Synopsis

Are you looking for opportunities to deepen your craft or specialization in performance? Fellowships can provide a supportive environment for taking artistic risks, access to invaluable mentorship and industry connections, as well as opportunities for personal growth and self-discovery. Finding a fellowship that complements your goals and personality is key, but competition and the application process for these coveted spaces can be daunting.

Come spend an evening with fellowship coordinators from some of New York City’s most dynamic arts organizations as they illuminate best practices for crafting compelling personal statements and resumes, choosing the right references, and describing and developing the bigger picture for the microcosm of your project.

Panelist Bios

Emilya Cachaparo

Emilya Cachapero, Director of Theatre Communications Group’s Artistic and International Programs, has been active in the US arts community for more than 30 years. Ms. Cachapero oversees TCG’s grant programs, international programs and selected special projects.  She is a member of the Executive Board and Council of International Theatre Insitute (ITI) Worldwide, and as lead producer for ITI’s New Project Group (NPG) she produced House-Home, an eleven country collaboration that was performed in Xiamen, China in 2011, IfDENTITY, a ten-country collaboration that was performed in Madrid in 2008 and The Borges Project, a ten-country collaboration performed in Manila in 2006.  In addition to her current responsibilities with TCG and ITI-U.S., Ms. Cachapero has been a US National Commissioner to UNESCO since 2008.  Prior to joining TCG in 1991, she served as general manager for the Concordia Chamber Symphony; associate director of the Non-Traditional Casting Project in New York; conservatory administrator for American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco; and chair of the artistic committee for the Asian American Theater Company in San Francisco. She was instrumental in creating the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival and was its founding producer for the first two years of the program. Her writing has been published in American Poetry Review and several poetry anthologies. Ms Cachapero received her Bachelor of Arts degree in creative writing from San Francisco State University and an honorary M.F.A. from the American Conservatory Theater. She is an alumna of the James P. Shannon Leadership Institute.

Diana Kemppainen

Diana Kemppainen has been with the Princess Grace Foundation-USA since 2007, and currently serves as Program Manager. Ms. Kemppainen works closely with the Foundation’s panel of artists who convene each year as judicators for the theater, dance and film applications. Ms. Kemppainen is tasked with reviewing a large and diverse submission pool comprised of all three performing arts disciplines to help the panel determine the level of talent within a highly competitive selection of applications. Ms. Kemppainen has previously worked for Jacob’s Pillow and holds B.A. from Western Washington University and a Certificate for Management in the Performing Arts from University of Washington.

Moderator

Courtney Harge

Courtney Harge is a producer, director, and professional arts administrator originally from Saginaw, MI. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Colloquy Collective, a theater company based out of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. She has worked for the Elaine Kaufman Cultural Center, Theater for the New City, The Public Theater, Gibney Dance, the New York Foundation for the Arts, and, currently, Fractured Atlas with a focus on institutional fundraising, crowdfunding, and fiscal sponsorship. She holds a Masters of Professional Studies, with Distinction, in Arts and Cultural Management from Pratt Institute and a Bachelors of Fine Arts with Honors from the University of Michigan in Theater Performance. Her credo (#HustlingKeepsYouSexy) is not merely a hashtag; it’s a way of life. You can get more information at www.courtneyharge.com