12 Minutes Max

This beloved short-form performance lab for new and experimental works was originated by On the Boards in 1981 and handed off to Base in 2017. Led by a different pair of community curators each round, 12 Minutes Max auditions are open to artists at all career stages working in dance, music, theater and more. For decades, 12 Minutes Max has been a launchpad for new artists and a testing ground for longer works—so much so that it’s inspired similar programs across North America, including Vancouver, B.C., Chicago and Houston.

12 Minutes Max
Nov. 9 + 10, 2025

12 Minutes Max is a low-tech showcase. Selected works can be up to 12 minutes long; each artist/group will receive a $150 fee. Check out our 12 Minutes Max Guidelines for details.

Meet Edition One Curators

marco farroni leonardo (b. 1995) is a Dominican interdisciplinary artist based in Seattle, Washington, whose practice spans dance, performance, oral history, and mixed media. They hold a BFA in Dance from The University of the Arts (2017). Grounded in embodied research and community-based stories, marco's work explores themes of home, the body as an archive, the Black diaspora, and memory. Their work has been presented at numerous cultural and performance venues across Seattle, including Seattle Center, Velocity Dance Center, Wa Na Wari, Base Arts Space, 10 Degrees Arts, Spectrum Dance Theater, The AIDS Memorial Pathway, River, and 12th Ave Arts. marco is a co-founder of Black Collectivity, a member of Wa Na Wari's Seattle Black Spatial History Institute, and currently a MFA in Dance Candidate at The University of Washington. 
Photo Credit: Victoria Kovios 

Adriana Hillas is a versatile performer, writer, and teaching artist. Growing up abroad most of her life as a third culture kid, theater is always how she found community. She graduated with an MFA in Collaborative Theatre-Making in 2018 from Rose Bruford College in London. With a love for performance that knows no bounds, Adriana has shared her experience in performance and writing, collaborating as an educator with public schools, community centers, nonprofits and shelters in Washington DC, London, New York City, and now Seattle. Committed to facilitating inclusive spaces, she strives to help people of all backgrounds recognize the artist within themselves.