is] pretending that they're doing that, but they're not really doing that."