The KCACTF/LORT ASPIRE Leadership Fellows Program is designed to cultivate a new generation of artistic and administrative leaders for the American Theater with a focus of engaging Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and members of other groups that are consistently underrepresented in the field. This diverse national cohort of fellows assembled from all of KCACTF’s eight regions will engage in topics concerning equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism as well as leadership skills building, investigation of institutional challenges, and professional networking opportunities.
The week-long fellowship occurs as part of the annual national convening of the American College Theater Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The curriculum is designed and led by professionals from LORT institutions in partnership with staff from the Kennedy Center and the American College Theatre Festival Regional Chairs.
In 2025, you have two options to participate in the KCACTF/LORT ASPIRE Arts Leadership program: in-person at your Regional Festival, or virtually via Zoom on March 1st and 2nd.
The week-long fellowship occurs as part of the annual national convening of the American College Theater Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The curriculum is designed and led by professionals from LORT institutions in partnership with staff from the Kennedy Center and the American College Theatre Festival Regional Chairs.
In 2025, you have two options to participate in the KCACTF/LORT ASPIRE Arts Leadership program: in-person at your Regional Festival, or virtually via Zoom on March 1st and 2nd.
ASPIRE Regional Festival 57 (In-Person)
In 2025, students will be able to participate in workshops at their regional in-person festival. Topics for this year's workshops include:
Region 5 will offer a workshop session to help students refine their creative presentations. The presentations will take place during an additional session during the festival week.
- How To Build a Theatre Company
- Careers in Theatre panel discussion
- Mission, Vision & Values
Region 5 will offer a workshop session to help students refine their creative presentations. The presentations will take place during an additional session during the festival week.
The Creative Presentation
Recognizing that there are many models for producing theater, ASPIRE students will create and pitch their own model for producing theatrical events, whether it is a theater company, a multidisciplinary arts organization, a festival, or some other creative artistic initiative. This pitch will be presented to a selectors panel of theater professionals. This exercise will prepare ASPIRE students to think holistically and critically about leadership styles, programming, and models, placing the art in the context of community. It will also demonstrate the students’ abilities to think outside the box. The following is a set of recommended guidelines to help prepare an effective pitch:
- Students have 10 minutes to present their pitch followed by 5 minutes to take questions from the selectors; students will be responsible for allocating their own time accordingly.
- The presentation must include the mission and purpose of your endeavor, where it will take place (town, city, state, country), and its relevance in terms of audience and community.
- Students are invited to be as innovative, creative, and practical as possible in pitching a compelling artistic endeavor using whatever resources are available to them. We encourage specific examples of the sort of theatrical work you intend to create.
- Students are encouraged to demonstrate collaboration in their presentations with other artists. Whether or not you attend a KCACTF School and/or Festival, you are welcome to consult with and include work with other artists such as student designers, directors, playwrights, as well as community organizations, etc.
- Students should identify the position/role they intend to hold in the creative endeavor and articulate how the endeavor aligns with their leadership aspirations.
- For in-person pitching at a festival, any AV/tech/projector needs should be cleared and tested in advance of the pitch.
- Students will be asked to provide an electronic copy of their resume in advance of their pitch session.
National ASPIRE Cohort
One fellow from each region will be selected, based on the successful completion of the creative final presentation to a panel of selectors, to join the National ASPIRE cohort in Washington, D.C. for a week-long fellowship. To be considered for the National Fellowship, attendance and participation in the professional development programming is required. All students will receive feedback on their work from faculty and professional theatre leaders.
Questions? Contact ASPIRE Arts Leadership Coordinator Alex Pikiben [email protected]
Please remember, in order to participate in this in-person event you must register for the festival
ASPIRE 2025 Virtual Programing
In 2025, you have two options to participate in the KCACTF/LORT ASPIRE Arts Leadership program: in-person at your Regional Festival, or virtually via Zoom on March 1st and 2nd.
To participate in the virtual ASPIRE Arts Leadership 2025, register with the form below. The virtual program consists of workshops, discussions, and a final presentation for students who wish to be considered for the national ASPIRE cohort.
There is no registration fee to participate in the virtual ASPIRE programming. DEADLINE TO ENTER: January 10th, 2025
To participate in the virtual ASPIRE Arts Leadership 2025, register with the form below. The virtual program consists of workshops, discussions, and a final presentation for students who wish to be considered for the national ASPIRE cohort.
There is no registration fee to participate in the virtual ASPIRE programming. DEADLINE TO ENTER: January 10th, 2025