National Institute for Directing
& Ensemble Creation
WHAT LEADERS IN THE FIELD SAY ABOUT THE INSTITUTE:
“It further informed and deepened my directorial practice and commitment more than any other program could possibly do.” – Kamilah Forbes, The Apollo Theater
“An extraordinary resource for directors to develop their craft and find solidarity with a community of peers and mentors.” - Dan Kwong, Great Leap
“The Institute has the potential to coalesce this spirit and commitment into a powerful tool to educate ourselves, the next generation of unique theater makers and directors, and an infinite number of other fields and disciplines.” – Theresa Chavez, About Productions
Video
Background
Art2Action and Pangea World Theater, with 8 nationally prominent performing arts networks – Alternate ROOTS, Consortium of Asian American Theaters & Artists (CAATA), First Peoples Fund, National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC), National Performance Network (NPN), Network of Ensemble Theaters (NET), New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), and Theatre Communications Group (TCG) – have worked together to develop the vision and model for a National Institute for Directing & Ensemble Creation, dedicated to professional peer exchange and training the next generation of theatre artists of color and women directors.
This project arose as a response to the dearth of professional development and exchange opportunities for directors in the U.S., particularly directors of color and women, as well as the need for in-depth ensemble training in various forms of future aesthetics. The 2010-12 pilot phase included field-wide dialogues, collaborative planning, documentation, and professional exchange among leading directors and ensemble artists in the field. Key activities included roundtables at partner convenings nationally (2010-11), a pre-conference hosted by the University of South Florida Department of Theatre in association with the National Performance Network Annual Meeting in Tampa (2011), and a one-week residential Pilot Intensive at Pangea World Theater in Minneapolis (2012), to develop the structure, content and curriculum, prior to the projected public launch of the Institute. This two-year pilot process ignited and deepened field-wide dialogues on the needs of women directors and artists of color. It has, in turn, informed and shaped the proposed Institute, to create a secure foundation for the successful launch of a replicable program.
Articles & Links
Global Voices Panel LIVESTREAM on HOWLROUND (July 18, 2018)
Twin Cities Equity Panel LIVESTREAM on HOWLROUND (July 20, 2018)
Photos
The National Institute for Directing & Ensemble Creation is organized by Art2Action Inc. and Pangea World Theater, developed in partnership with Alternate ROOTS, CAATA, First Peoples Fund, NALAC, NPN, NEFA, NET and TCG. The 2017-18 Institute series is made possible by the generous support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Surdna Foundation, and the First People’s Fund; with previous support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Nathan Cummings Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
