Engineer Equity
Good Ground: The Next Generation of Women Leaders in the Arts
Launching in January 2026, Harlem Stage proudly introduces Good Ground: The Next Generation of Women Leaders in the Arts—a bold, two-year global initiative designed to cultivate and empower 30 young women of color, ages 18 to 27, who are poised to become transformative leaders in the arts and culture sector.
In deep collaboration with visionary women of color leaders from across the world, Good Ground rises in response to persistent inequities in arts leadership. Despite generations of artistic brilliance and innovation, women of color remain vastly underrepresented in executive roles—with research revealing that no women of color currently lead LORT theaters as executive directors, and only one serves as an artistic director. The recent wave of departures by women of color from leadership positions—coined The Great Break-Up—is a powerful indictment of a sector that has failed to prioritize racial and gender equity, well-being, and sustained investment.
Good Ground is both an intervention and an invitation: to reimagine leadership, to nourish community, and to build lasting change from the ground up.
The program launches with an intensive one-week residency at Harlem Stage in January 2026, where fellows will participate in daily workshops, masterclasses, immersive site visits, and conversations with some of the most influential women of color leading cultural institutions today. Through a curriculum rooted in equity, excellence, and real-world leadership models, participants will gain tools to navigate and transform the arts landscape. The experience is designed to be fully accessible, with travel stipends provided for out-of-town fellows and participation stipends for all. The initiative continues with monthly trainings, reading assignments, fieldwork and internships with a summer two-week convening.
Over the course of two years, Good Ground will provide sustained mentorship, network-building, and ongoing leadership development, equipping fellows with the confidence, skills, and support to break barriers and shape the future of arts leadership.
Good Ground is the next generation of The Black Seed. The Black Seed was a first-ever, five-year (2020 - 2024) national strategic plan to create impact and thrivability for Black theater institutions, unprecedentedly led by Black-led theater institutions and leaders in the United States in collaboration with other Black leadership for communities of Black artists and Black audiences.
Good Ground is fertile ground for a new generation of visionaries—grounded in global community and led by purpose. Good Ground is where leadership takes root. Designed to cultivate the next generation of women of color in the arts, it provides the conditions necessary for growth: mentorship, rigor, opportunity, and community. Rooted in equity and driven by purpose, Good Ground invests in emerging leaders—offering the tools, networks, and support they need to thrive. In a sector where systemic barriers persist, Good Ground plants seeds for lasting change—nurturing a future where women of color not only lead, but reshape the cultural landscape.
OUR HARLEM STAGE TEAM
Harlem Stage is a dynamic ecosystem comprised of Centers of Excellence in Development, Finance, Marketing, Programming and Production, and Operations—hubs of accountability, rigor, creativity, innovation, and collaboration that drive our mission forward. Each Center is led by and composed of subject matter experts across disciplines and levels, fostering a culture where excellence is not only expected, but actively cultivated. These Centers serve as engines of impact, ensuring that every program, partnership, and artistic endeavor reflects the highest standards, while remaining deeply responsive to the needs of our communities and the vision of a more equitable future.