SDC Foundation Announces Revitalized Professional Development Program

Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF) announces the Professional Development Program, which will provide a scope of opportunities for early career directors and choreographers. Applications will open November 11, 2022; to learn more about the program, click here (https://sdcfoundation.org/professional-development-program/).

Previously called the SDCF Observership Program, SDCF's revitalized Professional Development Program provides opportunities for early career directors and choreographers to observe and/or support experienced directors and choreographers during the production process. The program's primary focus will be early-career artists, though there may be opportunities for mid-career artists during a season as well. Each opportunity will be determined around individual applications and the specific circumstances of the opportunity. Applicants do not need to be Members of SDC for most opportunities; any opportunities that are only for SDC Members and Associate Members will be clearly labeled.

Says Dani Barlow, SDC Foundation Director. "After two years of rigorous evaluation and conversation with many individuals who intersected with our previous programming, we are thrilled to open this revitalized program with a focus on greater access and mentorship for directors and choreographers in the field. This vital and meaningful program will to add to the ecosystem of professional development opportunities in the field by remaining responsive to the current needs in the industry."

The goals of this program are to provide access to directors and/or choreographers who have not seen the work of an experienced director/choreographer (Mentor) or have not previously worked on a certain type of production or at a certain level, and to provide mentorship from experienced directors and choreographers to newer directors and choreographers.

The Professional Development program will provide three types of opportunities throughout the year: Shadows, Observers, and Fellows. Shadows are short-term opportunities to watch one specific aspect of a production process. Observerships are production-long opportunities to watch the production process from first rehearsal to opening night. Fellowships allow someone to support a director and/or choreographer during a production process as part of the artistic team. There will be on average 15 opportunities a year total that are a combination of shadowing, observerships, and fellowships. Stipends and awards for these opportunities will be begin at $600/week and will be decided based on the length and type of each opportunity. There will also be support from SDCF for each participant in the Professional Development Program after their opportunity is completed such as resume review, artistic statement review, and ongoing mentorship. Applications will be accepted three times a year in cycles for opportunities starting in the Fall, then Winter, then Spring each year.

Support for SDC Foundation's Professional Development Program is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council; Stage Directors and Choreographers Society; A3 Artists Agency; and many other generous individuals.

To learn more about the Professional Development Program, please click here. To join SDCF's mailing list to stay up to date about all SDCF programs, please click here.

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