Applications are now being accepted for the second cycle of The Next Wave Initiative, a developmental branch of The Directors Company focused on amplifying future Black voices in theatre.
NWI's initial scholarships include The Lorraine Hansberry Writing Scholarship, The Spike Lee Directing Scholarship, The Hattie McDaniel Acting Scholarship, and The Alvin Ailey Dance Scholarship. The scholarships are open to Black applicants pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in one of those four disciplines (writing, directing, acting, and dancing), with all genders and ages welcome.
The program was founded by Broadway performer and playwright Douglas Lyons, currently represented on Broadway with his new comedy Chicken & Biscuits, in 2020, and has raised $30,000 towards the initiative since then, with all proceeds going to scholarships, awards, grants, outreach programs, and operational costs.
To learn more about each scholarship and to apply, visit DirectorsCompany.org. The deadline to apply is January 15, 2022, with finalists set to be announced that spring.