BIPOC Critics Lab Will Go Bi-Coastal With The Public Theater & The Old Globe
Founder Jose Solís leads the program, with applications open for the 2026-27 cohort.
The Public Theater and The Old Globe have announced that they will be co-hosting cultural critic Jose Solís' BIPOC Critics Lab during the theaters' 2026-27 season with a joint cohort, which will mark the program's first bi-coastal cohort. Following three successful years of the program, The Public is honored to continue Solís' commitment to creating an educational space for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) writers in the realm of cultural criticism. Partnering with the renowned Old Globe across the country will allow the opportunity for even more individuals to be impacted by this program's ability to jumpstart their careers in arts journalism. Applications are now open for the upcoming cohort and applicants who reside within a commutable distance to each theater will be eligible for consideration.
“When I created the BIPOC Critics Lab in 2020, I wanted to build the kind of room many of us had been left out of, a space where critics of color could be met with care and real opportunity,” shares program founder Jose Solís. “To see that room become a movement and now grow into a bi-coastal partnership between The Public Theater and The Old Globe, fills me with enormous pride and awe. At a moment when the value of diversity is being questioned in so many cultural spaces, this expansion affirms something I have always believed: American theater is richer, sharper, and more alive when more of us get to help shape how it is seen and remembered.”
Alumni from the BIPOC Critics Lab have gone on to hold freelance posts and editorial positions at many notable outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, TDF Stages, American Theatre, 3Views, The Hat, Brooklyn Rail, Elle, and more
“The Old Globe is thrilled to collaborate with our colleagues at The Public Theater on this first-ever bi-coastal partnership co-hosting Jose Solís' BIPOC Critics Lab," said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. "We value the vital role drama critics and arts journalists play in shaping how the theatre community's work is seen and understood—through features, reviews, and thoughtful coverage that interprets and amplifies the work on our stages. Together with The Public, we will support, develop, and invest in the next generation of BIPOC arts journalists and theatre critics, and help to ensure that they have meaningful opportunities, strong networks, and the platforms necessary to share their work with the world. Their voices contribute to a broader cultural conversation that reinforces the Globe's mission to make theater matter beyond our stage, both in Southern California and across the nation.”
Sessions for the Lab will span the course of The Public and The Old Globe's 2026-2027 season, with the primary instruction to take place on Zoom during the fall and in-person opportunities at both theaters throughout the spring. Those chosen to participate will receive offers to join the cohort in August, with the cohort kicking off in early September. For more information on this iteration of the BIPOC Critics Lab and to apply, visit publictheater.org. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, June 24.
The Public has long operated on the principles that theater is an essential cultural force and that art and culture belong to everyone. Hosting the BIPOC Critics Lab at The Public for a fourth season aligns directly with the goals outlined in The Public's Cultural Transformation Plan, acknowledging that the field of arts journalism and the theater industry have historically upheld white supremacy, and, as a result, critics of color have far too often been left out of the conversation. In parallel, The Old Globe's commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and access is deeply embedded in its mission to create theater that reflects and serves its community, as well as in its ongoing Social Justice Roadmap. By investing in programs that uplift historically underrepresented voices and challenge systemic inequities within the field, the Globe affirms its role as a civic institution dedicated to cultural transformation. Together, these aligned values underscore a shared investment in expanding who gets to shape critical discourse and ensuring a more inclusive and representative American theater.
Additionally, The Public is pleased to announce that 12 members have successfully completed their training for the BIPOC Critics Lab over the past year. These writers are Anna Aguiar Kosicki, Serena Arora, Artel Great, Branden Janese, Timiki Salinas, Ankita Sharma, Julia Wojciechowska, Isaac Woon, Yashmita, Melvin Ningyao Yen, Hope Yoon, and Rohan Zhou-Lee. In addition to their writing, these cohort members bring expertise in film, acting, music, visual arts curation, politics, storytelling, movement and dance, costume and set production, accessibility, photography, video games, and arts organizing. These writers are passionate and eager to join the cultural conversation in both New York City and beyond. To add these individuals to your press lists, please email BIPOCCriticsLab@publictheater.org to receive their contact information.
“This past cohort reminded me how expansive the future of criticism already is,” shares Solís. “Our Lab members joined us from South Korea, Taiwan, Poland, Latin America, and Black diasporic backgrounds, bringing with them practices shaped by dance, cinema, theater, poetry, and other artistic forms. I was moved by the way their artistic languages and lived experiences entered into conversation with one another. Together, they expanded what criticism can sound like and what it can make possible.”
In a continued effort to further the movement initiated by Jose Solís and to expand both past and present cohorts' networks, The Public welcomes theaters in New York City, arts and cultural press agencies, and regional theaters around the world to collaborate with the Lab's early career BIPOC journalists for future commissioning opportunities. Institutions are also invited to host their own cohort of the BIPOC Critics Lab to expand the number of opportunities. To learn more, please email BIPOCCriticsLab@publictheater.org.
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