Special Effects Festival (SFX) was founded in 2014 by Caden Manson and Jemma Nelson, artistic directors of Big Art Group and editors at Contemporary Performance Network. Our mission has been to present artists during the Annual Association of Performing Arts Presenters Conference in January in NYC each year. We focus on presenting LBGTQIA+, POC, women, and non-binary artists, giving a platform for exciting, inclusive, genre-breaking work and voices.
Past Artists Include:
- 2024 – Time and Material curated by Kyla Gordon with Molly Ross, Maxi Hawkeye Canion, Cherrie Yu, and Chloë Engel; Grey Spaces currated by Lisa Clair with Maria Camia, Joey Weiss, and Blaze Ferrer
- 2021-2023 – Pandemic Hiatus
- 2020 – Kristin Worrall, Sauda Aziza Jackson, Braulio Cruz, Rachel Karp, Joseph Amodei, Joey Weiss, Kate Benson
- 2018 – Becca Blackwell, Wesleigh Gates , Maiko Kikuchi, Jeremy O. Harris, Alex Borinsky, Zoë Geltman, Cara Francis, Lisa Clair, and Rachel Kauder Nalebuff
- 2017 – Lisa Clair Group, Sara Lyons, Heather Litteer, Jordan Martin, Jaime Allyce Wright, Joe Castle Baker, Jill Pangallo
- 2016 – David Commander/ Rob Ramirez, Eric F. Avery, Lisa Parra, Daniel Pinheiro, Panoply Performance Laboratory, Zavé Martohardjono, Cara Francis, Renegade Performance Group, Angela Washko, Eleanor Bishop
- 2015 – Adrienne Truscott, Colin Self, Institute for New Feeling , Heather Litteer, Chi Chi Valenti, Marti Beaut, Vangeline
- 2014 – Jill Pangallo, M. Lamar, Fitzgerald & Stapleton Dance Theatre, Nick Lehane, David Commander, Molly Haslund, Royal Osiris Karaoke Ensemble, Amber Martin, Nath Ann Carrera, Jeffrey Owen Ralston