Artists from different experiences strengthen the work and help build nuance and empathy. Our Designers of Color initiative builds a Success Scaffold for emerging designers in their first professional jobs, through: structured side-by-side mentorships; financial, life skills, and mental health training, and access to established professional networks.

With community partners, the DOC initiative will also develop a training and recruitment pipeline. We work with high school teachers to create career fair opportunities and with colleges and universities to provide specific recruitment for their design and directing programs. From there, we then connect new designers and directors to professional mentors and paid opportunities.

Finally, the DOC initiative will create a hiring pathway between established professional designers and new professionals to the professional theatres in the Metro area. This hiring pathway will include working with partners to: establish an easy-to-use designer portfolio site where theatres can 'shop' for new BIPOC designers, and create a toolkit for theatres offering tips and resources on becoming a welcoming, inclusive, and equitable workplace for all.

Having designers in the room who have specific, personal understanding for culturally-specific storytelling, and design teams that always represent the diversity of our community on all projects, ensures that our work is as authentic, true, and powerful as it can be.