NEW YORK, Aug. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Yellowbrick, in collaboration with New York University Tisch School of the Arts, and Backstage, today announced the launch of Performing Arts Industry Essentials, a program designed to help students explore careers in the highly varied and specialized Performing Arts industry.
The program will expose learners to roles across multiple aspects of the industry - from concept development to the launch of a regular performance run. Course materials feature interviews and instruction from NYU Tisch faculty and industry leaders, offering valuable insights and perspectives. The program will enable students to explore their own potential career paths in the industry. Upon finishing the program, learners receive a completion certificate from NYU Tisch.
"At NYU Tisch, we prepare our students to reinvent the fields they enter to impact the performing arts and beyond; using their art to critique, question, and imagine better futures," said Dean Allyson Green, NYU Tisch School of the Arts. "With the global pandemic reinventing and enlarging notions of what live performance and theater can be, it's important, now more than ever, to open up opportunities and knowledge to aspiring theater artists who will help tell stories and engage with this critical moment creatively, intellectually, and professionally. This program will equip participants with the practical skills to better understand how they can pursue their craft and provide real-world insights from our stellar faculty and industry guests."
"Live performance has always been vital to our culture, and the complexity of the modern industry offers many opportunities for people with various talents," said Rob Kingyens, President and CEO of Yellowbrick. "We're thrilled to work with NYU Tisch and Backstage to bring those roles out into the open and show passionate learners how they can be a part of this incredible industry."
Course instruction begins with a thorough exploration of the Performing Arts landscape, including a history of global theater, a review of theatrical genres, and a deep dive into multiple roles that exist within the Theatre industry. From there, the content addresses the work that goes into getting a production off the ground: scriptwriting, lyrical work, production funding, and promotion, among others; and everything that informs the audience experience: the craft of individual performances, direction, choreography, blocking, lighting, costumes, music, sound, and visual effects. Taken together, the program covers numerous facets of the industry and the interplay between hundreds of roles and responsibilities.
This all-encompassing overview is taught by some of the very people who've made the industry what it is today. Program contributors include Tony Award-winning Director Rachel Chavkin; Broadway Actor Bret Shuford; Casting Director JV Mercanti; Choreographer Mary Ann Kellogg; Critic, Historian, and Arts Advocate Dr. Harvey Young; Dance & Theatre Writer and Professor Jeff Kaplan; Casting Director JV Mercanti; Nationally-recognized Scenic Designer Gianni Downs; and NYU Tisch faculty members Rubén Polendo, Elizabeth Bradley, and Shanga Parker.
"Since 1960, Backstage has been devoted to growing the careers of performing artists by providing advice, education, and career opportunities," said Josh Ellstein, CEO of Backstage. "We're excited to partner with NYU Tisch and Yellowbrick to develop this unique and valuable course for our members."
All course materials and instruction will be provided online, meaning students can fit the program assignments into their daily lives - especially important given the current uncertainty of the COVID pandemic. In creating the course video content, Yellowbrick developed a "contactless" recording experience using technology provided by OpenReel, and working with the iPhone. OpenReel, a New York-based platform that enables footage to be directed and filmed remotely, enabled easy communication with remote subjects and the capture of high-quality iPhone footage while filming in various locations.
Visitors to yellowbrick.co/arts can sign up now for an exclusive preview of the program. The first group of students will be admitted in September.
About Yellowbrick
Yellowbrick is a global leader in online education and career exploration for the Arts, Media, Entertainment, and Sports industries. The company develops exciting, accessible online programs in collaboration with top brands and influencers in media and culture and with world-renowned universities. Their mission is to help a new generation of talent discover, pursue, and advance career paths that are aligned with the things they love. Find out more at http://www.yellowbrick.co.
About the NYU Tisch School of the Arts
For over 50 years, the NYU Tisch School of the Arts has drawn on the vast artistic and cultural resources of New York City and New York University to create an extraordinary training ground for artists, scholars, and innovators. Today, students learn their craft in a spirited, risk-taking environment that combines the professional training of a conservatory with the liberal arts education of a premier global university with campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, Shanghai and 11 academic centers around the world. Learn more at http://www.tisch.nyu.edu.
About Backstage
Founded in 1960, Backstage is the #1 platform helping performers to grow their careers and find work across the media and entertainment industry, including theater, film, television, and commercials, and helping creators to find the best talent for their projects. Backstage's editorial advice, news, and guides, and its best-in-class casting tools have made Backstage an essential tool for performing artists looking to take their career to the next level. Learn more at http://www.backstage.com.
About OpenReel
OpenReel is the comprehensive video recording and creation platform of choice for industry-leading companies across multiple verticals including financial services, publishing, entertainment, medicine, education and technology. Marketing, internal communications and video production teams use the platform for remote recording and collaboration on a global level across a wide range of devices. Learn more at http://www.openreel.com.
SOURCE Yellowbrick
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