ATCA Concludes First Year of Helbing Program

The first year of the Helbing Mentorship program from the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) and Foundation ATCA concluded August 31, 2023. Inaugural Helbing Fellow Billy McEntee created a comprehensive study of the life of Terry Helbing, theater critic, editor, and co-founder of the Meridian Gay Theatre Production Company.
 
Based on original research and interviews with many who knew and worked with Helbing, McEntee’s piece is available for download on the ATCA site in a post in which McEntee shared reflections on the year-long program. “I was thrilled to see ATCA was offering the inaugural Helbing Mentorship Program,” he wrote. “As I sought new professional ventures and financial stability, the program gave me a cohort of professionals to learn beside and grant money to compensate my work.”

About the Program

ATCA has announced year two of the program, and applications are currently open for the program that will run January 1, 2024-December 31, 2024.
 
The  program has been designed to encourage the development of LGBTQIA+ theater coverage. The second year of the year-long program includes a $5,000 grant and the opportunity to work with leading writers who are ATCA members.
 
In its statement about the program, ATCA said, “In honor of the late Terry Helbing, the program has been designed to develop and amplify the voices of young LGBTQIA+ arts writers through scholarship, mentorship, and professional development. In this way, we aim to make arts journalism a more progressive and inclusive profession.”
 
In addition, ATCA hopes to encourage the recipient to work in multiple media--writing, audio, and video--to reflect the full spectrum of arts coverage in the contemporary market. Mentors from ATCA will work directly with the recipient on projects. 
 
For more information about the program and applications, visit https://americantheatrecritics.org/helbing-mentorship-program/.