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Black Love. 
Black Art.
Black Joy.
  • Home
  • 2022 Scholarship Program
  • BIA Scholarship Calendar
  • Book Us!
  • Black Comedy Events
  • Black Improv Almanac
  • #OperationBlackJoy
  • Performance Teams
  • Our Business Structure
  • Code of Conduct

Ready to do more than just talk about diversity?

In the summer of 2020, we launched our first scholarship program, The 100 Black Improvisers Partnership. (Click here to see details of the 2020 launch!) We partnered with more than 50 theaters across the country (and some internationally!) and were able to place at least 58 Black students in free improv classes.

This year, we hope to exceed our goal of 100 Black improvisers.  


Can we count on you to help us reach 100?


Click here for an updated Student Interest Form!

Bronze Members

The following groups have committed to sponsoring 4 students in the 100 Black Improvisers Partnership. 

Thank you for your commitment to increasing diversity in improv!

Silver Members

The following groups have committed to sponsoring 5-10 students in the 100 Black Improvisers Partnership. 

Thank you for your commitment to increasing diversity in improv!

Gold Members

The following groups have committed to sponsoring 11-19 students in the 100 Black Improvisers Partnership. 

Thank you for your commitment to increasing diversity in improv!

Black Star Members

The following groups have committed to sponsoring 20 or more students in the 100 Black Improvisers Partnership. 

Thank you for your commitment to increasing diversity in improv!

FAQ’s for INTERESTED PARTNERS (Improv Schools & More)

What do I have to do to qualify for this program?

 

-Offer a full session of any type of Improv classes

-Provide at least 4 scholarships for Black students, in the same class. Additional scholarships must also be issued in groups of 4, in the same class. 

-Have a written and shared Code of Conduct which expresses a zero tolerance policy for racism - on or off stage - for all cast members, employees, and students. (We understand that you might not have this completed just yet. But in order to be part of this program, you need to be working on it. We want our students to be confident that we are sending them into situations where they can be safe being vulnerable).

-Have a written process, which is shared with all students, for how they can file a report or otherwise express discomfort about anything that happened in class or in another interaction with a teacher, employee, or student of your theater. There must also be written assurance that there will be no repercussions against students who speak up. (Again, if you don’t have this totally together right now, it’s ok if you are working on it)

How do I get involved?

You can fill out our Google Form here. And if you have any additional questions, you can email us at scholarships@blackimprovalliance.com. Improv schools, theaters, and teachers can join us by directly offering a minimum of 4 scholarships to any class for Black students. Corporate sponsors - and generous individuals - can join us by paying for a minimum of 5 Black students to take a class at the qualifying theater of your choice. Or, if you’d simply like to make a donation, we can find a class for you to sponsor. 

Why insist on a minimum of 4 students?

Because we refuse to send anyone into a situation in which they will be tokenized. And because we want Black students to not just try out your class, but to STAY and become part of your community! In our many conversations with Black improvisers, we have found that having some sort of Black community present has been essential to their decisions to stay in majority white theaters. The number one reason they leave? Being one of few or the only Black person there. We could write a novel on why that is, but trust us: if you want Black people to stay in your theater, you need more than a ‘token Black person’. You need to build a COMMUNITY. And so, for every improv school/theater that partners with us, we insist on a minimum of 4 Black students - IN THE SAME CLASS. 

Wait? In the same class? But that’s like...half the class filled with Black people.

 We said what we said. 

Why should we offer Improv classes to Black people for free?

Because improv can be financially prohibitive and hard to sell to those who have never seen it. If you truly want to increase Black representation in your theater, you need to consider removing barriers which would prevent people from getting involved. Our hope is that after completing Improv 101, the students in this Partnership will choose to invest in furthering their improv education at your theater. We are also gathering resources to invest in additional scholarships for those who want to continue but need assistance to pay for more classes.

What do I get out of this?

Melanated blessings from Black Jesus.


Seriously, by participating in this program, you make this community better for all of us. By actively pursuing a diverse student body, you make it clear that your theater is a safe and inviting space for Black students and audience members. You also make your organization better by inviting more perspectives and experiences into your art. 


Plus, you get a nifty banner for your website and listed as a partner on ours! (and that's good publicity! whoot whoot!)

I love this idea! I want to join in! But I don’t know how to find Black students.

We are doing things differently this time- after filling out our Theatre Interest Google Form, you'll get access to a database of our interested students and their location and experience level, so you can reach out to them if you think they'd be interested in your class. Additionally, if you have a class that you want us to advertise, you can submit it to us here to be displayed on our Scholarship Class Calendar.

FAQ's for INTERESTED STUDENTS

What do I have to do to qualify for this program?

-Be Black. 

-Be 18 or over (we love the kids but are working on a separate program for youth)

-Be interested in learning improv (at any level!)

-Be available to attend classes and attend regularly with a willingness to learn (Attendance below 75% may get you removed from the program). 

-Agree to follow all Rules & Codes of Conduct at the theater with which you are matched.

Dassit.  

How do I apply?

Fill out our student interest form here! Filling it out will add you to a database that partner theaters have access to so they can reach out to you if you might be a fit for their class. Additionally, available classes will be listed on our Scholarship Class Calendar if you'd like to reach out to theaters yourself.

That was easy. That's it?

That's it!

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