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Executive Leadership in the Performing Arts Fellowship Program
Applications Are Closed
We believe that the leadership of performing arts centers (PACs) should be as diverse as the communities they serve.
According to our research, currently, only 7% of the principal administrators of major performing arts centers are BIPOC, and only 16% of their leadership teams of these organizations include BIPOC representation. We want to change this.
The Executive Leadership in the Performing Arts Fellowship Program is a partnership between the LACNA Foundation and NAS designed to accelerate the diversity of our field. Now
recruiting for our third cohort of fellows, we designed this opportunity to recognize and support the myriad qualified arts professionals holding traditionally marginalized identities who are viable candidates for these senior positions. Through the program, fellows will have an opportunity to grow their networks and strengthen their capacities to lead large civic cultural organizations into the future.
Who This Program is For
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Mid-career professionals holding traditionally marginalized identities that are ready to take on C-suite leadership roles at performing arts centers within the next 1-3 years
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Aspiring Chief Executive Officers, Chief Operating Officers, Chief Financial Officers, and Chief Advancement/Development Officers
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Candidates who have a history of working in performing arts centers (especially those interested in CEO roles), or those looking to enter into the field from other relevant areas
About the Program
This program, a partnership between the LACNA Foundation and NAS, offers an experienced-based curriculum with five interlocking components:
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Training on leadership theory and practice
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Residencies-in-practice at participating performing arts centers
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One-on-one leadership coaching
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Networking opportunities
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Participation in a leadership summit
Fellows will have the opportunity to connect with and learn alongside current CEOs of performing arts centers in the U.S. and Canada. They will participate in workshops with Stanford faculty and engage with leadership of Stanford’s Institute for Diversity in the Arts, as well as its performing arts presenting organization, Stanford Live.
Each fellow will work with a dedicated coach from NAS, which has created a first-of-its-kind cohort of coaches who are arts and culture leaders and have the lived experience needed to support clients working to redefine the structures, practices, and policies of the status quo. Each fellow will receive a stipend to support their continued professional development once the program concludes.
Learn more about the program's details here:
Timeline
Orientation
Apr. 30, 2024
Residencies
May 2024 - Jan. 2025
Stanford Retreat
Jun. 2024
Coaching
Jun. 2024 - Jan. 2025
Search Firm Roundtable
Early Fall 2024
Fellows Summit
Late Fall 2024
How to Apply
Applications for the Executive Leadership in the Performing Arts Fellowship Program are now open through February 25, 2024. In order to be considered for this fellowship, prospective participants will need to submit each of the following:
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Complete the Executive Leadership in the Performing Arts Fellowship Program application so that we can learn about you and your professional goals.
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Submit a letter of recommendation from a senior or executive-level staff member of a PAC.
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Confirmation from your current employer of their support of your candidacy, as participation will require some travel and up to 20 days of time away from your job throughout the year.
If your answers and experience are aligned with the program, you’ll be invited to participate in an interview. All prospective fellows will be updated about the status of their application by April 22, 2024.
Click here to view a preview of the application's questions.
Watch an Information Session
There are no more information sessions schedule for the 2024 Executive Leadership in the Performing Arts Fellowship Program, but we invite you to watch a recording of our most recent session.
Take a walkthrough of the program journey and application process with us, learning how this 10-month fellowship works to accelerate the diversity of the arts and culture field through its experience-based curriculum that will grow your professional network and strengthen your capacity to lead large civic cultural organizations.
"The Stanford Learning Retreat is a great start to expand our minds about what future is possible, to gain support from like-minded colleagues, and to network with those with whom you may not otherwise have access.”
2022 Fellow
What Our Fellows Say
LACNA Foundation Board
Kendra Whitlock Ingram, President and CEO
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh, PA
Christopher Harrington, President and CEO
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, St. Paul, MN
Josephine Ramirez, Executive Vice President
TMC Arts, The Music Center, Los Angeles, CA
Deborah F. Rutter, President
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C.
Kelley Shanley, President & CEO
Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Joan Squires, President
Omaha Performing Arts, Omaha, NE
Program Design Working Group
Rebekah Boggs, Consultant
AMS Planning & Research
Gail Crider, President & CEO
NAS
Dr. Deryn Dudley, Director, Learning, Evaluation and Engagement
NAS
Kendra Ingram, President & CEO
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Josephine Ramirez, Executive Vice President
TMC Arts, The Music Center
Anne Shulock, Assistant Vice President for the Arts
Stanford University
Steven Wolff, Founding Principal
AMS Planning & Research
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
Seed project funding for the program is provided by the performing arts centers themselves with additional support from Barbara and Amos Hostetter, Pivotal Ventures, a Melinda French Gates company, and The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation.