Our Equip program features a set of targeted opportunities aimed at supporting the growth and development of Los Angeles’ Black arts sector.
Nonprofit Management Courses
We partner with nonprofit experts and consultants to provide courses specifically aimed at building and strengthening the knowledge, capacity, and infrastructure of Los Angeles’ Black theatrical institutions. Course topics include financial management, leadership and board development, staff development, fundraising, revenue streams, resiliency planning, marketing, donor cultivation and more.
Technical Training
In an effort to encourage more Black engagement and multigenerational opportunity in our industry, we provide technical training, in a variety of skills and disciplines, to the public. This series generates awareness and access to career development in the theatre, thereby increasing the pool of Black technicians and creatives. Focused areas include dramaturgy, virtual production, directing, stage management, producing, design, administration and business management, and marketing.
Grant Education
Black arts organizations have historically faced systemic barriers in access to funding. Whether public or private, grant eligibility criteria is often inherently biased against Black-led companies and perpetuate structural inequity in the arts sector. Our grant education series educates and prepares Black artists and Black entities for the grant writing and reporting process, helping them become more viable candidates for awards and funding.
Speaker Series
There is so much wisdom to be gleaned from colleagues, educators, practitioners, and those with vast knowledge and experiences relating to Black artistry, activism, and advocacy. Our speaker series brings some of the nation’s most brilliant minds into conversation with one another and the community. Formats include lectures, panels, intimate discussions, and Q&A forums.
Internships and Observerships
Throughout the year, we partner with local Black companies to place multigenerational interns in paid work-study positions to get hands-on training and education during productions. This not only strengthens the Black workforce in the theatrical sector, but also helps to provide additional support and resources to LA’s Black theatres.