The Count Basie Center for the Arts, New Jersey’s leading nonprofit performing arts center, is turning downtime into game time:

It’s ARTS MADNESS 2021.

Launched last year at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, ARTS MADNESS was an effort to give young artists a chance to showcase their skills, despite the area’s initial lock-downs and school closings. The effort proved so successful that the Basie Center and sponsor Bank of America have decided to make the program an annual online showcase of talent.

Beginning today, the Basie’s month-long ‘tournament’ will solicit one-minute videos from musicians, local bands, dancers, actors, comedians, musical theatre performers and all others aged 10-25. A committee of adjudicators will pick the best of the best to be entered into the tournament, with the first selections in the “round of 32” debuting on the Basie’s social media channels the week of March 8.

Submissions must be received by Sunday, March 7th at midnight EST.

From there, it’s up to the general public: voting rounds will be posted, and fans and artists alike will cheer on their favorites, moving all the way down to a Final Four and championship round in April.

Interested performing arts may submit a video (or link) to [email protected].

Additional information is available at www.thebasie.org/madness.