PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Patricia McGregor, Artistic Director of New York Theatre Workshop
2:55:45
ยท
162 sec
Patricia McGregor, Artistic Director of New York Theatre Workshop, shares her personal experience as a fellowship recipient and advocates for the importance of fellowship programs in the arts. She highlights the success of New York Theatre Workshop's 2050 artistic and administrative fellowship program and its impact on launching careers in theater.
- McGregor emphasizes that fellowship programs are not abstract but have real, transformative effects on individuals' careers.
- The New York Theatre Workshop offers programs for various age groups, from teens to seniors.
- Due to lost funding, the number of administrative fellows has been reduced from 10 to 5 this year.
- McGregor stresses the importance of these fellowships in promoting diversity in leadership positions within arts organizations.
Patricia McGregor
2:55:45
Thank you, Chairperson Rivera, Commissioner Combo, the council members, and all of the artistic leaders here.
2:55:51
I've been very inspired to hear about how all of your programs are helping individuals and the ecosystem.
2:55:58
My name is Patricia McGregor, and I come here not only to advocate as an arts leader, but also as a recipient of a transformative fellowship myself.
2:56:08
In 2000, I moved to New York City to pursue a career in the arts, But as many artists and students had to take a job bartending down the corner on Avenue a and an executive assistant job at Polo Ralph Lauren, I almost stayed in that job until I got a fellowship at Second Stage, which for 2 years gave me a home, a place, and launched my career.
2:56:30
I now come before you as the artistic director of New York Theatre Workshop, a few blocks down the street from where I used to bartend.
2:56:38
So these fellowship programs are not just academic.
2:56:41
They are not abstract.
2:56:42
They are very personal for me.
2:56:44
You heard earlier, Sequoia Gwynn, our extraordinary interim director of education engagement, speak about our range of programs.
2:56:52
Our programs begin with teens, at the age of 13 through our youth artistic instigator program and bridge all the way up to folks in their nineties in our Mind the Gap program.
2:57:05
Most importantly, for the work today, our 2050 artistic and administrative fellows have been one of the most successful programs in the field of off Broadway and Broadway theater.
2:57:18
Many of the recipients of these fellowships over the past 20 years have gone on to be household names.
2:57:25
This year, Dania Tamore and Brandon Jacob Jenkins, former fellows won Tony Awards.
2:57:32
We have 6 to 10 fellowships in each, artistic and administrative track from finance, development, artistic, production, and marketing.
2:57:45
We have lost some dedicated funding.
2:57:47
So this year, we went down from 10 administrative to 5 fellows.
2:57:51
And I will say while I while I, speak as a former fellow who that fellowship transformed my life, and I sit now in the big office at New York Theatre Workshop.
2:58:01
There are former fellows who are also on our board.
2:58:04
I know these fellowships make a huge difference, and especially as a leader and with my incoming leader, Maya Children, as 2 women of color leading an organization, we know very personally that these fellowships make a difference.
2:58:16
They matter.
2:58:16
We'll do everything we can to champion them, and we hope you join us, so that this invaluable work can be accessible to many, many more people for generations to come.
2:58:26
Thank you.