The Prince Fellowship

The goal of the Prince Fellowship is to support the development of gifted emerging creative theatrical producers. The Fellowship is committed to sustaining the finest traditions of producing by exposing new talent to the producing process in a manner that supports creative involvement. Although the environment in which theatre is produced continues to change, many of the underlying challenges and principles remain and must be understood and adapted if the art form is to thrive.

The Fellowship is a project-based program that supports the development of the chosen fellow and their project over the course of one year. Each fellow is given access to a selection of courses in the MFA Theatre Management & Producing Program at Columbia University School of the Arts. The specific courses are chosen to best support the fellow’s growth. In addition, each fellow receives structured mentorship from a handful of industry leaders who specialize in creative producing and related fields. The goal is to provide consistent mentorship tailored to the needs of the individual fellow. Through these academic and professional support systems, the program aims to empower the fellows as they begin exercising their new skills in all the creative and business areas of development.

The philosophy is that which is good for the art form is good for business. The Fellowship emphasizes that the creative producer’s role is to be the instigator, the collaborator, and the leader who gets art on the stage and to the public. The program neither wishes to turn back the clock to 1950 nor settle for the status quo. The Prince Fellowship is looking to empower new producers to reinvent the wheel themselves, on their own terms.

Requirements

Before assembling your application, please read these instructions carefully.

Recommendation Letters

Recommenders can be undergraduate, graduate, or professional contacts; they should be people who can speak to your business and creative abilities and potential. The Fellowship requests that applicants submit all letters of recommendation electronically through their online application system. However, if your recommender prefers to mail the application, please follow these instructions: provide the form, along with a stamped envelope, to each recommender and request that they (1) enclose the recommendation; (2) seal the envelope; (3) sign their name across the seal; (4) mail the letter to:

PRINCE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
c/o Columbia University
Theatre Arts Program
2960 Broadway, MC 1807
New York, New York 10027

Citizenship

All applicants must be United States citizens or have permanent resident status. You may prove U.S. Citizenship or Green Card Status by uploading a copy of any one of the following to the online application system: U.S. Passport, Green Card, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, Naturalization Certificate, Certificate of Citizenship or Certified birth certificate issued by the city, county or state, with registrar’s seal and signature.

The following are not adequate proof of citizenship: driver’s license, voter registration card, or army discharge papers.

Presentation & Additional Materials

Applicants are evaluated on the basis of the quality of their past work, the application and their potential as Creative Producers. The Fellowship is looking for well-organized and thoughtful applications that capture who you are as a person and as a theatre producer. Please be sure to proofread your application carefully before you submit it. The submission of relevant additional materials, over and above those that are required as part of the application, is highly recommended. Such additional materials might include photographs of work, press releases, reviews, etc. Please underline or highlight pertinent passages in any promotional material or reviews you submit. As part of the selection process the Admissions Committee will evaluate the professionalism of the application and the relevance of any additional materials.

Responsibility

All materials included in your application become the property of Columbia University and the Prince Fellowship Program.

Deadline

All application materials for the Prince Fellowship must be submitted no later than June 25, 2025. It is your responsibility to meet this deadline.

Deferral

Accepted applicants cannot defer admission into the program. Prince Fellows must complete all academic and production work within one year of entering the program. Exceptions to the foregoing will be considered on a case by case basis.

Progress

Fellows who do not make satisfactory progress may be cut from the program.

Application Instructions

Please visit this page to apply.