NEW YORK CITY: The John Gore Organization (JGO) has announced a partnership with Black Theatre Coalition (BTC), to begin a paid fellowship program for undergraduate college juniors, seniors, and recent graduates interested in commercial theatre. JGO is is a developer, producer, distributor, and marketer of Broadway theatre worldwide, with such brands as Broadway Across America, Broadway.com, the Broadway Channel, BroadwayBox.com, and Group Sales Box Office. BTC is an organization dedicated to creating sustainable and ethical hiring practices for Black professionals on Broadway and American theatre more broadly.
Their joint program, called the Black Theatre Coalition/Broadway Across America Fellowship, will create 10 paid part-time fellowships across the United States in the areas of marketing, public relations, sales, programming, accounting and finance, operations, venue management, and ticketing. The program will focus on creating inclusivity while providing an in-depth education in the business of commercial theatre. BTC-BAA Fellowships will initially be available in New York, Atlanta, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Houston, Louisville, and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and will launch in spring 2022.
BTC-BAA Fellows will get on-the-job learning in Broadway Across America offices and learn the intricacies of business through a curriculum taught by JGO professionals. The 14-week fellowships will provide students with an opportunity to develop the job skills, broad understanding, and network connections necessary to begin a professional theatre career.
“The Black Theatre Coalition is already doing such important work on Broadway, and we’re proud to be able to help them bring this fellowship program to different cities across the country,” said John Gore, owner and CEO of JGO, in a statement. “Careers in this industry start from the ground up, and we’re excited to help usher in a new generation of young and ambitious theatremakers.”
“We are thrilled to be partnering with BAA on this endeavor,” said BTC’s founders Reggie Van Lee, T. Oliver Reid, and Warren Adams in a joint statement. “Our mission states our goals of removing the ‘illusion of inclusion’ in the American Theatre. This partnership offers the opportunity to stretch our reach far beyond the lights of Broadway and into the hometowns of Black professionals across the country.”
Candidates interested in applying for Fellowships should sign up at BroadwayFellows.com to be notified when applications will be accepted this fall.
