The Broadway Advocacy Coalition Announces Inaugural BAC Artivism Fellowship

The Broadway Advocacy Coalition (BAC) announces the creation of the BAC Artivism Fellowship to support artist activists using their tools to have an impact on the world around them. The Fellowship will provide financial support, mentorship, networking opportunities and education workshops. The inaugural class of fellows will specifically support Black, female-identifying artist activists focused on issues related to systemic racism and criminal justice reform and using narrative or stories in their work.

BAC is an arts-based advocacy nonprofit dedicated to building the capacity of individuals and organizations to use storytelling to dismantle racism and the systems that perpetuate it.

"Black women have always been on the front lines leading the charge for social justice, human rights, and equality," said BAC co-founder Adrienne Warren. "However, Black women are often left out of the narratives connected to those causes and rarely celebrated in moments of triumph. This fellowship is an opportunity to uplift, empower and support female-identifying artists of color, while centering those directly affected by systemic racism and inequality through BAC's methodology. We are all served when a Black woman's voice is amplified."

Applications will be open to any female-identifying artists based in the United States and will be open to all artists that center their work in stories and narrative. The fellowship will support 10 women over the course of six months and will culminate in a digital presentation of their work. The nominating committee for the fellowship includes Amber Iman, Liza Jessie Peterson, Zakiyah Ansari and Imani Mflame. Additional members of the nomination committee will be announced at a later date.

"Since our inception in 2016, BAC has discovered ways and methods to support those directly affected by systemic racism, to tell their story and link their experiences to policies and political structures that inhibit their total liberation," said BAC President and Co-Founder Britton Smith. "I'm thrilled that with this opportunity, we're able to support the community that is the backbone to our most valued experiences of love, power, grace, facilitation and beauty. This is the kind of opportunity that will bear great fruits of change. Black women continue to do this unthinkable without support. BAC is committed to supporting these women through this fellowship."

"I'm excited and hopeful about the work being done to create new rehearsal rooms, new creative spaces and new infrastructures, that are more equitable and safer for Black artists and artists of color. I'm even more proud of this fellowship that will cultivate more artivists in our industry," said co-founder Amber Iman. "It takes all of us, a community of artists who are stepping up, showing up and speaking up for ourselves and for each other to truly create the change that we so desperately need."

Additional details and applications will be announced later in August.

The Broadway musical Wicked is proud to be the lead sponsor of the BAC Artivism Fellowship.

For more information, visit https://www.bwayadvocacycoalition.org/artivismfellowship.