Mentorship & Leadership Initiative

The Mentorship and Leadership Initiative (MLI) strengthens NPN Partner organizations and the performing arts field by supporting the professional development of NPN Partner staff as future arts leaders.

FY12 Summer MLI Awards

In July 2011 NPN funded five proposals totaling $19,250:

Columbia College Chicago
Title: Leadership Development for Dance Teaching Artistry
Description: The project will develop the Arts Integration Program Specialist in the field of dance performance as an arts education leader and dance teaching artist by providing mentorship, networking and co-teaching experiences.
NPN Subsidy: $3,750

Flynn Center for the Performing Arts
Title: APAP Conference and Institute for Curatorial Practice in Performance
Description: The project will enable the Flynn Center’s Programming Managers, two emerging arts professionals, to attend the Association of Arts Presenters annual conference, and for Flynn’s newest Program Manager’s participation in the Wesleyan University’s year-long Institute for Curatorial Practice in Performance.
NPN Subsidy: $3,500

Jump-Start Performance Co.
Title: Passing the Torch
Description: The project will facilitate the smooth transition–”passing the torch”–from a department leadership position to executive leadership of the organization.
NPN Subsidy: $4,000

Theater Offensive
Title: Community Partnerships
Description: The Director of Programs will be mentored by Norma Bowles, Artistic Director of Fringe Benefits, an LA based company to deepen her understanding of how to structure, plan, supervise, evaluate and collaborate for all programs of TTO.
NPN Subsidy: $4,000

Youth Speaks
Title: Brave New Leaders
Description: Youth Speaks will implement a monthly professional development series for staff, half of which are in their 20’s, to support their growth in development and fundraising, leadership, digital communications, marketing and organizational development.
NPN Subsidy: $4,000

FY11 Winter MLI Awards

Walker Art Center
Title: Online Content Leadership Initiative
Description: Jesse Leaneagh will be mentored as a young leader gaining skills in online content creation, through video and online journalism work shared through social media. Through mentorship with Walker staff and meetings with peer organizations, Leaneagh hopes to refine the Walker’s social media strategies and share these strategies with the broader field of performing arts presenters.
NPN Subsidy: $5,000

South Dallas Cultural Center
Title: Freedom Forum
Description: Working with Dr. H. Sharif Williams as a mentor, Mr. Harold Steward will participate in professional development to gain the skills and knowledge to become a “Theater of the Oppressed Facilitator.” This training includes one-on-one coaching sessions, conference participation, and an apprenticeship.
NPN Subsidy: $5,000

Performance Space 122 (P.S.122)
Title: PS122 Mentorship: Laura Nicoll
Description: To continue mentoring our Marketing Manager Laura Nicoll to take the full reins of PS 122′s communication and external affairs, develops a comprehensive marketing and eevelopment strategic plan, and creates new ways of engaging the artists and patrons in more meaningful experiences with PS122.
NPN Subsidy: $5,000

Portland Institute for Contemporary Art
Title: PICA/On the Boards Documentation and Online Distribution Mentorship
Description: Staff from On the Boards will mentor PICA staff to improve our documentation of live performance and develop strategies to bring our archived work to an online audience.
NPN Subsidy: $5,000

Tigertail Productions
Title: danceAble 5-year Program Plan
Description: Mary Luft will attend for the first-time-ever the August 17-20, LEAD (Leadership Exchange in Arts & Disability) Conference at the Kentucky Ctr in Louisville, KY. From April – Dec. 2011 Tigertail (Mary Luft) and FL Dance Assoc (Bill Doolin) will re-examine danceAble, and develop a 5-year Program Plan to move it into a national and internationally-known mixed-ability dance project.
NPN Subsidy: $4,500

Multi-Cultural Education and Counseling Through the Arts (MECA)
Title: MECA/JuanaGuzman Peer Strategic Training
Description: MECA is seeking to bring Juana Guzman, art administrator and activist, to MECA to provide strategic plan development mentorship for the executive director and other key staff.
NPN Subsidy: $3,500

FY11 Summer MLI Awards

In July 2010 NPN received a total of 10 applications and was able to fund the top five projects.

Central District Forum for Art and Ideas
Title: CD Forum/Painted Bride Job Shadowing
Description: New CD Forum program coordinator will be mentored by Painted Bride associate director in areas of programming, management and artist relations/contracts.
NPN Subsidy: $2490

Dance Theatre Workshop
Title: Research and Networking Within the Contemporary African Dance Community
Description: DTW program manager will visit the Danse l’Afrique Danse biennial and two important dance centers in Africa in order to broaden her awareness of contemporary African dance makers, the realities of working conditions, forge new partnerships, and further her personal mission of actively supporting choreographers of color (and queer women) working in contemporary dance.
NPN Subsidy: $5000

Flynn Center for Performing Arts
Title: Professional Development/APAP Conference Support
Description: Flynn’s program manager and program administrator, two emerging arts professionals, will attend the APAP conference and workshops that will further their professional development in areas of the art of presenting, new audience development, access and artist contracts.
NPN Subsidy: $3000

Highways Performance Space
Title:  Outreach/Expansion
Description: Growing Leadership – Highway’s associate director will be mentored by the current executive/artistic director in order to transition him into the artistic director position while empowering him to curate two festivals.
NPN Subsidy: $5000

La Peña Cultural Center
Title: Vision 2020: Collective Structure and Marketing for the Next Generation
Title: Over the course of nine months the development director and director of strategic planning will work with organizational consultants to clarify and refine La Peña’s collective management structure in preparation for the new strategic plan, while developing and implementing a clear leadership transition plan and marketing plan.
NPN Subsidy: $5000

FY10 Summer MLI Awards

In July 2009 NPN received a total of 10 applications and was able to fund the top five projects.

El Centro Su Teatro – Denver, CO
Project Title: Su Teatro Hones Business Acumen
In preparation for a transition to a new facility that is designed to accommodate multiple forms of earned income, Su Teatro’s business team (the development director, sales manager and executive artistic director) seeks to enhance its existing business development proficiency and to acquire new skills that will allow the organization to be successful in an exciting, new multi-use facility.
Award: $4,250

Flynn Center for the Performing Arts – Burlington, VT
Project: APAP Conference Support
The Flynn Center will send two of its staff members, the Programming Manager and Programming Administrator, to the Association of Performing Arts Presenters Conference in New York. Both staff members are emerging arts professionals and will participate fully in the conference activities as well as several professional development workshops.
Award: $2,800

Pat Graney Company – Seattle, WA
Project Title: Mentoring Ex-Offenders
Shan Pena, Keeping the Faith (KTF) Transitions Program Coordinator and ex-offender, will receive mentorship training and subsequently oversee the development of a mentorship training program within the KTF Program. Participants of the KTF Program will learn how to serve as Mentors for their ex-offender peers. Pena will be mentored by Women in Transition Director, Janice Miller, and Seattle University Sociology Department Chair, Jodi O’Brien (sponsor of KTF).
Award: $4,000

Theater Offensive – Cambridge, MA
Project: Gaining competency and institutional resources for PR and publicity
Using the annual Out on the Edge Festival as a mentorship and training experience, Community Engagement Director Eugene Tan will work with established professional publicists. Through their mentoring, Eugene will will learn to develop  in-house media and public relations skills and resources and also how to work successfully with media outlets relevant to Boston.
Award: $3,500

Tigertail Productionss – Miami, FL
Project: Staff Mentorship/Leadership
Tigertail Project Coordinator, Kenneth McCoy, will study the methodologies of leading national and local contemporary arts presenters through intensive meetings and mentorship. He will work with a leading consultant in strategic planning and will participate in the annual NPN meeting in Knoxville to acquire an overview of the field and learn specific leadership skills.
Award: $4,500

FY10 Winter MLI Awards

In February 2010 NPN received a total of eight applications and was able to fund the top four projects.

Contemporary Arts Center
Title: Development of a Contemporary Performance Presenter
Description: Jennifer Mefford will travel to the Time-Based Art Festival (TBA) in Portland OR, the Fusebox Festival in Austin TX, and the Northwest New Works Festival (NNWF) in Seattle, WA, to see over 70 new artist groups working on the edge of contemporary art. Jennifer will strengthen partnerships with NPN Partners, artists, and presenters for future CAC programming, collaborations, and partnerships.
NPN Subsidy: $4,070

Junebug Productions
Title: Cultural Monetization
Description: In year two of Junebug Productions (JPI) internal MLI initiative, JPI will expand on the lessons learned during Managing Director Terry Scott’s first year by deepening his training, mentoring and leadership development. Specific training will focus on business development for arts management, as Terry is charged to write a business plan for the Free Southern Theater Institute.
NPN Subsidy: $4,500

La Peña Cultural Center
Title: Supporting New Leadership in the Next Generation
Description: Through a year-long program of shadowing and meeting,  Susie Lundy will be mentored by James Kass, Executive Director of Youth Speaks. James will mentor Susie in the areas of fund raising, board development, strategic planning, organizational leadership and staff development. Their work will also focus on building a regional network of colleagues that can contribute to the success and development of a new leader in the area.
NPN Subsidy: $4,500

Sandglass Theatre
Title: Developing Sandglass Marketing Capabilities
Description: Sandglass Theater is run by three part time staff who together comprise 36 hours per week. As a small rural arts organization, Sandglass Theatre is in constant need of developing individual and collective capacities to maximize its impact. This project includes training elements for all staff in order to develop in-house marketing and long range financial planning skills.
NPN Subsidy: $5,000

FY09 Summer MLI Awards

In July 2008 NPN received a total of 10 applications and was able to fund the top six projects.

Asian Arts Initiative – Philadelphia, PA
Project Title: Sabbatical and Shared Leadership
The Asian Arts Initiative was awarded a $5,000 grant from the NPN Mentorship and Leadership Initiative to enable Executive Director Gayle Isa to plan for a 4-month sabbatical for personal rejuvenation and learning, helping to lay the groundwork through work with a consultant and  investment in Gayle’s strategic mentorship of Program Manager Sabina Neem.
Award: $5000

Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas – Seattle, WA
Project: Travel to Conference and Festivals
Project will support the development of CD Forum’s program director as a contemporary performing arts programmer by providing opportunities to see live work, attend workshops, and connect with peer organizations regionally and nationally.  Program Director will attend Western Arts Alliance Annual Conference in Seattle, Hip-Hop Theatre Festival in NYC, and the Under the Radar Festival in NYC.
Award: $3500

Columbia College Chicago, Center for Community Arts Partnership – Chicago, IL
Project Title: Open Space Facilitation Training
Since participating in Open Space communication technology at an NPN meeting, I have wanted to seriously study this technology in order to use it in various facilitation contexts, especially working with community partners. I am enjoying an increase in opportunities for group facilitation, but I would like to augment my natural tendencies with some useful tools.
Award: $2530

Links Hall – Chicago, IL
Project: Strategic Programming Developments
Through a year-long program of peer coaching, research, and networking, CJ Mitchell (executive director) and Erica Mott (education and community programs director) will develop new understanding, skills and knowledge on a range of issues, particularly executive leadership and educational programming.
Award: $2498

The Theater Offensive – Cambridge, MA
Project: Learning/Testing New Evaluation Techniques
Evelyn Francis, The Theater Offensive’s director of education and of True Colors: Out Youth Theater, will learn more about youth arts evaluation methodology from other Boston-based youth arts organizations, then travel to Chicago & Omaha to exchange knowledge with sister companies.
Award: $3500

Tigertail Productions – Miami, FL
Project: Staff Mentorship/Leadership
Tigertail Project Coordinator Heber Siqueiros will acquire methodology of leading national and area contemporary arts presenters through intensive meetings and mentorship. He will work with a leading consultant in strategic planning and will participate in the annual NPN meeting in Seattle to acquire an overview of the field and specific skills.
Award: $5000

FY09 Winter MLI Awards

651 Arts – Brooklyn, NY
Project: Press Relations, Professional Development for Marketing Director
Description: 651 Arts relies on the input of all of the members of its small staff for programmatic planning ideas. Through this project, 651′s marketing director will receive formal training and mentorship in the area of press relationships and press related writing.
NPN Subsidy: $4,000

Junebug Productions – New Orleans, LA
Project: Formalized Training of Junebug’s New Managing and Development Director
Description: Junebug Productions will undertake formalized training, mentoring and leadership development for their new managing and development director to develop his knowledge of producing, presenting and funding live performing arts productions.
NPN Subsidy: $4,250

VS Arts/Out North – Anchorage, AK
Project: Securing Out North’s Future
Description: Tim Miller will work with Out North’s leadership to connect the threads of Out North leadership visioning, community engagement, and artistic leadership. Miller will help the executive director to create a three-year plan of professional development and burnout prevention through the use of a guest curatorial model.
NPN Subsidy: $1,650

Pat Graney Company – Seattle, WA
Project: Training Female Ex-Offenders to Interview Their Peers
Description: New Pat Graney staff member will be mentored to assist a local university professor in training female ex-offenders to conduct interviews of their peers about the impact of KTF (arts in prisons) in their lives, which will usher her into a new leadership position within the company and community.
NPN Subsidy: $4,250

South Dallas Cultural Center – Dallas, TX
Project: Lighting a Small Theater on a Small Budget
Description: South Dallas Cultural Center will deepen the performing arts and technical coordinator’s knowledge of lighting design by a mentorship with a prominent local lighting director.  The training will be specifically tailored for SDCC’s small theater space and even smaller budget.
NPN Subsidy: $2,500

Walker Art Center – Minneapolis, MN
Project: Mentorship on Curation, Audience Development, and Interpretation
Description: Walker Art Center senior curator will mentor visitor services performing arts specialist on curatorial/programmatic processes, audience development practices, season creation/history: to research, develop, and implement key strategies to help build new, diverse audiences; open up dialogue and communication opportunities for audiences and Walker staff, fostering more direct engagement with patrons; and find better ways to help interpret contemporary work.
NPN Subsidy: $4,250




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