The Shubert Organization Artistic Circle
Call for 2027 Cohort Applications
SHUBERT ORGANIZATION ARTISTIC CIRCLE DEI INITIATIVE OPENS APPLICATIONS FOR 4th YEAR
Application Period Open Now
Deadline for applying is January 1st, 2027
Program Dates are July 1st, 2027– June 30th, 2028
For more than a century, The Shubert Organization has been the steward of Broadway's stages, and with that standing comes an obligation to look after the people who will fill them next. As part of our commitment to diversifying the commercial American theatre landscape, we founded The Artistic Circle in 2021 to put our resources and relationships in the hands of mid-career producers of color who are building work for the commercial theatre.
Eleven producers have come through the program since, and each arrived already building the future of this industry. Among them are the founders of Theatre Producers of Color, The Industry Standard Group, and Breaking the Binary Theatre, organizations that are opening doors for the producers coming up behind them. The work they brought with them has found its way onto our stages and others across the industry. Members of the Circle have gone on to lead produce or co-produce Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Proof, 10 Things I Hate About You, Suffs, Cabaret, Oh, Mary!, Gypsy, Illinoise, Just in Time, Titanique, and A Doll's House on Broadway; Heathers and Bigfoot! Off-Broadway; and High School Musical and the upcoming RENT revival in London. Along the way, they have earned Tony nominations, Obie Awards, and Drama Desk Awards, helping ensure that the future of commercial theatre is one shared by all.
The value of the Artistic Circle lies in how closely we are able to work with the producers we invite in. There is no curriculum here and no standard-issue course of study. Each cycle is built around the particular people admitted and the particular productions they carry through the door, and it can be built that way only because of the program’s intimate nature.
What that looks like in practice is support shaped to the producer and the project, which may include:
- Access to office space
- Intimate networking opportunities
- Panels and roundtables with industry experts
- 1-on-1 consultations with appointed mentors
- Underwriting of development expenses
The producers who will fill our stages in the decades ahead are already at work on the shows that will do it. The Artistic Circle is meant to ensure they have the resources to finish them.
COHORT ELIGIBILITY
Applicants to The Artistic Circle must meet the following criteria:
- An active commercial project in development.
Applicants must be currently developing a production intended for a commercial run or with commercial aspirations. Applicants without a production in hand cannot be considered.
- Demonstrated professional experience raising capital.
Applicants must have prior, verifiable experience raising investment capital, enhancement funds, or production capitalization for theatrical work. Broadway and Off-Broadway credits are not required. We will give equal consideration to experience in other markets and to producers whose body of work sits outside the commercial sphere entirely, provided it demonstrates financial responsibility at a comparable scale — productions mounted under Actors' Equity's Showcase Code, Mini Agreement, or Small Professional Theatre Agreement, or work of similar size and complexity, offer a useful benchmark.
- Presence in New York City.
The Artistic Circle convenes in person at The Shubert Organization’s executive offices no fewer than three times monthly. Applicants must be based in New York City or within reasonable travel distance.
Beyond these requirements, preference will be given to applicants who can articulate with specificity what the support of The Shubert Organization would make possible for their production – which resources their project requires, and what has kept that work out of reach.
READ COMPLETE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS HERE
HOW TO APPLY:
Applicants can find further details about application requirements and submit materials at the Artistic Circle homepage.
DEADLINE TO APPLY:
January 1st, 2027
For more information about The Artistic Circle and past program members, visit https://shubert.nyc/about-us/artistic-circle/