NEW YORK CITY: Columbia University School of the Arts in collaboration with the Prince Fellowship, has named Jamila Ponton Bragg the winner of the 2022 Prince Fellowship and Cynthia L. Dorsey as the Prince/The Theatre Leadership Project Fellow (TLLP). The fellowships, originally created by legendary producer Harold Prince, are designed to empower a new generation of creative producers in the development of their chosen project. The program, which runs from September 2022 to August 2023, includes a $10,000 stipend and $20,000 budget for the development of a new theatrical production, as well as access to courses within Columbia’s MFA Theatre Management & Producing Program. Additionally, fellows receive mentorship from prominent industry producers and industry specialists to support their goals in the creative and business aspects of production. Some of this year’s mentors include Kristin Caskey, Sue Frost, Tom Schumacher, Jeffrey Seller, and David Stone.
Regarding Ponton Bragg, Prince Fellowship mentor David Stone said in a statement, “Jamila brings an incredible level of experience in the nonprofit field and a rich education with her as she transitions to commercial, creative producing. Her background and incredible focus will be an amazing contribution to this community.”
In a statement, Leah Harris, TTLP program manager, called Dorsey “is a multi-hyphenate artist who brings vibrant energy and a depth of knowledge and experience to the field of producing.”
Bragg is the founder of JamRock Productions, LLC, a theatre production company committed to works for, about, and by women. After nearly 20 years in the nonprofit industry, she transitioned to theatre producing and began her journey in March 2020 as a co-producer on Blue, a play by Charles Randolph-Wright. Bragg is credited as an associate producer on the August 2021 Broadway production of Pass Over, and as an investor in for colored girls who considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf. Bragg holds a B.S. in psychology from Duke University and an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Dorsey is a multidisciplinary artist from Washington, D.C., and is the co-founder and artistic director of SoulFLY Theatre Society. She is also an arts educator who was previously nominated for an Excellence in Theater Education Tony Award. Dorsey is also an award-winning writer, actor, director, producer, and filmmaker. She holds a B.A. from the Columbia College of Chicago and an M.A. from Syracuse University.
The Prince Fellowship is partly funded by the John Gore Organization. The Prince/ TLLP fellowship is backed by the partnership with The Theatre Leadership Project, a nonprofit working to install Black leadership in commercial theatre through three-year paid fellowships.
Prospective applicants can visit the Prince Fellowship website for more information about the program and to join the mailing list. The application deadline for the 2023 fellowships will be announced in the spring of 2023.
