For Immediate Release
Contact: Shana Bagley, Marketing Director
404.532.1901 x201; sbagley@siteb.truecolorstheatre.org
New Apprentice Company Unifying Diverse Experiences in the Arts Launches in Atlanta
August 16, 2019 (Atlanta, GA) – Four professional metro Atlanta arts organizations announce the creation of a new arts apprentice company to serve up-and-coming arts professionals. The mission of the Four Directions Apprentice Company is to cultivate emerging artists by engaging, educating and enriching participants through an experiential learning training program.
The four organizations ¬– 7 Stages, ART Station Contemporary Arts Center and Theatre Company, Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company and Out Front Theatre Company – will provide a holistic process with concrete experiences. This apprentice company was created through the desire of these companies to create an intersection of purposeful training using performance, administration, education, community engagement, equity, diversity and inclusion as five areas of focus. Over the course of a year, apprentices will serve in a variety of capacities by rotating through all four companies while working with a multitude of industry professionals.
“After years of wanting to create an apprentice program, and realizing that our goals couldn’t be achieved alone, we were excited to partner with the other companies to create Four Directions,” says ART Station Founder and Artistic Director David Thomas. “It’s exciting to collaborate with others who have skills that complement what ART Station has to offer.”
“This program mirrors the world that we live in, or at least the one in which we hope to live,” adds Nikki Toombs, Director of Education for Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company. “It takes a village and I am excited that we have come out of our ‘figurative huts’ to change the narrative of what collaboration looks like in the Atlanta artistic community.”
“It is interesting to us to have an open dialogue about how we are valued for our art,” says Heidi S. Howard, Artistic Director of 7 Stages. “That’s why we made it a benchmark to compensate apprentices for what they do. Advocacy is key to a healthy cultural city. When we can highlight our unique aesthetic while connecting through our passion, we broaden the spectrum of the arts across Atlanta and for ourselves. Artists have value and we hope to break the bubble of isolation and make us a strong community overall.”
Paul Conroy, Out Front Theatre Company’s Founder and Producing Artistic Director adds, “My hope is that Four Directions can become a shining example of what apprenticeships could be, not just in Atlanta, but across the country and the world. Without a doubt, the apprentices who complete this program will be formidable when they enter the vast professional artistic landscape.”
Interested applicants should complete an application for the Four Directions Apprentice Company that can be found online here. Additionally, a cover letter, resume and list of references (at least three, both personal and professional) should be emailed to fourdirectionsappco@gmail.com. Deadline for applications is September 2, 2019. Any additional inquiries and questions can be directed to this email address as well.
7 Stages, ART Station Contemporary Arts Center and Theatre Company, Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company and Out Front Theatre Company are all 501(c)3 organizations that operate in and around the metro Atlanta region. Information for each company can be found on their individual websites.
ABOUT KENNY LEON’S TRUE COLORS THEATRE COMPANY
Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company is a regional theater company based in Atlanta, GA. Founded in 2002 by Tony Award®-winning Director Kenny Leon and the late Jane Bishop, True Colors Theatre Company’s mission is to celebrate the rich traditions of Black storytelling while giving voice to bold artists of all cultures. Thriving at the intersection of artistic excellence and civic engagement, True Colors produces masterful works of theatre that honor the African American experience, lift up diverse voices, and create cultural understanding.
# # #
