Opportunities for Local Artists and Performers

Interested in Performing for Portland Parks & Recreation?
After submitting information to the Cultural Events-Artist and Performer List, artists will become a part of the bureau’s Arts and Culture list. The list is utilized to book artists and performers for Summer Free For All and Gateway Discovery Park programs and events. Additionally, artists and performers may be considered for park grand openings, annual celebrations, and cultural special events. Please note – artists and performers from other parts of the state and country are also considered for opportunities.

• Please complete this form only if you have NOT filled out a previous Summer Free For All artist and performer application or if you have a new group, project, or performance that you would like to be included in the list.
• Artists and performers who have already filled out the form in the past have been entered into our database list. If you’d like to update your information, please contact sffa@portlandoregon.gov.
• If you have questions or need assistance completing this form, please contact Summer Free For All staff at sffa@portlandoregon.gov.

Cultural Events-Artist and Performer List

Performance Guidelines

We are committed to providing Portlanders with access to arts and culture, building community, activating public spaces, and celebrating Portland.

Performances should be high-quality, reflect the diversity of our communities, and must be appropriate for spectators of all ages. We are specifically looking for:

• Multi-cultural performances that appeal to diverse park visitors
• Family-friendly content (including lyrics), though not necessarily kid-focused
• Professionalism
• Flexibility to follow and adapt to changing health and safety guidelines as required
• Performers available during the daytime and/or early evenings

Submission Process and Timeline

1. Read about event and performance opportunities below.
2. Complete the Cultural Events-Artist and Performer List – let us know which performance opportunities you’d like to be considered for.
3. Consideration of artists for the 2023 Summer Free For All season will begin on February 17, 2023. We encourage new submissions and/or updates to existing submissions to be completed by this date.
4. Artists and performers may email sffa@portlandoregon.gov with questions about the process.
5. Our goal is to book all performances by April 1.
6. We strive to be equitable and book as many talented performers as possible. However, we receive more submissions each year than available performance opportunities. Selection to perform one year does not guarantee placement the following year.
7. Artists and performers who are not selected to perform will not be notified.

Event and Performance Opportunities

Summer Free For All – Citywide Events

Each summer, Summer Free For All offers free concerts that feature diverse music from around the world, outdoor movie nights, and cultural events that include theater, comedy, dance, spoken word, and performance art. All Summer Free For All events are community-focused and produced in collaboration with local community and program partners. Selected performers will perform in all types of outdoor program settings: parks, plazas, amphitheaters, and green spaces.

Concerts and Live Performances - $1,500 per event in 2023
Summer Free For All concerts and live performances take place Thursday through Saturday in July and August. Audiences range from 500 to 2000 people. Performers are required to provide their own instruments and instrument amps. These events are 2-hour performances with support from a third-party sound contractor.

Neighborhood Performances - $500 per event in 2023
Summer Free For All neighborhood performances take place Thursday through Saturday in July and August. Audiences range from 250 to 750 people. Performers are required to provide their own instruments and instrument amps. These events are 2-hour performances with support from Summer Free For All’s sound crew.

Gateway Discovery Park – Programs and Events at NE 106th and NE Halsey Street

Gateway Discovery Park is an intimate, outdoor space that offers performances in the plaza to the Gateway community.  The park has dedicated onsite staff and runs programs, events, and rentals to positively activate the space and build community in East Portland. Programming at the park focuses on multicultural performances and events with an emphasis on East Portland artists, performers, and entertainers. Attendance may vary from 10-75+ and is not guaranteed, and we recommend groups promote their performances at Gateway Discovery Park on their social media platforms.

Arts and Culture Paid Performances - $500 in 2023
These are small to medium performances such as theatre, dance, music, and more at Gateway Discovery Park. These performances and events are meant to engage the community and to bring life to the park. All performances must be family-friendly, non-sexually explicit, and appropriate for all ages.  

Solo DJ Performances - $150 per hour in 2023
Background music and vibes in Gateway Discovery Park! All music must be family-friendly, non-sexually explicit, and appropriate for all ages, aged infant through 99+. DJs must be actively engaged in mixing their music, making announcements, and interacting with people in the park throughout their sets.

Individual Performing Artists - $200 per hour in 2023
This Includes circus arts, comedy, dance and movement, magic, mime and illusion, buskers, puppetry, spoken word, poetry, and performing artists to liven up Gateway Discovery Park. Performers must be actively engaging with park users and be willing to make announcements during their sets.

Gateway Discovery Park Arts and Culture Program for School Groups, Touring Performance Groups, and Organizations – Unpaid Performances
Opportunities for unpaid performances through the Arts and Culture program are available at Gateway Discovery Park in the plaza. We encourage arts and culture organizations, schools, non-profits, up-and-coming performers, etc. that are interested in community outreach and visibility to apply. Performances include theatre, choir, orchestras, “flash” events, aerial acrobatics, marching bands, opera, poetry, spoken word, open-air painting, interactive fiber arts, camp performances, and more!

For more information about performing at Gateway Discovery Park, please read our Gateway Discovery Park-FAQ Sheet.

Teaching Opportunities

For information on current openings for arts instructors at Multnomah Arts Center and Community Music Center, please visit the City of Portland's Job Opportunities page at governmentjobs.com/careers/portlandor.