SDFC Guest Artist Initiative Program Applications Now Available

Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF), the not-for-profit foundation affiliated with the Stage Directors and Choreographers (SDC), is now accepting grant proposals for SDCF's Guest Artist Initiative Program. Through this program, SDCF facilitates and funds the hiring of professional SDC Directors and Choreographers to helm theatre productions at universities and colleges across the country. To date, funding and facilitation services have been granted to Arizona State University, Fordham University, Marymount Manhattan College, Michigan State University, Morehead University, and University of Nevada Las Vegas.

Application will be available online at www.SDCweb.org beginning March 16, 2011.

American colleges and universities may apply for matching funds of up to $5,000 for a Guest Artist Fee for a director or choreographer for a specific project. An SDCF panel comprised of professional directors and choreographers, arts administrators, and college educators will select productions for the award. Two proposals will receive funding and facilitation services, and several more will be offered free facilitation services. The schools will be solely responsible for selecting the Guest Artist among SDC Members applicants.

The first two projects funded through this program have now been completed. Kim Weild directed BIG LOVE by Charles Mee for Arizona State University in fall 2010. The production was selected as "the top show of 2010" by the Phoenix New Times. In January 2011, Jen Bender directed a multi-media production of THE WIZARD OF OZ at Michigan State University.

"What a great success it was having Jen Bender here," says Rob Roznowski, Head of Acting and Directing at Michigan State. "We were expecting her professionalism and high standards -- what we did not expect was her kindness, compassion and sincere interest in our students' education. It was a resounding success." BIG LOVE and THE WIZARD OF OZ have been featured on the SDCF website.

Applications for college and university productions and full grant guidelines will be available online at www.sdcweb.org. Application deadline is May 10, 2011. The selected school will be announced by June 1, 2011, at which point information will be made available to interested directors and choreographers. The selected production must be mounted by December 31, 2012. Please note that the production can be mounted as part of the academic curriculum or as an extra-curricular student activity; it is not limited to theatre departments.

Founded in 1965, SDCF exists to foster, promote and develop the creativity and craft of stage directors and choreographers. SDCF's goals are to provide opportunities to practice the crafts of directing and choreography; to gather and disseminate craft and career information; to promote the profession to emerging talent; to provide opportunities for exchange of knowledge among directors and choreographers; and to increase the awareness of the value of directors' and choreographers' work. Among SDCF's programs are: Observerships, through which emerging directors and choreographers observe master directors and choreographers working on new
productions; Fellowships, opportunities for advanced emerging directors and choreographers; Live on Screen Initiative through which directors and choreographers learn to capture their stage work for broadcast; Hauptman Fellowship for arts administrators; the "Mr. Abbott" Award recognizing lifetime achievement in American Theatre; the Joe A. Callaway Award recognizing excellence in the craft of directing and/or choreography during the New York City theatre season; and the Zelda Fichandler Award recognizing excellence in directing and choreography in a region outside of New York.

For more information on the SDCF Guest Artist Initiative Program, please visit http://www.sdcweb.org.