I’m excited to be sharing an update about professional development programming at SDCF. As many of you know, the SDCF Observership program has been on hold since May 2020—paused, of course, due to the pandemic. When I started as Director of the Foundation in November 2020, I learned very quickly that this program was one of the staples of the Foundation’s activities. I also realized that, since in-person Observerships had to go on hiatus, we had an opportune time to really evaluate the opportunities we were offering. Additionally, SDCF had made it a priority to review all its professional development programming based on the results of the Next Stage Report, a two-year, data-driven study that addresses the artistic aspirations and financial insecurities of professional directors and choreographers across the country, both pre-pandemic and during the industry shutdown. 

So, I set out to get as clear an understanding of the Observership program as possible: what worked and where there was room for improvement.

For about a year and a half, I spent time with many people talking about the program. I read evaluations that spanned the last decade, I sent surveys out to hundreds of previous participants, talked to some of those participants one on one and in groups. I spoke with previous mentors of the program and asked other experienced artists in the field to offer advice on what an ideal program would look like to them. I spoke with people who hadn’t participated before, seeking to understand how the program might work for them. I even did a short three-week long Observership myself to understand what the experience would be for others; it was wonderful and deeply educational.

I am grateful to everyone who spoke with me, especially during such a difficult time in the industry. The willingness of the community to give of their time and energy in service of making a program better for others is a beautiful thing. I have learned a lot through all these conversations. And now I am thrilled to share with you that the SDCF Observership program lives on in the newly titled SDCF Professional Development Program.  

This revitalized program will provide opportunities for emerging and early career directors and choreographers to observe and/or support experienced directors and choreographers during the production process. The program’s primary focus will be emerging and early-career artists, though there may be opportunities for mid-career artists during a season as well. The title change is, in part, because we want to create greater clarity in highlighting the range of opportunities now available for directors and choreographers through the program: Shadows, Observers, and Fellows. Details about the program and about each type of opportunity can be found here at https://sdcfoundation.org/professional-development-program/

Additionally, we are changing the structure in which we take in participants. Instead of accepting a large class and then only providing experiential opportunities to a small portion of the participants, we will be opening the application process a couple of times a year (2- 3 cycles) for the opportunities that are available. In this way, we will accept only the number of participants as there are opportunities available.

I am thrilled to announce that the first cycle of this season will be opening at the end of this week and Cycle 2 will be at the top of the New Year. So, for this season there will only be two cycles. Moving forward, each Spring will be the start of a new three part cycle. Joining our mailing list here and following us on social media @sdcfoundation will be the best way to stay up to date on the programming.

I also recorded a podcast episode with SDCF Trustee Seema Sueko to talk more about this program so if you would like a little more information about the program and how the new structure came to be, you can find it on Libsyn, Apple podcasts, or Spotify.

I know people have been eager for the return of this type of programming at the Foundation, given its importance in the industry for directors and choreographers. We are grateful to everyone who has stayed in touch during this extraordinary time in the industry. We took time to evaluate, rebuild, and now share out publicly the results of our analysis. I am so happy to be bringing this programming back. We know that we are are going to learn a lot in this first year of the new programming, and I commit to finding ways to continually evaluate how effective the program is in service of its goals.

Sincerely,

Dani Barlow

SDC Foundation Director