Apply Now | The Incubator for Arts and Culture Leaders of Color in Tri-State Area 2022

Leaders of Color from arts and cultural organizations based in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York State (outside of NYC’s five boroughs) are encouraged to apply by Monday, December 6.

New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is pleased to announce The Incubator for Arts and Culture Leaders of Color in the Tri-State Area (outside of NYC’s five boroughs), a free program that will provide leadership training and community support for up to 18 arts administrators from January 2022 to June 2022. It is made possible through the generous support of a consortium of funders: The Willem de Kooning Foundation, the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, the Teiger Foundation, and the Cy Twombly Foundation. Note: there will be another open call for leaders of Color working at NYC-based organizations in January 2022. Please stay tuned for details.

The Incubator for Arts and Culture Leaders of Color was designed with input from a group of arts and cultural leaders in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York State (outside of NYC’s five boroughs), including participants from the NYSCA/NYFA Community Leaders Program. It builds upon the framework of NYFA’s Emerging Leaders Program that has served over 150 leaders since 2013 and The Incubator for Executive Leaders of Color (NYC). By fostering the professional development of local arts and cultural leaders of Color and strengthening their work in the field, the incubator aims to encourage the sustainability and success of their organizations as well as the equitability and diversity of the arts industry.

NYFA will work with facilitators from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. The curriculum will be designed through the lens of inclusion and racial equity, and we will work diligently with partner organizations and external consultants to ensure that we meet the needs of our participants. 

The goals of the program are to:

• Serve as an incubator for exploring new models and trends in arts administration in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York State (outside of NYC’s five boroughs). 
• Increase an individual’s leadership capacity so that they can have a greater influence on the arts and cultural organization for which they work as well as the arts community as a whole.
• Provide arts and cultural organizations with the means to sustain themselves long-term and thrive by training their current or future leadership staff with the core competencies they need for success.
• Offer individual and group activities that focus on arts leadership and networking, leading to support and collaboration among participants and sparking new ideas.
• Provide space to discuss issues specific to BIPOC leaders and move toward solutions.
• Facilitate an opportunity to engage with a variety of nationwide leaders in the arts.

Selected participants will benefit from:

• A peer cohort-based learning model that relies on shared experiences to explore and develop a greater awareness of your personal leadership style.
• Case studies, guest speakers, panel discussions, and group exercises that focus on purpose-centered leadership, including diversity, equity, and inclusion; negotiation skills; and decision-making frameworks.
• Peer-to-peer exchange and transferable resources that will further develop your organization in the long term and better support the communities you serve.
• Technical workshops and panels related to HR management, strategic planning, fundraising, and board development.
• Access to NYFA’s arts leadership programs’ network and dedicated local peer advisors for 6-8 hours of individual guidance and support.

Program Dates

Mandatory Sessions:*

• Intro Meeting will be on Tuesday, January 11, 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM ET
• One-day intensives will be Tuesday, January 25; and Tuesday, June 28, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM ET
• Bi-monthly check-in meetings will take place on February 8, April 5, and May 3, 10:00 AM -11:30 AM ET
• Online technical assistance workshops and panel discussions will take place on March 8, March 22, April 12, May 17, and June 7, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM ET

*All sessions will be held online and are mandatory to attend, so please check your calendar before applying.

How to Apply

Application Link: Click here to apply via Submittable

First-time users will need to register with Submittable to access the application portal.

Application Deadline: Monday, December 6, 11:59 PM ET

Eligibility:

• Self-identify as a leader of Color.
• Executive Leaders from non-profit arts and cultural organizations with all-size budgets (i.e. – Executive Director, Artistic Director, Deputy Director, Program Director).** 
• Commitment to the mandatory attendance of all sessions.
• Open to participants from Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York State (outside of NYC’s five boroughs).***

**We acknowledge there are different organizational models in the Tri-State area. If you have any questions about eligibility, please contact [email protected].

***There will be another open call for leaders of Color working at NYC-based organizations in January 2022.

Guidelines:

For the application, we ask you to provide:

• Organization information (i.e. organization mission, focus, website and operational budget).
• Why you are interested in applying to this program and a list of goals relative to your leadership career path within the next 5+ years.
• Your current role and responsibilities.
• A narrative bio of your professional career.
• A particular challenge in your current organization that participating in this program could help you address.
• Contact details of a board member or an advisory committee member of your organization.***

***We will only contact them if you are selected into the program to ask for their support for the time commitment involved. 

Applications will be reviewed by alumni of NYFA’s Emerging Leaders program and outside executive professionals and local art leaders of Color.

Notification: Applicants will be notified on or before Monday, December 20.

Questions? Contact NYFA and include “The Incubator for Arts and Culture Leaders of Color in Tri-State Area 2022” in the subject line. 

To request accommodation or assistance in applying, please email [email protected] or call 212-366-6900 Ext 252. We ask that requests for accommodation be made as soon as possible and no later than Monday, November 8 to allow adequate time for staff to support you in submitting an application before the deadline.

This program is made possible with the support of a consortium of funders, The Willem de Kooning Foundation, the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, the Teiger Foundation, and the Cy Twombly Foundation, and was designed in partnership with a group of arts and cultural leaders in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York State (outside of NYC) and participants of NYSCA/NYFA Community Leaders Program.

We want to thank: Angie Durrell, Founder & Executive Director of INTEMPO; Renee Flagler, Executive Director of Girls Inc. of Long Island; Deonté Griffin-Quick, Director of Programs and Services at NJ Theater Alliance; Armand Hall, Executive and Artistic Director of The ROCmusic Collaborative; Nydia Padilla Rodriguez, Founder & Artistic Director of Borinquen Dance Theatre, Inc.; Alison Scott-Williams, President at Studio in a School NYC; Anita Thomas, Executive Director of Carolyn Dorfman Dance; Theodore Thomas, Executive Director of New England Dance Theater; Diego Vásquez, Communications Manager at The Real Art Ways.

This program is part of NYFA Learning, which includes professional development for artists and arts administrators. Sign up for NYFA’s free bi-weekly newsletter to receive updates on future programs.