Empire Training Center For The Arts Will Launch a New Not-For-Profit Workforce Development Initiative

EMPIRE TRAINING CENTER FOR THE ARTS (ETCA), a new not-for-profit workforce development initiative, is set to transform the vocational training landscape of technical and administrative jobs in the performing arts. This innovative program will be housed at the historic Chance Theater in the City of Poughkeepsie and is designed specifically for adults seeking careers in the performing arts. 

ETCA, co-founded by arts leaders and City of Poughkeepsie residents Trish Santini and Frank Butler, was developed in response to the urgent need for training opportunities for communities that are historically underrepresented in the performing arts. The program will prepare a new generation of arts professionals for meaningful careers, contributing to a more equitable and inclusive arts and culture sector. Additionally, it provides an accessible, high-quality education for adults seeking an alternative to traditional college degrees. The 10-month, 3-day-a-week workforce program offers a comprehensive approach and curriculum: skills-based and experiential training, values-driven learning, industry relationship building, mental health habits, cultural experiences, and employment placement. 

This initiative is driven by a partnership with Walkway Group (formerly Chai Developers), a Poughkeepsie-based real estate development firm that acquired The Chance Theater in 2023. Their collaboration marks a significant investment in the future of Poughkeepsie’s downtown and highlights a mutual commitment to the continued revitalization of the City’s arts and culture scene. 

Yvonne D. Flowers, City of Poughkeepsie Mayor and a dedicated supporter of the initiative stated, “It goes without saying that Empire Training Center for the Arts will be a vital addition to the vibrance of our creative community and help to strengthen our collaborative approach to the arts in a manner that benefits the City as a whole. In addition to fortifying our commitment to the arts, Empire Training Center will also serve as a critical catalyst for unique workforce development initiatives already underway. The Center has already illustrated its unflappable commitment to provide exceptional hands-on workforce training for our neighbors, which will undoubtedly provide tremendous opportunities for our young adults and mitigate growing unemployment trends throughout the region.”

Michael McElroy, Tony Award® winning founder of Broadway Inspirational Voices and founding member of Black Theatre United, shared, “As someone who has spent my life in the theater, it has been encouraging to see the changes occurring in our industry over the last few years. That being said, we still have a long way to go to ensure we’re creating artistic spaces--on and off stage--that are beautifully and consistently diverse and equitable. While this vital work is being done, we must also build pipelines for the next generation of arts professionals. This is why I signed on as an Advisory Board member for Empire Training Center for the Arts. This innovative organization is building programs based on individual and industry need, with a holistic approach to curriculum and a commitment to fostering inclusive perspectives and talents. Their alumni will begin their careers with marketable skills, a passion for the work, and an understanding of the business, providing increased opportunity for their long-term success and greater representation throughout the arts sector.”

As a key collaborator in this initiative, Jay Blumenfeld, COO of Walkway Group, said, “As a firm deeply invested in Poughkeepsie, we strongly believe that creating careers through vocational training and strengthening the arts locally are two of the most essential ingredients in the growth and vibrancy of a community. Empire Training Center for the Arts personifies these goals and more in its workforce development mission. We believe that there is no better team to spearhead this initiative than Trish Santini and Frank Butler. The vast wealth of knowledge and experience in this industry is unmatched and their dedication to the community is remarkable. As proud supporters of this endeavor, we look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on the community for years to come.”

“We’ve had many conversations over the last few years about the value of vocational training and the opportunity to apply those principles to a variety of jobs in the performing arts. We have had the privilege of building our decades-long careers in various cities and organizations, and we want to leverage our expertise, relationships, and rigor to support and train a new generation of arts professionals in technical and administrative jobs focused on historically underrepresented communities. While our industry is making progress, until there is equitable representation in every room every time, there is much work to do, and our goal is to meaningfully contribute to sustainable change. We are very excited to be in residence at The Chance Theater and in the City of Poughkeepsie and are grateful to Walkway Group and this community for their partnership and enthusiasm for Empire Training Center for the Arts,” Santini and Butler added. 

Applications will open in November 2024 and welcome the first cohort of Stagecraft and Technology students in Spring 2025.

In addition to Santini and Butler, ETCA’s Board of Directors includes Chris Boneau (owner and partner, Boneau/Bryan-Brown, a NYC-based theater and performing arts public relations firm; Adjunct Professor, Columbia University’s  Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies) and Peter Flynn (a NYC-based director who focuses on staging new works and reimagining the American Musical Theatre canon. His work has been seen on Broadway, off-Broadway, national tours, and at regional theaters, including the Guthrie Theater, the Kennedy Center, and Ford’s Theatre, where he is an Associate Artist. Peter is currently an Associate Professor of Musical Theatre at Montclair State University).  

ETCA’s Advisory Board includes Jody Elff (Grammy-award winning audio engineer, sound artist and designer), Seena Hodges (founder and CEO of The Woke Coach, author of “From Ally to Accomplice: How to be a Fierce Anti-Racist”, communications executive with several organizations in NYC and Minneapolis, and former Board President of the Walker Art Center), Michael McElroy (Tony Award® winning founder of Broadway Inspirational Voices, founding member of Black Theatre United, and Professor at Howard University, Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts), Christine O’Connor (executive coach and fundraising consultant for the arts, former principal of Albert Hall and Associates executive search firm, and former instructor in arts management at University of Washington, Seattle University and San Francisco State University), Joey Parnes (Tony Award® winning Broadway producer and member of the Broadway League Labor Committee; teaches Producing for Commercial Theater at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale), and Henry A. J. Ramos (Senior Fellow, The New School, Institute on Race, Power and the Economy and a former Jerry Brown appointee to the California Community Colleges system Board of Governors 2010-2015).

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