Early-career Directors Fellowship

The Department of Design for Stage and Film at NYU Tisch School of the Arts is accepting applications for a first-ever Fellowship within the department for early career directors. This fellowship will give directors the possibility to connect to and explore a profound connection with design and designers in their work.

This is an opportunity for early career directors to expand and deepen their understanding of the design process, at the same time that design students can gain insight into the director’s process and expectations. Through this fellowship, our goal is for students to develop significant creative relationships with future artistic leaders, and for the students and directors to plant the seeds of future collaborations.

The department will select three directors to be in residence in our community for a one academic year engagement as Directing Fellows, including (but not limited to) the following opportunities and expectations:
— Directors will observe no less than 1 design project per semester (usually 6-7 class meetings) in a chosen design field and are invited to participate in the class discussions (but do not submit projects, assignments, etc.)
— Directors are invited to join and participate in the first year’s intro classes, Practice and Performance by Design, meeting once a week in the fall and spring semesters.
— At the end of the spring semester, directors will participate in the existing Opera Lab Project, a joint project between Tisch Design for Stage and FIlm and the Graduate Music Theater Writing Program, produced in one of our new state-of-the-art theaters.
— Each Director will receive an honorarium of $3,000.00 (taxable income) for their engagement, to be paid in 3 parts: $1000 at the beginning of the fellowship; $1000 at the end of the first semester; $1000 at the end of the Fellowship year.

Associate Arts Professor Sam Helfrich, a career opera and theater director, will oversee the program and support the Fellows and students throughout the year.

Application Instructions

Please submit a current resume, links to examples of your work, contact information for three references, and a brief statement (300 words) addressing the following topics:
— How would a fellowship like this be meaningful to your trajectory as a director?
— How do you define collaboration in your work?

Please submit materials by August 15 to: tisch.design@nyu.edu