The Roundabout Theatre Company, with support from The National Endowment for the Arts will host Opening Stage Doors, the first-of-its-kind virtual convening to share tools and innovations in job training, mentorship, and job placement, with the goal of helping remove traditional barriers to off-stage performing arts jobs. The three-day convening will be held virtually December 7-9, from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET each day.

Registration to the event is free and open to interested arts professionals including union and non-union technicians; workforce administrators; organizational leadership; educational partners; workforce funders; and past, present, or future program participants.

Advance sign-up is required.

Organized by a national team of arts leaders who oversee workforce programs, Opening Stage Doors will assemble practitioners, administrators, and funders from around the country to share supportive practices and lessons learned. Participants will hear from experts and one another about how to introduce young people to administrative and technical backstage professions, effectively manage or reimagine programs for new and more seasoned arts workers and ensure historically marginalized members of our community (including people of color, veterans, and people with disabilities) are part of a scaffolded and supportive training process that leads to employment.

Keynote speakers and daily sessions will focus on both practical actions needed immediately to provide safe and educational work experiences and deeply rooted systemic issues within the field that need to be addressed to create long-term change.

Session topics include: Understanding Compensation and Benefits, Effective Mentorship Models, and Navigating the Politics of a Nonprofit. A full list of sessions can be found here.

Attendees are invited to join the Virtual Expo, where organizations can post information about their workforce programs.

To participate in the Workforce Expo, please email OpeningStageDoors@roundabouttheatre.org.

Julia Levy, Executive Director of Roundabout, said, “As we look to both effect immediate change and create a more equitable theatre industry, we hope these three days of conversation and sharing will help participants gain practical skills and discuss a deeper change to the way we work.”

The Planning Committee for this event includes Shaminda Amarakoon, David Geffen School of Drama at Yale; Jennifer DiBella, Roundabout Theatre Company; Alejandra Duque Cifuentes, Dance/NYC; Jennifer Halpern, IATSE; Amy Harris, Roundabout Theatre; Sharifa Johka, Blk Realities; Olivia Jones, Consultant; Mitch Mattson, Roundabout Theatre Company; Talleri McRae, National Disability Theatre; Leslie Recinos, Roundabout Theatre; Alexander Santiago-Jirau, New York Theatre Workshop; Camille Schenkkan, Center Theatre Group; Willa Taylor, Goodman Theatre; Nikki Toombs, Aurora Theatre; Patricia White, IATSE.

This Project is supported, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts. Special Thanks to Maggie Kaplen. Roundabout’s Theatrical Workforce Development Program is made possible through the generosity of Denise R. Sobel, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Altman Foundation, Solon E. Summerfield Foundation, the State of New York through its Workforce Development Initiative, and NYC’s Human Resources Administration and Center for Economic Opportunity’s joint support through the Work Progress Program.

Major funding to establish the Made in New York Stagecraft Bootcamp is provided by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and NYC Department of Small Business Services. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Council, under the leadership of Speaker Corey Johnson and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.