Artists interested in applying for the 12 official evening showcase slots available during the 2010 Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM) Gathering have until July 15 to do so either via mail or Sonicbids. An affiliate of Folk Alliance International, FARM will hold its annual conference over Columbus Day Weekend, October 7-10, at the Holiday Inn of Bolingbrook, Illinois, located less than an hour from Chicago. Early registration discounts are available for those whose forms are postmarked by September 21.

The official showcases, for which selected artists pay a $20 showcase fee due upon notification, take place on Friday and Saturday evenings; no other activities are scheduled at the same times. All official showcase artists must be Folk Alliance International members, register for the full conference, and cannot have been official showcase artists at the FARM Gathering during the previous two years.

Like other regional conferences, the annual FARM Gathering provides useful and enjoyable learning and networking opportunities, not to mention plenty of fine listening and performing opportunities for artists, presenters, agents and managers, folk DJs, folk societies and clubs, and others engaged in the traditional and contemporary folk music field.

In addition to the coveted official showcase slots, artists have several other opportunities to perform and gain exposure to presenters and radio DJs in attendance. These include Performance Lane (48 pre-scheduled, unplugged 10-minute showcases to be held simultaneously in two smaller conference rooms), Midwest Radio Presents, and late-night jamming and song circles. Daytime workshops and panel discussions also are on the conference agenda.

FARM is part of the larger Folk Alliance International, an association that aims to foster and promote multicultural, traditional and contemporary folk music, while strengthening and advancing organizational and individual initiatives in folk music and dance through education, networking, advocacy, and professional and field development.

For more information, showcase applications, and conference registration forms, visit www.farmfolk.org.