INTRODUCING THE GILDER/COIGNEY INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FORUM
Stay tuned for this important new endeavor from NPTC, scheduled to launch in early 2025!
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New Perspectives Theatre Company has been a co-producer for the League of Professional Theatre Women's triennial Gilder/Coigney International Theatre Award Program since 2014. We began performing at the Festa Alternativo in 2015 in Bogotá, Colombia as a result of connections made through this program, and have returned every other year since then (virtually or in-person).
After the 2020 GCITA program and with the advent of Zoom, we sought to maintain connections with the women who had been nominated and find ongoing ways to network and collaborate. Many of our international affiliates live and work in oppressed and suppressed regions, and we realized that we were not hearing their authentic stories from State and corporate media. We created Theatre From The Streets in response to that reality. We are now significantly expanding this work.
Mission Statement
The mission of the G/C Theatre Forum is to engage international theatre women and their allies in networking and activism by facilitating conversation and artistic collaboration on a global basis. We aim to investigate a common language around diversity, inclusion, and cultural and religious pluralism as it applies across cultures, breaking down outmoded assumptions and fostering an open dialogue to enact positive change.
Unlike other international endeavors, the GC Forum is designed to initiate and facilitate artist-to-artist communication, connection and collaboration.
Forum Web Platform: What to expect?
Our mission in action includes:
Creating an international Forum via a dedicated web platform to provide a common space for dialogue, outreach, and the sharing of information and resources to theatre women around the World.
Developing ongoing programs that support artists’ ability to present their work and find like-minded collaborators across borders (i.e. creating a directory of artists and a mechanism for one-on-one and group engagement; hosting workshops and a virtual performance space; developing a database of resources, etc.)
Serving as a research hub for a broad scope of information (articles, published studies, statistical data, anecdotal materials, etc.) on issues critical to the aspirations and realities for theatre women everywhere. Initiating/expanding conversations and investigations that can lead to more equitable outcomes for artists in communities that are marginalized and those whose voices are suppressed by political, cultural, geographic and economic factors
The GC International Theatre Forum is under the leadership of Joan Firestone, a legendary force in theatre, art and politics for over 50 years; Linda Chapman, former Associate Artistic Director of the NY Theatre Workshop (retired); Melody Brooks, Artistic Director of NPTC, and Malini Singh McDonald, Executive Director of Theatre Beyond Broadway. Shreya Ambatti is Program Manager, Penelope Deen is Associate Program Manager.
Advisors to follow…
Interested in Becoming a Member? Fill Out the Form & Include Your Contact Information!