ONE-ON-ONE MENTORSHIP
A COMMUNITY TO GROW ALONGSIDE
The Actors Center is thrilled to announce the launch of a new Mentorship Program for emerging artists, scheduled to begin in October 2024.
This innovative 8-month initiative is designed specifically to support artists who are in the early stages of their acting careers. Tailored to a group of 12-16 participants, the program offers a unique opportunity to help bridge the crucial gap between training and a sustainable, fulfilling career by providing mentorship from an unparalleled network of seasoned professionals from our esteemed Resident Company.
The program aims to encourage actors to begin thinking as artists—inviting them to ask deeper questions of themselves, their peers, and the industry, while cultivating a dedication to process, artistic integrity, and defining their own set of values to work from over the course of their career.
Navigating the early stages of an acting career can be daunting, with challenges often exacerbated by significant disparities in economic privilege, issues of student debt, and historical barriers to access and inclusion in the industry. Our mentorship program is not intended to be a training program. Rather, it will run parallel to participants’ early career and auditioning work, emphasizing self-discovery, critical thinking, and personal growth alongside exploring practical questions of entering the business.
The Actors Center has long stood as a beacon for creative and artistic development. This new program builds upon the diverse, intergenerational, and interdisciplinary dynamic of our existing Resident Company. It takes what we do exceptionally well and offers it to a new demographic for the first time, empowering artists to forge careers that are not only successful, but sustainable and deeply fulfilling. It’s an exciting opportunity for a group of actors to deepen their understanding of themselves and their artistic point of view, ensuring that they emerge not only as skilled performers, but as thoughtful individuals, generous collaborators, and visionary creatives, primed to shape the future of the arts.
“The early years of launching a career as a professional actor are the most fraught. The danger the actor faces is one of loss: loss of sense of purpose; loss of belief in one’s ability; loss of faith in the uniqueness of each actor’s singular talent.
The Mentorship Program for Emerging Artists provides the space to be truly seen and heard and guided toward strength and away from loss… heart, soul, and artistry intact. It is a heartfelt privilege for me to be a participant and guide in this innovative program.”
Ron Van Lieu
and Faculty Member at Columbia
Application Deadline
Sunday, September 15, 2024
Program Dates
October 21, 2024 – June 15, 2025
Program Fee
$600 (or $75/month)
with need-based scholarship support available
Applications have now closed for 2024-25.
About the Program
Weekly Programming on Monday Afternoons
- The program will meet weekly for a series of group conversations, panel discussions, and workshops designed to explore a variety of artistic disciplines and perspectives on topics crucial to the life of an actor
- Sessions will take place every Monday afternoon from 2:00pm-5:00pm at Houghton Hall Arts Community (22 East 30th Street) and will be led by our resident company members and other industry professionals.
- Discussion and panel topics will touch on a broad range of subjects, including: self-care and advocacy; craft and artistry; developing, writing, and creating new work, producing; engaging with agents, managers and casting directors; survival jobs and finances; auditioning; working on sets; diversity, inclusion, and accessibility; pursuing graduate training; and navigating the dynamics of the industry.
- Acting workshops will explore a variety of approaches to voice, movement, play, ensemble building, auditioning, devising, and creativity.
One-on-One Mentoring
- Each emerging artist will be matched with members of our company who will provide them one-on-one mentorship. Each mentor will be paired according to the emerging artist’s individual needs, background, artistic goals, and personal interests.
- Having multiple mentors will allow for each individual to develop relationships focusing on different aspects of one’s life or career, while exposing each artist to a variety of perspectives and areas of experiences.
- Emerging artists will also have the opportunity to interact with Resident Company members at various events, gaining access to the expertise of 300 professional actors across all facets of the industry.
Additional Artist Development Workshops
- Additional development workshops offering a deeper dive on relevant acting techniques will be scheduled with guest artists and teachers according to their availability. These will be in addition to the weekly Monday sessions and will be scheduled at least a month in advance.
- These workshops offer the opportunity to learn from some of our country’s best teachers and practitioners, encouraging emerging artists to implement the ideas, tools, and techniques being discussed throughout the program.
Invitations to Events, Artist Talks & Workshops
- Emerging artists will be invited to Actors Center events such as artist talks with leading directors, actors, teachers, and filmmakers, as well as film screenings, play readings, and evenings sharing works in process.
- Emerging artists will also have the opportunity to observe select development workshops featuring the Resident Company.
- These events provide a window into the wider world of theater and film, offering inspiration and practical exposure to industry practices, as well as insights into the creative process of seasoned professionals.
Community & Collaboration Opportunities
- The cohort will serve as a collaborative artistic community, encouraged and supported to form writing groups, assist with each other’s auditions, produce play readings, and explore other avenues for collaboration and providing peer support.
Program Fee
With the help of supporters and volunteers, The Actors Center is proud to underwrite nearly all of the cost of the mentorship program. The program fee is $600 (or $75 per month for 8 months) with need-based scholarships available.
The fee covers programmatic costs separate from the mentorship provided, including studio rentals for workshops and operational expenses. The Actors Center is committed to making this program financially accessible for all participants.
Questions
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us! You can contact Executive Director Alex Birnie at alex.birnie@theactorscenter.org.
“We have all of the tools, the heart, the humanity and the artistry to help the next generation move forward in a healthy way—a fully lived and dynamic way that will impact others.”
Peter Jay Fernandez
“In a lot of spaces where actors commune, there’s a sense of the business. But what The Actors Center offers is: How can I deepen my craft? How can I be a better human? How can I be more generous… To have a space where you don’t feel alone is really essential to surviving this business.”
Ato Blankson-Wood
About the Application
Application Process
The application process occurs in two stages. The first stage requires actors to submit materials online by September 15, 2024. In the second stage, a select number of finalists will be invited to interview and audition in person in early October 2024.
Stage One: Online Application
Your application should include the following materials:
Your personal statement should address as many of the following prompts/questions as possible:
- What about this program interests you particularly at this moment in your development?
- Tell us more about your personal and artistic background than your resume might reveal. What was your path to acting?
- Where are you coming from and where would you like to go? From your vantage point, how might this program act as a bridge?
- What questions or challenges are you encountering in your artistic work at the moment? How do you envision this program might help you navigate them?
Stage Two: Interview & Audition
A select number of finalists will be invited to interview and audition in-person in early October 2024, with the program slated to begin October 21, 2024.
All applicants will be notified of their application decision by email, which will be sent to the address included on their application.
Frequently Asked Questions
While the program is intended for early career actors, we’ve intentionally left out any eligibility requirements. There is no age limit or minimum or maximum education. We encourage any person who is interested and feels they could benefit from this opportunity to apply.
Yes. The program is for any individual currently pursuing acting as a profession, regardless of whether they went to college or what they studied.
No. Participants should, in general, be available to attend Monday afternoons, but the program is meant to support actors while working and auditioning, which means inevitably conflicts will arise. One-on-One mentorship, additional workshops, and events will also take place outside of Monday afternoon sessions.
One-on-One mentorship can take place on Zoom or phone, if you book work or have to leave town for any period of time.
No. This program is for individuals who are out of school and pursuing a professional career in acting.
The Actors Center is committed to making this program accessible to all individuals. We’ve underwritten the cost of the program in an effort to do so, but can offer additional need-based scholarship support.