NEW YORK CITY: Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF) has announced the creation of the Lloyd Richards New Futures Residency. The program will partner a mid-career BIPOC director or choreographer with an artistic director contemplating significant changes for their theatres. The initiative aims to forge new alliances between artistic directors and artists pursuing institutional leadership.
For this inaugural year, the residency will be reserved for a Black artist and one host theatre will be selected. The resident artist will receive a $40,000 grant from SDCF, and the residency will begin by March 2021.
“It’s especially appropriate that this residency is named in honor of Lloyd Richards, whose extraordinary career was barrier-breaking in so many ways,” said Mark Brokaw, president of the SDCF Board of Trustees, in a statement. “During this time of hope and profound introspection, we believe this initiative starts to fulfill a vital need as our industry confronts both great change and new solutions and SDCF is proud to honor the legacy of this legendary leader of the American theatre.”
The SDCF selection committee comprises Mark Brokaw, Lydia Fort, Michael John Garcés, Kent Gash, Linda Hartzell, Anne Kauffman, and Scott Richards. now accepting applications from host theatres until 6 p.m. ET on Sept. 22. The committee will select the host venue by mid-November, and then will open an application process for the resident artist.
“As our industry works actively to dismantle white supremacy in the American theatre and achieve racial justice and equality both onstage and off, I am hopeful that the Lloyd Richards New Futures Residency will make a real difference by supporting a visionary mid-career Black director or choreographer,” said Kent Gash in a statement. “As a Black director, I would not have a career if it weren’t for the trailblazing vision and tenacity of the great Lloyd Richards. This residency is a much-needed development opportunity to expand the voice of these central artists while preparing them to become artistic leaders. The Lloyd Richards New Futures Residency is not a seat at the table, or a crumb from the table of joy, but rather SDCF’s contribution, a first step towards substantive, sustainable artistic direction and leadership for directors and choreographers of color.”
The grant is made possible with support through the SDCF fellowship funds named for George C. Wolfe, Mike Ockrent, Shepherd and Mildred Traube, Sir John Gielgud, and Reginald H.F. Denham, as well as many individual donors.
