Performers in Transition Arts Management Fellowship
A Training Program for Performing Artists
The Performers in Transition Arts Management Fellowship is a program of the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the Kennedy Center designed to train professional performing artists with a proven dedication to transition into arts management. A structured blend of formal and hands-on training, the Fellowship combines arts management training with applied experience in producing a performance with a Brooklyn based organization.
The Fellowship is offered in conjunction with the BAM Professional Development Program, a collaboration between the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the DeVos Institute. The BAM PDP will provide professional development training and deeply discounted theater and rehearsal studio rental to a select group of Brooklyn non-profit organizations each year. Each season, the Fellowship will focus on one performing arts discipline.
The 2012 Fellowship is Open to Professional Dancers working in New York City
The application for the 2012 Performers in Transition Fellowship has closed. Information on the 2013 Fellowship will be available in late Fall of 2012.
Why the Performers in Transition Fellowship?
For some professional artists – especially dancers, whose performance careers are, unfortunately, often limited by age and financial mobility – a career in management is one way to continue their contribution to a field they love. Years of dedication and industry experience form a valuable basis for such a transition. Unfortunately, there are precious few opportunities for professional performers to gain the practical experience and training required to make them competitive for management jobs. This Fellowship, designed for professional performers nearing or at the end of their performance career, provides that opportunity.
Fellows participate in a series of nine management workshops; shadow the Executive Director of a BAM PDP organization; and gain hands-on experience by supporting the planning and production of the organization's culminating performance in BAM's new Judith R. and Alan H. Fishman Theater Space.
The 2012-13 Fellowship includes:
- Opportunity to shadow an Executive Director of an assigned dance organization and participate in the producing process for a performance in the Judith R. and Alan H. Fishman Theater Space
- Nine three-hour workshops with DVIAM and BAM leadership in key management areas including Artistic Planning, Fundraising, Marketing, Financial Management, Public Relations, IT, Production Management and Strategic Planning
- Nine one-hour online peer mentoring sessions
- Ongoing access to an online resource library
- Ongoing access to a community of fellow participants and DeVos institute alumni
Participation is free of charge for successful applicants.
Applicant Criteria:
- Minimum of six years professional dance experience where performing was your primary source of employment. Please provide a letter from your current or previous employer in dance to support this criterion.
- Reside within commuting distance to New York City
- Able to attend all program seminars* (See approximate dates below)
- Able to commit 40 training hours with the producing organization over the course of the 14 month program to support the planning and production of the organization's culminating performance
* Workshops will take place on Monday evenings, between approximately 4 and 8 PM, to avoid, where possible, conflicts with performance and rehearsal schedules.
Program Timeline
| Date | Step |
|---|---|
| March 15, 2012 | Fellowship Application Deadline |
| April 2012 | Fellowship Applicants Selected/Announced |
| June 11, 2012 | Workshop 1 – Introduction |
| June 25, 2012 | Workshop 2 – Artistic Planning & Institutional Visibility |
| July-August 2012 | Summer Break |
| September 10, 2012 | Workshop 3 – Fundraising I |
| October 2012 | Workshop 4 – General Management I: Financial Management |
| November 2012 | Workshop 5 – Fundraising II |
| December 2012 | Workshop 6 – Programmatic Marketing |
| January 2013 | Workshop 7 – Press, Communications & IT |
| February 2013 | Workshop 8 – General Management II: Production & Personnel |
| March 2013 | Workshop 9 – The Strategic Planning Process |
| May – September 2013 | Rehearsals & performances of PDP company productions |
| September 2013 | Wrap up Event |
About the BAM Professional Development Program
BAM Professional Development Program (PDP), housed at the new BAM Richard B. Fisher Building, is a collaboration between BAM and the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the Kennedy Center (DVIAM). The 14 month-long program utilizes the strengths of both institutions to provide professional development training and deeply discounted theater and rehearsal studio rental to an annual selection of qualifying Brooklyn non-profit arts organizations.
Through the program, BAM and DVIAM strive to help arts organizations expand their skill base, increase their institutional capacity and build necessary foundations for their long-term success. The program will culminate with each participating company presenting a self-funded production in the Judith R. and Alan H. Fishman Theater Space at the BAM Richard B. Fisher Building. Subsidies for the BAM Professional Development Program provided through the Brooklyn Community Foundation Arts Access Fund. Leadership support for the BAM Professional Development Program provided by The New York Community Trust.How to Apply
The application for the 2012 Performers in Transition Fellowship has closed. Information on the 2013 Fellowship will be available in late Fall of 2012.
- Complete the online application
- Submit a resume describing your professional dance career and other relevant employment
- Resumes should be uploaded to the application
- Submit a letter supporting your eligibility
- The letter should be from a current or former employer and support, in general terms, that you meet the minimum criterion of six years professional dance experience where performing was your primary source of employment. All experience need not be with the same organization. Letters from multiple employers are welcome, but not necessary.
- Letters can uploaded to the application or emailed to artsmanager@kennedy-center.org
All application materials submitted become the confidential property of the Kennedy Center and are not returnable.
Applicants will be notified in April of 2012.
Application Deadline
The application deadline is Thursday, March 15, 2012. The online application must be completed online and emailed materials must be submitted by 11:59 PM on March 15, 2012.
The Kennedy Center welcomes applicants with disabilities. 
