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Distance Mentorship for Applied Theatre Practitioners
2024-2025 Cohort is FULL!
Applications for 2025-26 Cohort will be available in December 2024.
(See below for details and next steps)
We believe deeply in the power of Applied Theatre as a tool for social change. As long-time leaders in the field, we feel a responsibility to nurture emerging leaders and support a global movement of social justice through the arts.
While we have found on-site apprenticeship
to be an invaluable way to further the work, we recognize that not everyone can take a year to live and study with us. With our Distance Mentorship for Applied Theatre Practitioners, we are excited and eager to support people in their own communities and provide access to a wider network of emerging leaders and practitioners.
Past Guest presenters
We are very honored to host internationally recognized leaders in the field as part of the learning exchange in the Distance Mentorship.
Thank you to all those who have shared their experiences and insights to ignite us in our practices as agents of social change.
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- Hector Aristizabal, Medellin, Colombia
- Jiwon Chung, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Hannah Fox, New Paltz, NY, USA
- Birgit Fritz, Vienna, Austria
- Sanjoy Ganguly, Kolkata, India
- Meggan Gomez, New York City, USA
- Radha Ramaswamy, Bengaluru, India
- Katy Rubin, New York City, USA
- Barbara Santos, Berlin, Germany
- Lalenja Harrington, Greensboro, NC, USA
- Rosalyn Smith-Stover, Camden, SC, USA
What is the Distance Mentorship?
The Mandala Center for Change “Distance Mentorship for Applied Theatre Practitioners” is an on-line based,
9-month leadership program for practitioners of Theatre of the Oppressed and/or Playback Theatre to receive training and support at home while they actively practice these skills in their own communities.
Participants will receive guidance, training, and feedback from long-time Applied Theatre practitioners and trainers, Marc Weinblatt and Zhaleh Almaee as well as fellow Mentees and guest professionals in the field.
Content will be tailored to the needs of the cohort and the individual Mentees.
Areas of focus may include, but are not limited to:
- Applied Theatre techniques and applications (e.g. Theatre of the Oppressed, Playback Theatre, etc.)
- Social justice/anti-oppression frameworks
- Community organizing and fundraising
- Restorative approaches, healing practices, and self-care
The Distance Mentorship cohort is generally limited to 6 people per year. This year (2023-2024) will be our 6th year offering this unique mentorship. During this time we have had the honor of welcoming participants from across the United States, Canada, Mexico, The Netherlands, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Dates: September 2025 – May 2026
(9 months)
Cost: US $1,800
(non-refundable and paid-in-full in advance of the program start.)
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- Once accepted into the Distance Mentorship, a non-refundable deposit of $300 is required to secure your space. Balance is due by the start of the Mentorship.
- Please note: Unlike most of our public offerings, there is no financial aid for this program. Because it is a small group we need full commitment from participants which includes tuition as well as attendance at sessions. We also believe that having the ability to organize and fundraise is an important skill for leadership development. Contact us for ideas and support. We do not want the cost to hinder anyone’s participation.
Mentee’s projects and reflections are featured in the Mandala Center Blog.
CHECK IT OUT >>
Program Overview – What you get:
- 8 @ Monthly Cohort 2-hour Zoom video-conference calls with Zhaleh and/or Marc and the full cohort to share experiences, successes, and challenges from applications of the work, ask questions of the group and receive feedback. (Oct – May: total of 16 hours)
- 9 @ Monthly private 1.5 hour video-conference or phone calls with Zhaleh and/or Marc.
(Sept – May: total of 15 hours) *Additional private sessions can be scheduled for a fee. - 2 @ 1.5 hour video-conference “Guest Presentations” with internationally recognized leaders in Applied Theatre. (total of 3 hours)
- Options to lead short Applied Theatre sessions/structures with feedback from Marc, Zhaleh, and/or the cohort.
- Digital resource/support materials.
- Your work/project or reflections featured on the “Mandala Blog” on the Mandala Center website.
- Networking support.
What you need to do next:
- Complete the Distance Mentorship Application Form. (available Dec. 2024.)
- Schedule a zoom interview with Marc Weinblatt or Zhaleh Almaee.
- If accepted into the Distance Mentorship program, a non-refundable deposit of $300 is required to secure your space.
2024-’25 Cohort
Marco Cerqueira – Pasco, WA, USA
Robin Crane – Oakland, CA, USA
Eliot Feenstra – Cave Junction, OR, USA
Kate Morales – Atlanta, GA, USA
Kulkiran Nakai – Ypsilanti, MI, USA
Maggie Yowell – Seattle, WA, USA
2023-’24 Cohort
Alice Clarfelt – Cape Town, South Africa
Sanjana Kumar – Bengaluru, India
Joyce Mojica – Chicago, IL, USA
Rochelle Webster – Ashland, OR, USA
2021-’22 Cohort
Claudia Galea – Salt Spring Island, B.C., Canada
Marta Mulholland – Freeland, WA, USA
Simonita Perales Simkins – Madison, WI, USA
2020-’21 Cohort
Felicia Black – San Diego, CA, USA
Spring Cheng – Bellingham, WA, USA
Yvette Miller – Charlotte, NC, USA
Nirmala Nataraj – Highland, NY, USA
Matthew Rich-Tolsma – Utrecht, The Netherlands
2019-’20 Cohort:
Tracy Beard – Boston, MA, USA
Cristal Brister – Birmingham, AL, USA
Lalenja Harrington – Greensboro, NC, USA
Ronald North – Cape Girardeau, MO, USA
Derek Roguski – New Orleans, LA, USA
Rosalyn Smith-Stover – Elgin, SC, USA
2018-’19 Cohort:
Beck Eden – Oakland, CA, USA
Daniela Fernandez – Nevada City, CA, USA
Sarah Finnell – Fairbanks, AK, USA
Dan Hales – Thailand (and Australia)
Danae Martinez – Berkeley, CA, USA
Brooke Sarden – Memphis, TN, USA
Our inaugural 2017-’18 Cohort:
Matthew Anderson – Seattle, WA, USA
Sarah Finnell – Fairbanks, AK, USA
Antonieta Gimeno – Mexico
Devon Hoffman – Espanola, NM, USA
Phui Kong – Malaysia
David Puvan – Singapore