APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2026-2027 LYNETTE BARKLEY AWARD ARE OPEN
The Lynnette Barkley Fund is a transformative initiative designed to support alumni of SDCF’s Professional Development Program as they take the next step in their artistic careers. Established in 2025 by acclaimed director and choreographer Lynnette Barkley, the Fund reflects a deep commitment to fostering the next generation of theatrical leadership.
Each year, up to three outstanding alumni will be selected to receive unrestricted awards of $5,000. Funding will be distributed over a three-year period, or for as long as resources remain available. Ideal candidates are artists able to speak to passion project(s) that this funding will help aide them in accomplishing.
Applicants will complete a brief application, which will be reviewed and evaluated by members of the SDCF Board of Trustees and the SDC Executive Board. Through this investment in artists, the Lynnette Barkley Fund champions creativity, leadership, and the continued evolution of the theatre field.
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
PLEASE PERPARE A SHAREABLE GOOGLE DRIVE OR DROPBOX FOLDER THAT INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING MATERIALS
- A one page resume as a PDF
- A letter to the committee answering the following questions:
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- What is the primary focus of your directing and choreographic work?
- Can you share what kind of theatre that you are most passionate about directing and/or choreographing
- Through your experience in the SDCF Professional Development Program, share how has it helped you grow as an artist.
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- A video under than 2.5 minutes answering the following prompt: Please speak about what receiving this funding would allow you to do to aid in taking the next steps in your career? (Note: Please only submit videos that include you speaking to a camera. Do not worry about adding photos or reference videos, or art. We just want to see you).
Please upload all materials into a single public folder titled:
First Name, Last Name – Lynnett Barkley Application
APPLICATION TIMELINE
June 17th, 2026 – Applications open
July 16th, 2026 – Applications due
September 2026 – Awardees selected
2025 RECIPIENTS
MIGUEL BREGANTE
photo credit: Yang Xiao
Miguel Bregante (He/Him): Spanish-Chilean director. Grounds his craft in the pursuit of a bespoke language for each production, believing every story deserves its own unique form of expression. His journey ranges from delving into the words of Mathematics and Physics during his studies in Telecommunications Engineering across Spain, Austria, and France, to the completion of an MFA in Theater Directing at Columbia University in New York. This path includes directing the award-winning La Mona Ilustre Theater Company in Chile, renowned for its image-based, nearly wordless storytelling. Evolving from a Lecoq-based movement methodology to an in-depth script analysis, his work blends multilayered narratives and distortion of reality to explore the enigmatic inner landscapes of individuals. Fiercely advocating for tenderness, Miguel fosters a nurturing, diverse, and highly collaborative rehearsal space, where each voice holds the potential to unlock the key idea for a production’s success.
JESSICA CHEN
photo credit: David Burton
Jessica Chen is a Chinese American dancer, choreographer and Artistic Director of J CHEN PROJECT, a non-profit contemporary dance company in NYC. Her work celebrates diverse narratives through dynamic contemporary movement. Her credits include choreographing Cabaret at CenterREP (Bay Area’s Top 3 Best Dance Productions 2024/Broadway World), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella at GEVA and Syracuse Stage, Spring Awakening at Montclair State University, and Beautiful: A Carole King Musical at Weathervane, and performance works at New York Fashion Week, Lincoln Center, MACY’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the World Expo/Shanghai. She was a 2023 Bessie Award Nominee for Best Choreography and a Broadway World Regional Productions Best Choreography Nominee in 2024. She is a 2021 GALLIM Moving Women recipient. Her acclaimed show AAPI HEROES will perform at the Museum of Chinese in America for LNY25. She is thrilled to be the 2025 SDCF Director Fellow working on SUMO at The Public Theater. www.jchenproject.com
YOURI KIM
photo credit: June Lee
Youri Kim is a DMV-based theatre director, playwright, and educator with over 15 years of experience in theatre production and arts administration. Holding an MFA in Theatre Directing from East 15 Acting School, U.K., she has worked across South Korea, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Her work explores gender, identity, and technology through diasporic narratives, with notable productions including Mother Courage and Her Gentrification, 30th-Century Euthanasia, (armpit)Hair, and most recently, Peerless. She is committed to fostering diverse voices and equitable practices in the arts while collaborating with various theatre companies in the DMV and Greater Baltimore areas.