American Alliance For Theatre And Education Hosts 3rd Annual Leaders Of Color Institute

The American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE), a nonprofit organization that serves youth theatre education artists, scholars, and practitioners, will host the Leaders of Color Institute as a space for BIPOC/GM to learn and innovate within the field.

The virtual institute by people of color for people of color features two days of workshops, keynote panels, as well as the opportunity to build a relationship with a mentor or mentee. This year's theme is "Cultivating Spaces for Leaders of Color in Educational and 'Professional' Theatre Settings".

Opening the LOCI at 7p ET on Friday is a keynote panel conversation with Dr. Daphnie Sicre (Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA) and José Casas (University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI). Dr. Sicre and Casas will discuss the nuance of being a faculty member of color within a higher education institution.

"This year we are excited to have such incredible keynote presenters, which is continuing our trend of providing direct access to incredible lumineers in the field," says Alexis Truitt, Executive Director of AATE. "I look forward to this event every year because of the knowledge and connections that are taken away from our two days together."

Saturday, December 3rd will consist of two workshops, a closing keynote with Dawn M. Simmons (Stage Source/Front Porch Boston) and Idris Goodwin (Seattle Children's Theatre), and even a virtual brunch. The NYU Steinhardt Program in Educational Theatre is again sponsoring the institute, as they did for the 2021 iteration of LOCI.

Registration prices reflect a tiered pay-what-you-can model, something that AATE has pioneered as a membership organization dedicated to accessibility. Tier 1 registration begins at $100, Tier 2 at $125, and Tier 3 at $150.

Once registered, participants will be able to sign up for the LOCI Mentorship Program. The LOCI Mentorship Program is a year-long cohort of mentees (emerging careers or career changers) and mentors (those who have been identified as having exceptional experience in the field) that will support each other professionally through a 1-on-1 connection. Mentor/Mentee pairs will also develop a workshop that they will present at the AATE annual conference next Summer in Seattle, Washington.

The deadline to apply for the LOCI Mentorship Program is November 21st, 2022. Find out more information at AATE.com/LOCI.