Four professional metro Atlanta arts organizations have announced the creation of a new arts apprentice company called Four Directions Apprentice Company with the goal of serving up-and-coming arts professionals by engaging, educating, and enriching them through an experiential learning training program.
7 Stages, Out Front Theatre Company, ART Station Contemporary Arts and Theatre Company, and Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company have joined forces to create an intersection of purposeful training using performance, administration, education, community engagement, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
“My hope is that Four Directions can become a shining example of what apprenticeships could be, not just in Atlanta, but across the country and the world,” said Paul Conroy, the Founder and Producing Artistic Director of Out Front Theatre Company, the only theatre in the Southeast dedicated to sharing LGBTQ stories. “Without a doubt, the apprentices who complete this program will be formidable when they enter the vast professional artistic landscape.”
“It is interesting to us to have an open dialogue about how we are valued for our art,” said Heidi S. Howard, the Artistic Director of 7 Stages, where transgender choreographer Sean Dorsey will be performing Boys in Trouble in September. “That’s why we made it a benchmark to compensate apprentices for what they do. Advocacy is key to a healthy cultural city. When we can highlight our unique aesthetic while connecting through our passion, we broaden the spectrum of the arts across Atlanta and for ourselves. Artists have value and we hope to break the bubble of isolation and make us a strong community overall.”
Those interested in being a part of this influential new apprentice program can complete an application here.