The American theater design coalition Design Action has announced the launch of a new fellowship program, Springboard to Design (SB2D). To be led by Tony Award-winning designers Clint Ramos and David Zinn, the fellowship program will offer a year-long, tuition-free, virtual mentorship to aspiring and emerging theater designers of ages 18 to 25 and underrepresented backgrounds.
Applications for the fellowship are open to high school students and emerging set, costume, lighting, projection, sound and makeup designers from July 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027. Applicants must write a series of short responses, record a brief introduction video, provide two to three samples of their work, include contact information for one reference and pay a $25 fee. If the fee is a barrier to submission, vouchers may be available upon request. Further information about the application can be found on Springboard to Design’s website.
Once fellows are selected, the program will begin in the fall of 2027 and run through the academic year into spring 2028. Mentor meetings, cohort sessions and workshops will be scheduled regularly throughout the term, allowing fellows to receive direct mentorship, industry insight and personalized feedback from SB2D’s mentors.
Mentors are selected from SB2D’s pool of guest artists. Collectively, the artists have received 123 Tony Award nominations and 33 wins across various design categories.
“The Fellowship Program advances SB2D’s mission to expand access and opportunity for high school students and emerging designers through meaningful mentorship,” said Ramos in a statement. “Each year, we hear from students around the world who are searching for access to this kind of creative guidance and artistic community, and we’re excited to provide education, mentorship and hands-on exposure to the collaborative artistry at the heart of theater design.”
“We’re proud to continue nurturing curiosity and helping young artists discover their creative voice through the Fellowship Program,” added Zinn. “Time and again, applicants reach out about how difficult it can be to find guidance and a community of peers who share their passion for theater design, and this program helps create those opportunities and connections on a global scale.”
Design Action is a coalition of BIPOC and white theater designers working to end racial inequities in theater by confronting racism in the workplace and creating new opportunities for designers of color. Ramos, the Tony-winning costume designer of “Eclipsed,” and a costume or scenic designer on the 2017 revival of “Once on This Island,” “Slave Play,” “Here Lies Love” and “Maybe Happy Ending,” is a co-founder with Zinn, a three-time Tony winner for his scenic design on “The Humans,” “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “Stereophonic” who has also contributed design to this season’s “Liberation” and “Becky Shaw.”
