Overview
Since 2016, Theatre Communication Group’s Rising Leaders of Color (RLC) program has nurtured, supported, and uplifted 44 Black, Indigenous, Asian American-Pacific Islander, Latinx, Middle Eastern-North African, and Mixed-race early-career leaders from across the country.
RLC develops and highlights highly talented early-career Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) leaders across the U.S. who are committed to initiating and upholding equitable practices in the theatre field. The program acknowledges that leadership takes place throughout the theatre field and its related sectors. With that in mind, the program supports leaders working in all areas of the theatre field, including but not limited to acting, administration, casting, craft areas, design, directing, dramaturgy, literary management, producing, stage management, technical production, and theatre criticism/journalism.
Funded in part by the Howard Gilman Foundation, an organization that supports performing arts organizations in all five New York City boroughs, RLC 2021 will form a cohort of eight highly talented early-career BIPOC leaders based in New York City who are advancing their careers in the U.S. not-for-profit theatre and related sectors, are committed to advancing an equitable theatre field, and demonstrate strong potential to become change agents impacting the field in a significant way.
The program combines practical skills building, professional connections and opportunities to develop empowering relationships, as well as tools and resources to navigate a career in the theatre field as a BIPOC leader.